Although Alicia's favorability towards me is negative, in order to win the duel a month later, I have to seek Alicia's help:
"Since you are my guard, it is necessary for you to help me in this duel?"
"Master Aaron, the duel is your own suggestion. At the same time, even if I am your bodyguard, I cannot replace you in the duel."
"Because a duel is the fairest and most direct method of resolving disputes between the two parties who have a conflict, divorced from their own identities and responsibilities, and then compete under the same conditions to resolve the conflict. Therefore, I have no right and no obligation to interfere with you and Vincent Sir Terry's duel."
"Then, in this month's time, you will teach me swordsmanship?" This is my real purpose.
"I reject."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to."
That's a really frank answer. Alicia didn't hide her distaste for Aaron. In her opinion, she is just a guard, and the guard has no obligation to teach a bastard how to learn swordsmanship.
Moreover, if Aaron learns swordsmanship, he may use this power to cause more trouble and cause more damage.
However, hearing her rejection, Aaron did not express dissatisfaction or negative emotions. Instead, Aaron smiled sinisterly. This gave Alicia an ominous premonition.
"If you teach me swordsmanship, I can solve your insomnia problem."
After finishing speaking, I showed a smug smile. Because, I know, I made an offer Alicia couldn't refuse.
"···"
Alicia swallowed her saliva, her expression suddenly stiffened.
I was delighted to see Alicia's reaction. When a beautiful girl with strength and a cold expression shows surprise because of you, you will feel very fulfilled.
Intractable insomnia. This is Alicia's hidden weakness and secret, and it is also a question that has plagued her for several years. Alicia didn't understand why Aaron would know about it.
"Insomnia? I don't know what you're talking about."
Alicia gave an embarrassed smile. She's not good at deceiving, so it's easy for me to see that she's hiding something.
"So you don't have a problem with insomnia?"
"Yes."
"Alicia, do you know what you look like now?"
"What's the meaning?"
Alicia's eyebrows twitched, and she looked puzzled, which seemed cute to me.
"Your smile now looks forced. It's like a child who has done something wrong, trying to lie in front of her parents."
"···"
The smile on Alicia's face disappeared, replaced by panic:
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Alicia, I suggest you stop lying, because it's too obvious, and you look guilty."
"···"
Alicia gave up struggling and chose to respond to me with silence.
"I'll help you with your insomnia. Instead, you'll teach me swordplay. How? I think that's a pretty good deal."
Intractable insomnia. It was a symptom that suddenly bothered her three years ago. She consulted many books, and also asked other knights, as well as pharmacists and doctors in the territory. However, she did not find the reason and answer.
It was only at a certain point that her senses became very sensitive. She could clearly hear the sound of mosquitoes, the sound of the wind blowing branches, and even the sound of friction between her body and clothes.
Not just hearing. Including sight, touch, and even smell, have become very sensitive.
Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the number of blood vessels on her eyelids, and the sound and speed of blood flowing through them.
At the same time, even the sound of the pulse in the ear canal stimulated her ear canal every moment and every second.
Especially at night, when there is silence all around, because there is no other sound to disturb her senses become so sensitive that she can't sleep at all.
Only when her spirit is exhausted to a certain extent can she use it to fall asleep. And such sleep, often less than 2,3 hours.
If it weren't for the fact that she already possessed the strength and physique of a high-level knight, I'm afraid her lack of sleep would affect her state during the day.
Therefore, the importance of good sleep quality to Alicia is almost higher than other things. If Aaron can really help herself, she doesn't mind making a little sacrifice, paying some price.
"Yes, I do suffer from insomnia. But, do you know how to fix it?"
Alicia returned to her indifferent expression, which was her normal state and the expression Aaron saw most often.
Aaron's appearance became cunning. He knew that Alicia had been bitten by his hook.
Alicia is the protagonist of "Hero Knight", so the content of the novel tells a lot about Alicia. Similarly, it also tells how Alicia solved the problem of insomnia later.
"Now you don't know the reason for your insomnia, do you? But I do."
Sword Master Syndrome, this is what causes insomnia.
When a person's knight level is close to the level of a swordsman master, this person's body will undergo qualitative changes, beyond the scope of ordinary people.
The specific manifestation of this change is that all your senses become extremely active. Because this is your body's transition into the superhuman phase.
And Alicia, because her strength is already at the peak of a senior knight, is about to enter the level of a sword master. Hence, she suffers from Sword Master Syndrome.
It's just that in this rural territory where Alicia has been living, even intermediate knights are very rare. Even in the capital of this kingdom, there may only be a dozen senior knights, and there are at most two or three swordsmanship masters.
Therefore, Alicia was unable to learn about sword master syndrome in this backward rural territory.
The technological level of this novel world lags far behind the modern information society.
If Alicia lives in a modern society, she only needs to search her question on the search engines of Yahoo or Google, and she will soon be able to get a lot of relevant answers and information.
And Alicia in the novel is also because she left this rural territory, went out for adventure, and then learned the truth of her insomnia two years later and found a solution.
"Are you sure you're not lying to me, Aaron?"
Alicia stopped the knife and fork in her hand, and stared at me. However, I didn't care, but put a piece of pork into my mouth with a fork, and said in an inarticulate tone:
"You can trust me, Alicia. You've seen my changes lately, haven't you?"
Aaron's words made Alicia think. Indeed, Aaron did make a good change. From the beginning, he apologized to the tavern owner, and then he really fulfilled the construction contract with the tavern owner.
Moreover, I heard that he gave the previous deposit to the baron instead of using it for his own consumption and enjoyment.
He didn't have to do it, but he did. Perhaps other people are not very clear about Aaron's changes, but she is different.
She has been by Aaron's side all the time, so she knows how much energy and time Aaron put into the whole process. This is not easy, especially for the son of a lord.
It's just that when he was a teenager, Aaron really did too many excessive things, and similarly, he also did a lot of excessive things to her. So, that's why she's been refusing to trust Aaron.
"But it's hard for me to believe you."
Alicia answered without hesitation, which made me feel helpless. Although he had thought that it would be difficult for Alicia to believe in him, he did not expect it to be so difficult.
"Well, that's up to you. If you change your mind, the deal stands."
I have no intention of continuing to persuade her. Because, when a person, especially a woman, decides on one thing. Well, your explanation, in her view, is just a sophistry.
"However, Master Aaron, why did you hold a book about summoning from just now?"
Alicia noticed that there was a book with a blue cover on the dining table in front of Aaron. The cover says 'Basic Summoning'
This is a book that Aaron deliberately placed on the table when he was eating. He had spent an hour in his study trying to find the book, and he had eaten a lot of dust in doing so.
"this?"
I smiled, and picked up the book to show Alicia.
"I read this book because I was bored."
"What?"
Once again, Alicia felt that she could not understand Aaron's actions and motives.
"Because I am interested, I read it". Can't this work? "
"···"
Alicia shut up. She knew that Aaron didn't intend to tell the truth to herself, just like she didn't want to agree to the previous deal.