The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Her nonchalant words left them completely dumbstruck.

It took a long time before they could recover from their shock!

Kane was the first to snap out of it, though his voice trembled in fear when he finally managed to speak. ”Aisha, what did you just do?”

Aisha looked at him like the answer should have been obvious. She said, ”He wanted it back, didn’t he? There was no need to walk all the way over there. As long as the result is the same, the method shouldn’t matter.”

That silenced them even further.

It wasn’t just the absurdity of what she’d said, or the fact that she’d thrown a full-sized spear across the training field like it was nothing. It was that, somewhere underneath their shock, none of them could quite argue with her logic either.

It felt correct in some strange way, even if it wasn’t anything they’d ever consider doing themselves.

Aisha turned to Kane, her expression knowing and benign, like an older person speaking to a young child. ”Bowing your head to someone above isn’t always wrong. Sometimes it’s the right thing to do, depending on the situation. But this wasn’t one of those times.”

She glanced toward the student still sprawled on the ground across the field, then back at Kane.

”You shouldn’t let people like that trample on you. And you definitely shouldn’t let anyone put your life at risk over something this stupid. People like him won’t ever appreciate you for lowering yourself. So tell me, who exactly were you doing it for?” Her eyes locked onto his. ”Are you truly willing to die for someone like that?”

Kane was rendered entirely speechless.

Her words were harsh, but there was truth buried in them, enough that he couldn’t find anything to refute it. Still, something bout the way she’d said it bothered him.

”What would you know about lowering your head to someone above you?” he finally asked, anger rising in his chest. ”You’re from a wealthy family. You were one of the top students before all this. And you’re engaged to the prince. You won’t have to worry about your future.”

Aisha didn’t deny any of it. ”There’s no wealthy or poor when it’s your life that’s in danger.”

A memory of herself running in an alley, desperate for someone to save her while she was being chased by someone flashed across her mind before she pressed it down.

”And what does being engaged to the prince have to do with any of this?” Then, casting a careless glance aside, she added sneeringly, ”Besides. That engagement will be dissolved eventually.”

Kane’s pupils shrank slightly. ”What do you mean by that?”

Did he hear her correctly?

”That’s enough, Kane,” Vesper interrupted, stepping in before Kane could press her for an answer. Just shut up for a moment.”

Kane turned to him, surprised.

”I know you’re clever, and we’ve been friends since the day we met,” Vesper said, crossing his arms. ”But she’s right. You can’t continue treating your own life as something so cheap.”

Sabel closed the distance, her hand landing lightly on Kane’s shoulder. ”Don’t worry so much. I’m sure Aisha’s already thought this through. She wouldn’t have done something like that without considering what happens next.”

In truth, it’s completely the opposite.

Aisha hadn’t planned a single thing. She hd acted entirely out of annoyance, witnessing a situation that struck too close to home. It reminded her of her past life, where the weak had no choice but to submit simply because someone else held more power, might, and background.

She briefly recalled her own weakness in the past. Before she learned the art of survival, she had made countless sacrifices out of fear for the strong. So many lives had been lost simply because people allowed themselves to be trampled upon just because others had the power to do so.

Kane reminded her that past self far too much.

Vesper turned to her and grabbed her arm without warning. He squeezed her muscle as if testing its strength.

”How the hell did you throw that far with such thin arms?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with genuine admiration. ”I’m amazed you could even lift it, let alone launch it like that.”

Aisha paused for a moment. Keeping her expression perfectly calm, she smoothly spun a lie, ”My family hired a private teacher and trained me differently from ordinary Guides. They wanted someone who could physically keep pace with a paired sentinel. Therefore, they pushed me much harder than usual.”

Vesper accepted the explanation without a single doubt, nodding along as if it made perfect sense.

”That’s actually quite far-sighted of your family,” Sabel remarked, clearly convinced by the lie as well. ”No wonder you’re not as fragile as you appear.”

Kane, however, remained entirely silent.

Across the training field, the two lackeys finally hauled Corwin back to his feet. He looked more shaken than physically injured, his face flushed red with absolute humiliation.

”You’re just going to let this matter drop?” one of his companions muttered, unable to hide his disgust. ”A lower-ranked Guide just embarrassed you in front of the entire crowd.

The word ’lower-ranked’ stung deeply, instantly snapping his remaining restraint. Shoving himself upright, he glared across the field, his face contorting with pure fury.

”Who the hell are you?!” he roared at Aisha.

Aisha calmly spat out two words: ”Your mother.”

”You--!” Corwin nearly choked on his own saliva, his face turning a deep shade of purple.

”Aisha, don’t provoke him any more than you already have,” Sabel warned, shaking her head.

However, it was already too late; the opposing party had already caught her name from the brief exchange.

One of Corwin’s companions frowned, racking his brain to figure out why the name sounded so familiar.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head. ”Wait--isn’t she that D-rank Guide who used to be in the elite class? his friend blurted out. ”You remember, right? The one everyone was gossiping about a while back.”

That revelation finally allowed the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.

Corwin didn’t know Aisha personally, but he had certainly caught wind of the rumors regarding her alleged cruelty toward her own sister--Irene, the S-rank Guide whom everyone absolutely adored.

To make matters worse, by some twist of fate, Corwin happened to be one of the countless students hopelessly infatuated with Irene.

Instantly, a sinister light flickered in his eyes.

A slow, malicious smile spread across his face as a scheme began to take shape in his mind.

”You think throwing my spear back makes you capable?” he called out, his voice booming across the training grounds so everyone could hear. ”Let’s see how tough you truly are. How about a wager?”

Kane and Sabel immediately realized things were taking a turn for the worse.

At this moment, Vesper stepped forward, stepping into the line of fire.

”If you want to fight, take it up with me,” he barked, his voice filled with disdain. ”Why are you targeting a Guide when you’re a Sentinel? Idiot.”

Yet, Corwin didn’t allow himself to be provoked further. He merely let out a mocking laugh, shaking his head slowly. ”Who said I’m the only one competing?”

He gestured to the two companions standing beside him, a scheming look in his eyes. ”Let’s make this interesting, let’s all fight one-on-one. Each of you will face one of us.”