Chapter 29 – The Sword Princess Obsessed with Strength
Slash!
With a swift, clean motion, Shin Akira sliced off one of the Minotaur's horns, then spun with precise footwork and swung his blade again.
In a blink, the monster's head was severed, sailing through the air before landing with a thud on the blood-soaked floor.
His body, still close to the beheaded corpse, was immediately showered in hot blood. It splattered across his face, drenched his clothes, and painted his entire figure crimson—like a demon standing victorious in the midst of a battlefield.
Akira lowered his gaze, staring at the long sword in his hand with quiet gratitude.
Deep down, he offered a silent thanks to Tsubaki.
"If this had been a normal weapon… I would've been the one crashing into a wall."
It may not have reached the rank of a First-Class Weapon, but it was undoubtedly a solid Second-Class armament. Akira could feel it—it was sturdy enough to handle monsters at level 3, maybe even level 4.
No ordinary Minotaur could possibly break this sword.
With the help of his loyal shadow warriors, he soon finished off the remaining Minotaurs.
By the time the last one fell, Shin Akira was soaked from head to toe in thick, dark blood. His original appearance was barely recognizable.
"…Incredible."
From afar, Ais Wallenstein stood frozen in place.
Seeing Shin Akira standing tall amidst a pile of monster corpses, blood dripping from every inch of his body—from his hair to his boots—left her utterly stunned.
How… how can someone be this strong?
— — —
"L-Lady Ais!"
Finally, Lefiya caught up, panting heavily as she stumbled forward.
She was a brilliant magic-user, gifted in the arcane arts—but when it came to physical endurance, she was sorely lacking.
Running nonstop from the sixteenth to the seventeenth floor had clearly taken a toll on her.
"Wait, isn't that the guy we saw yesterday?"
Lefiya moved to stand beside Ais and followed her gaze, her eyes landing on Shin Akira—who was still drenched in blood.
As an elf, her instincts kicked in immediately, and a faint look of discomfort crossed her face.
Still, she didn't judge him. In the dungeon, blood and filth were part of the norm. Anyone who survived and killed monsters deserved respect.
…Even if the sight did make her skin crawl a little.
— — —
Tap.
Ais stepped forward.
She wanted to know. She wanted to understand.
"Lady Ais, wait for me!"
Like a loyal shadow, Lefiya quickly followed behind.
Meanwhile, Shin Akira sat slumped against the wall, catching his breath.
Grrkk~
His stomach let out a low growl, and he sighed wearily.
"As expected… Dungeon diving is a damn energy drainer."
He pulled out a strip of dried meat from his rucksack and took a bite without ceremony, then washed it down with a swig from a steel canteen. It tasted awful, but it was enough to keep him going.
— — —
"Excuse me…"
"…Hm?"
Akira turned his head to find two figures standing nearby.
One was Ais. The other, Lefiya.
"…You're the Sword Princess. From Loki Familia."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ais Wallenstein."
"Shin Akira. So, what brings you here?"
His voice was calm—almost indifferent. But to Lefiya, it felt downright disrespectful.
How dare he speak like that!? Lady Ais herself greeted him and he just—?! He should die a hundred times over!
"You're strong," Ais said simply.
"…Thanks."
"You're… very strong."
This time, she said it with a serious expression, locking eyes with him.
Akira raised a brow.
"…Not sure what you're getting at, Sword Princess. What exactly are you trying to ask?"
"…Why are you so strong?"
There it was—the question she'd been holding in since yesterday.
Akira let out a short chuckle.
"You're funny. A level 5 adventurer asking a level 1 newbie about strength? Sounds backwards."
"…No. I know for a fact… when I was level 1, I wasn't like you."
"Yet here you are, already level 5. I'm still stuck at 1."
Ais fell silent. Words were never her strong suit. Most of the time, she didn't even know how to respond.
— — —
"What the hell is your problem!?"
Lefiya finally exploded. She couldn't take it anymore.
This guy had been acting smug the entire time, and now he was throwing shade at her beloved Ais?
"You've got quite the tone, Miss Elf. We barely know each other. We just met yesterday. And your Sword Princess here is calling me—a level 1 rookie—stronger than herself. Should I feel flattered or suspicious?"
"You—!"
"Please forgive her."
Ais suddenly cut in, bowing her head slightly.
Akira blinked, a little taken aback.
Seriously? This sword princess is… weirdly sincere.
"I'm sorry for bothering you. But… I still want to know. Why are you so strong?"
Akira looked her straight in the eye, then let out a quiet sigh.
"If you think I'm strong… then let me ask you something in return, Sword Princess—what does 'strength' mean to you?"
"…Being strong means… being able to defeat your enemies."
"Then the enemies I just took down with all my strength… you could've killed with a single slash."
"…Ah."
Ais had no response.
Lefiya looked like she was about to explode, glaring at Akira as if she were about to pounce like a wild wolf.
"…Sorry, Sword Princess. But you're way too obsessed with strength. It's not healthy."
"I have to be strong. I want to be strong."
Her reply came quickly. No hesitation. Pure conviction.
Akira, who knew her past, could only sigh softly. He understood all too well.
She was chasing a shadow from the past—one he doubted she could ever truly catch.
Lefiya, meanwhile, stood frozen, suddenly feeling… disconnected.
She had always admired Ais. But… had she ever truly understood her?
Yes, she knew Ais wanted to be strong. But… she had never known why.
And now, she felt an invisible wall between them—one she hadn't noticed until today.
Even now, she had only followed Ais into the dungeon. Ais never invited her. She merely… didn't object.
— — —
"…If you were hoping to learn the secret to strength from me… sorry, but there's no such thing."
"Oh…"
Ais lowered her head slightly, visibly disappointed.
"But instead of obsessing over power… maybe try paying more attention to the people around you. In this dungeon, most people can't survive on their own."
"…The people around me? Like Lefiya?"
Ais turned her head, looking at the elf beside her. Lefiya met her gaze, eyes wide in surprise.
She hadn't expected that. Not from someone who seemed so brash… even arrogant.
But somehow, his words carried a strange weight to them.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 125+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
✅ Be among the first readers to experience Arc 3 and the new season before anyone else!
📖 The first chapter of Arc 3 is now live!
You can read it right now on Patreon~
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Thank you all so much for your amazing support 💖
Your encouragement keeps this story alive and growing stronger every single day! 🌟
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —