NAMELESS LADY WITH A NAME

After Lynne’s battle, competition proceeded without another hitch. However, each time he’d step up onto the battling platform, he’d issue a torrent of insults onto the other party. Whether they were a man or a woman, it seemingly didn’t matter, as each and every one was affected by him. Thus, he managed to win four battles. He also noticed that the pill he’d taken before the start of the competition, ‘Wisps of Mana’ has been completely absorbed by him, so he quickly popped another one as he sat cross-legged on the sub-platform.

The number of people on it continued to decrease; when the competition started, there were hundreds of youth confidently sitting there, but now that number has dwindled down to about few dozen. Contrary to everyone’s expectations – and more importantly to their dismay – Lynne was one among them. He was the only ‘Dao Magus’ in the group, which made him stick out like a sore thumb. However, he didn’t mind it.

As another battle commenced, unbeknownst to everyone – even those seated above the platform – three pairs of eyes were observing it from the great distance. All three pair of eyes had indiscernible color and exuded extreme viciousness. The space around them appeared completely sealed off, and if one was even to look at the spot from up-close, they’d see nothing but thickets and bushes.

“Young Lord is to awaken soon,” a voice sprung out; as his sentence was heard by the other two, shock, awe and reverence appeared in their eyes. “I was ordered by Master to collect one hundred decent seeds. As it is the Young Lord, we can only bring the best.”

“Indeed,” despite the initial shock, the other two quickly recovered, and one of them responded. “However, those above aren’t simple people.”

“Don’t worry,” the first one to speak spoke again, his voice deepening, filled with strange malice. “We have about six months to the Lord’s awakening. There should be an expedition led by that sect soon, as they do every year. Their core disciples will leave the premises, and that’s when we’ll strike.”

As the conversation between the strange trio was happening, the battle atop the stone platform concluded. First Prince has achieved yet another victory, causing the audience to erupt in loud cheers and applause. However, as if it didn’t concern him, he simply smiled and went back to the sub-platform. The air around him caused others to gaze at him with awe, as if he was unapproachable God sent to this world to guide them.

“Lynne Nyord versus Ella Wull.” the voice of an elder suddenly resounded, causing the previous, cheery atmosphere to dim immediately.

The moment Lynne stepped onto the platform, boos echoed out and air was filled with all kinds of insults and curses; from his first brother down to his nineteenth ancestor, no one was spared. Yet, Lynne appeared as if he didn’t even hear the voices as he gently strode across the platform. He clearly tried to imitate the air of the First Prince, but such bearing was inherited, and not attained.

Naturally, if Lynne wished to have the same air the First Prince had, he could, but that was not his intention. He found strange joy and happiness in being hated by everyone present, and the mother others insulted him, the fiercer the fire in his heart burned. … am I actually a masochist? Nah, no way…

As he flamboyantly flipped his hair and turned towards his opponent, he suddenly froze stiff. The lady that stood calmly a good twenty meters away from him immediately caused his heart to burn in flames he didn’t even know existed. She appeared to be in her early thirties, wearing tight, white outfit which further enhanced her perfect curves. She had full lips and round, blue eyes, with golden flocks of hair covering her forehead. The hair ran down her back and over her shoulders, some strands falling in-between two massive peaks on her chest. Even Lynne, as someone who frequented all sorts of brothels, has never seen something quite like that.

The lady was relatively tall, wide-hipped, and had long, slender legs. Lynne’s mind immediately stripped her down to her skin, and he couldn’t help but drool excessively. This, in turn, caused not only the lady, but everyone else to look at him with the eyes of utter disgust.

“Pervert!” someone shouted. “How dare you look at our Lady with those eyes? I’ll behead you!”

“Lady Ella, cripple that bastard!”

“Yeah, make sure no one else suffers because of him!”

“Shut up!!!” Lynne suddenly screamed atop his lungs, causing the stirred audience to immediately silence. For a moment, he appeared to be an ancient beast and others were ants that intruded onto his territory. However, a brief second later, that fierceness disappeared as he looked back at the lady in front of him, his expression immediately turning docile. “He he, Big Sister, yo-you, he he, are quite a character. I have a confession to make.”

“Hmm?” the lady knitted her brows and stared at Lynne with complete hatred; she was a Holy Maiden of her city, and nobody ever has so clearly expressed their lust after her. Even after thirty years of life, everyone would hide their thoughts and express nothing but admiration towards her. Yet, this young brat whose hairs barely began growing has actually looked at her with such fiery eyes.

“I have completely fallen in love with you!” Lynne exclaimed as he lifted his head up into the air, falling onto his knees. “Both my brains are stirred by you beyond reason; I cannot extinguish this flame in my heart ~ oh, how it pains me so! I concede! I can never raise my finger on such an Angel! You are beyond breathtaking; you are a Goddess, a Virtue beyond comprehension!” suddenly seeing Lynne’s appearance shift 180 degrees caused the entire space around him to chum in silence.

