Feld looked at Hilda and chuckled inwardly. Though Hilda's face remained devoid of expression, the blush on her cheeks and ears betrayed her. How to win over such a proud little swan? It only required creating enough emotional turmoil. Because for such a proud girl, what she lacked wasn't surprises and romance but unexpected emotional upheavals and experiences she had never encountered before. Clearly, hardly anyone would treat Hilda the way Feld did. In this moment, Hilda stared at Feld as if she wanted to etch his face into her mind. Feld didn't mind; the more memorable, the better.
After packing up the Wolf Demon's body, Feld prepared to return. He looked at Hilda and raised his chin slightly. "Heading back to the academy together?"
Hilda remained silent for a moment, then nodded. She wasn't sure if there were more Wolf Demons like the one they just encountered, and she obviously couldn't handle another one alone. It would be safer to go with Feld.
So, Feld had another companion beside him, in addition to the little cat. She maintained her elegance and pride at all times. Even in the dense forest that could make anyone look disheveled, she managed to keep her hairstyle intact. And she insisted on walking in front of Feld.
But there was just one problem... she kept getting it wrong.
"The Hades Academy is over there," Feld reminded her.
Hilda paused, then turned and continued walking ahead. "I know."
"You know, huh?" Feld chuckled but said nothing more, following her to see how long she would keep up her pretense.
They walked in silence for a while until Feld almost burst out laughing.
It was clear that Hilda wanted to continue walking forward, slowly veering off course to save face from her previous mistake.
But when they reached the correct path, she didn't realize it and continued forward, making the arc even wider.
"Now, the Hades Academy is that way," Feld pointed in the opposite direction, holding back his laughter.
Hilda stopped in her tracks, then continued forward. "I know!"
Feld couldn't help but laugh out loud this time. "Ha-ha-ha! The Hades Academy is over there..."
"I know!" Hilda snapped, turning her head to glare at him.
Feld saw her eyes starting to redden, so he gradually suppressed his laughter.
She was only eighteen or nineteen, and despite her strength, her heart wasn't as calm as it appeared. It held frustration from defeat, disappointment from failure, and accumulated grievances.
Now, with Feld's teasing, she was obviously reaching her breaking point. She was too proud to show it in front of him, though.
So Feld knew when to stop.
He strode ahead, passing her, and walked in front of her.
Hilda was ready to be mocked again, but after waiting for a while, she didn't hear Feld's laughter. Turning her head, she saw Feld had walked several meters ahead and was looking back at her.
"What are you standing there for? Come on," he said.
Hilda followed in silence, wiping her eyes when Feld turned away.
Feld had done it on purpose - he had to give the little swan a chance to wipe her tears. Otherwise, if he struck too hard, she might not want to raise her head again.
So, he thought, giving her a moment to wipe away the tears wasn't too much.
That's not what he wanted to see.
A swan should hold its head high with pride, showcasing its charm.
After waiting for a moment, Feld felt it was about time and asked, "What tier are you?"
"Platinum Second Star," Hilda replied, her voice now cold but with a hint of emotion.
"Platinum Second Star, huh..." Feld stroked his chin. "What type of sword do you want?"
Hilda paused, then asked, "Why are you asking this?"
"Forgot, didn't you? I'm not just a mercenary, I'm also a blacksmith. If you're willing, I can craft the sword you need. A sword truly worthy of you. So, what do you think? Care to consider?"
Qiqi sat on Feld's shoulder, looking at him. She felt Feld was like a big gray wolf, cunningly smiling at a little white rabbit... no, a little swan.
But the little cat was on the side of the big gray wolf, ready to support Feld's teasing.
So she chimed in, "The big guy is a master-level blacksmith, meow!"
Although she didn't know the levels of blacksmiths, she knew that every profession had a symbol of a very skilled master level, and Feld, being the best big guy, must be the best blacksmith too.
Feld secretly gave the little cat a thumbs-up. What great support!
Sure enough, hearing Feld and Qiqi's words, Hilda looked at the broken sword in her hand, fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Rapier."
"No problem," Feld nodded. "I'll need you to demonstrate your swordsmanship again when the time comes. If necessary, we can practice together because I need to know your fighting style to design a unique sword that truly suits you."
Ah, here comes the follow-up reason for another date~
And obviously, Hilda didn't notice this. Her attention was focused on the "unique" part.
A unique sword...
No girl would refuse something unique, especially something that truly belonged to her, something that suited her.
Hilda was no different.
Thinking of this, anticipation gleamed in Hilda's eyes as she nodded. "Okay."
"How much?"
Although it was an inquiry, Feld sensed a hint of certainty in her tone, as if any amount would be fine.
Indeed, she was a rich woman!
But talking about money could hurt feelings~
Feld chuckled inwardly like an old fox but maintained a face that treated money as dirt.
"I am an outstanding mercenary and a remarkable blacksmith, and outstanding blacksmiths are always dedicated to creating better and more perfect works!"
"This is priceless!"
"I see the shadow of such a work on you, you have given me ample inspiration, so!"
"Let's talk about it when the finished product comes out. If it satisfies me, I will give it to you for free."
"Because a unique weapon can only belong to its unique owner, and this cannot be measured in terms of money!"
These words were very much in line with Hilda's pursuit of perfection, so she looked at Feld with an additional hint of admiration.
So she nodded, "Okay."
Feld's thoughts: Well...
No money?
What doesn't cost money is the most expensive!
Hilda, you're still too young~
Translated into English
Finally, they walked out of the Norfaklason Forest. Feld glanced at the time and saw it was almost six o'clock. If it weren't for Hilda, he could have come out half an hour earlier. So, in order to make it to the candlelight dinner with Professor Holan, Feld decided to speed up their journey back.
"Do you still have energy?" Feld asked Hilda. "I'm going to run straight back."
"Run back?" Hilda looked puzzled, then said, "I have a teleportation disc."
Feld raised his eyebrows. "So you didn't use it just now, but only after we got out?"
Hilda felt her face flush slightly but continued, "I thought you had a better way to teleport..."
In reality, she had just remembered it, so when she said that, she lacked confidence.
Feld chuckled. "Hehe."
"What are you laughing at?" Hilda asked, a little annoyed.
Feld smiled, "I just didn't expect the praised Swan Swordswoman to be a newbie."
Forgetting to use a teleportation disc, what else could it be if not being a newbie?
A better way to teleport?
Come on, tell me, what could be better than teleporting directly back?
Listening to Feld's words, Hilda's face flushed again. Although she hadn't heard the term "newbie" before, she could tell Feld was teasing her and guessed it meant "newcomer."
"I'm not!" Hilda refused to admit it. In her opinion, she was already much better than her peers. Most students her age were still in classes at the academy! But Feld just smiled at her, not saying anything, which made Hilda's chest rise and fall more violently.
Finally, unable to bear it, Hilda hummed angrily and took out the teleportation disc, injecting magic to activate it. Teleportation activation took about ten seconds and couldn't be interrupted, or else it would backlash, so basically, don't think about using it to escape during a battle.
Seeing Hilda starting the teleportation activation, as if she didn't want to take him with her, Feld sneered and then tightened his grip on Qiqi. He was about to accelerate.
Seeing Feld poised to sprint, Hilda hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hurry up and come in, we're leaving!"
"Alright!" Feld instantly adjusted his angle with extreme smoothness, changed the direction of his sprint, and jumped steadily into the teleportation array.
It was as if he had planned it all along.
Well... not as if. He had planned it that way.
Regardless of whether Hilda wanted it or not, he was hitching a ride on this teleportation. Only a fool would run all the way back.
Seeing this, Hilda also realized that he had planned it in advance and stomped her foot in annoyance.
As the teleportation array lit up, Feld and Qiqi felt surrounded by a burst of light, and then the scenery changed, appearing in the teleportation plaza of the Heidi's Academy.
"This is so convenient," Feld sighed.
With this thing, he wouldn't have to run around. He'd see if Professor Holan could get him one.
Hilda's appearance didn't attract the attention of the students because it was class time, and the teleportation plaza wasn't a playground. Playing around was prohibited here, so there weren't many students moving around.
Back at the academy, Hilda seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then she turned to Feld, about to say something.
But Feld simply strode off in the direction of the library, waving his hand as he walked, without even turning his head. "I still need to find the professor. See you later, little girl."
Hilda was taken aback for a moment, then gritted her teeth. "I'm called Hilda!"
"Mm-hmm, duly noted," Feld nodded absently, then continued on his way.
Watching his retreating figure, Hilda couldn't help but stomp her foot again, then lifted her chin, transforming back into the proud little swan. She flicked her golden wavy ponytail and headed towards the dormitory area.
Translated into English