“Your bosoms are my cradle; your hips my mother; your legs my pillars!” as Lynne continued speaking, even lady’s face – after twenty years of excessive flattery she’s gotten – turned completely crimson, let alone the girls much younger than her. “Ah~~,” Lynne sighed loudly as he suddenly collapsed and began weeping like a little child. “I do not deserve you; your existence is beyond an ant like me. Among all the flowers currently here, only you are enough to stir my soul, yet I am not enough to stir yours; worldly riches cannot captivate you, and I’m afraid I lack any other means. Even if my tongue is proficient, for you it is not enough. Ah~my solemn woes; when heart bleeds, so does soul.” Lynne began dejectedly walking away, his back hunched over, as if he just experienced the utter shattering of his heart.

If people didn’t know any better, they’d think this poor, young man was betrayed by the one he loved the most, left behind to wail in his dismay, forever forgotten. The silence lingered, and no one uttered a sound as Lynne headed down, leaving the platform in the air.

“E-Ella Wull wins this round!” the elder above the platform finally regained his wits and proclaimed.

However, there were neither cheers nor shouts, just sheer confusion. Not only did he profess his love on the spot, he also immediately gave up on it. And Lady Ella didn’t even speak a single word. It is as if he was having a battle with himself, which he both lost and won.

“P-principal Seed,” above the platform, hidden from the eyes of others, a female voice broke out, stuttering slightly. “Y-your new disciple is… quite… quite a character…”

“Ha… ha…” Principal laughed mildly, unable to respond; he was still shocked out of his wits.

“He is much like those ‘Zen’ followers,” another voice broke out. “Only not deranged and evil. Well, not evil… I think…”

“I actually think his heart was broken just now,” another voice said with a slight chuckle. “What a strange young man. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was one of my own.”

“Ha ha, you jest Lord Tan,” Principal Seed spoke solemnly, cold sweat trickling down his back. “With your grace, how could that lad possibly be your disciple? He simply lacks qualifications.”

“Although I’m old, my eyes haven’t muddled old fart,” the one called Lord Tan replied in a joking manner. “Forgetting his tongue and means, the young lad is extremely talented. Perhaps, if he trained diligently since his youth, he’d long since soared across the world.”

“Raise him well Principal,” another voice joined, chuckling. “While you may not be able to fix who he is, you can certainly make another powerhouse for the upcoming war.”

“… ah, so it truly is as rumored?” the Principal said, hint of fear hidden in his voice. “Northern Tribes are uniting?”

“Indeed,” the voice confirmed. “At worst, they’ll attack within five years… at best, ten.”

“Ah…”

While everyone was still stunned, Lynne walked back to his residence, his eyes completely red, sniffling. He lied onto his bed and looked at the ceiling, where the image of the beautiful lady appeared in full. He lifted his arm to grasp it, but the image disappeared.

“Ah… if only I had qualifications. Such an Angel… yet I cannot do anything.” he muttered lowly. However, his depressed look suddenly shifted to the one of determination as he jolted back onto his feet. “Even just knowing there’s such a jewel out there is enough for now. I must train. I must become strong… so, one day, when I finally have qualifications, I’ll appear before her and take her away! Wait for me nameless Lady, for I swear I’ll conquer you!”

The monkey was hiding in the corner, observing Lynne with stunned expression. There were simply no words to describe what the monkey was feeling at the moment. He could only blankly stare at the figure and ponder for just how long will this young lad survive with that character. A year? Or perhaps two?

Lynne suddenly sat cross-legged as he popped ‘Soulstone of Mana’ into his mouth, causing it to continuously purify his veins. Although the Principal said it will take him six months, he suddenly halved that deadline. There was no time like present; such Angel, after all, wouldn’t be single forever, and she was bound to get married to some grand character. I cannot allow that! Even if I have to shatter every bone in my body, the nameless Lady will be mine!

While most people Lynne’s age – and even those older than him – sought Magic as a way to learn the truths of the world and grow stronger to reach the stars, Lynne was wired a bit differently. He didn’t care about learning the truths, and he certainly didn’t care about reaching the stars. While he was slightly motivated to revenge his Kingdom, it wasn’t to the point where he’d drown himself in endless training sessions. He’d do it slowly, and if there ever was a chance for revenge, he’d take it. If not, he’d simply forget it.

However, when it came to money and mature women, they were like two mountains that he absolutely needed to climb. The larger the sum – or the prettier the lady – the more determined he’d gotten.

When he was fifteen, there was a newly-widowed woman back in ‘Edgemaw’ and to support her family, she joined a brothel. However, she was the ‘look don’t touch type’, but Lynne fell in love with her on the first sight. He began courting her endlessly, and the woman couldn’t stand it anymore and told him that the only way she’d warm his bed was if her son was granted a title of a ‘Duke’.

Two months later, her son indeed became a ‘Duke’, and she indeed did warm his bed. At that time, Lynne burned every resource he had and pleaded endlessly with his father, but he eventually did it. From this, one can easily discern just how much he can accomplish with slight motivation.

In the case of the nameless Lady, the widowed-woman can’t even hold a candle to her. So, if Lynne was willing to break every rule and burn all the bridges for the widowed-woman, his desire for the nameless Lady was thousand times bigger, if not more. That simple desire transferred into motivation, and Lynne didn’t care about anything else but growing stronger and stronger, so that one day he can sweep that nameless Lady away.