Evelyn, a modern woman, finds herself suddenly transmigrated into a novel where her peaceful life is turned upside down by a crazy Duke who happens to be her husband. Her new life is a maze of danger and betrayal, as the Duke is determined to kill h...
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In times of crisis, those whose contributions are visible to the people become embodiments of leadership. Relying solely on one individual renders others incapacitated, fostering dependence. When crises escalate, and the once-relied-upon individual falters, those who placed blind trust in them suffer the consequences, akin to the valueless fading away into oblivion. Such folly often leads to a tragic demise.
'I refuse to be the foolhardy one. Survival must be prioritized above all else; bearing the responsibility for others' lives is no trivial matter. Not when I'm struggling with my own life. It's an immense burden to carry, and I refuse to be crushed under its weight.' Arya's eyes grow calm as she gazes at the girls before her. They look back, unable to discern her thoughts hidden behind her composed demeanor.
"Madam," Arya addressed Julianna, noticing Arya's intentions, she acquiesced. "Hello~! I'm Arya. It would have been lovely to get acquainted with each of you, but we are running short on time. So let's get started with displaying your skills. Am I being rude?" she added, flashing an innocent smile. The girls, barely twenty, found Arya's demeanor reminiscent of an arrogant noblewoman, they despised the most. 'Madam did mention she was peculiar, but this is beyond oddity,' they thought, igniting a spark of anger in their hearts.
A girl in the middle raised her hand, asking, "Are you going to fight us, or..." Cutting her off Arya interrupted, "Yep!" Facing off against an orange-haired girl, Arya continued, "I don't have time to waste. How about you all come here?" Shocked by her audacity, thinking Arya was merely an arrogant noblewoman, they resolved to teach her a lesson. "Are you sure? You could get hurt pretty badly," remarked a green-haired girl. Ignoring the warning, Arya urged, "Hurry up." The fifteen girls lined up opposite Arya, and the sparring commenced.
As the sparring commenced, the girls lunged at Arya, intent on landing hits, yet despite their efforts, they couldn't land a single blow. Arya fought skillfully, noting that most of them were earth magic wielders, with two wind witches among them. However, she also noticed a girl lingering in the background, trembling at the sight of the fight. "How can this be?!" exclaimed one of the girls. "What trick did you use?!" gasped another, panting heavily. The girls were left breathless from their futile attempts to beat her in combat.
Walking past the other girls, Arya approached the trembling girl standing in the back. "Why didn't you join?" she asked gently. Hearing Arya's question, the girl's trembling intensified as she stammered, "I, I... I'm sorry," tears streaming down her face. Arya was surprised by the sudden tears. "Um, it's okay. No need for tears. Really," she reassured, her smile widening. "So, Tessa, why didn't you join?" The girl was astonished that Arya knew her name, her shock evident in her eyes. "You know my name? How?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Shouldn't I know? You're a water magic wielder, aren't you?" Arya replied. At her question, Tessa nodded, saying, "But I can only do this much," demonstrating by gathering water in her palm and forming spikes from it.
"That's some amazing skill you have there," Arya said, gently patting Tessa's head. "Don't be ashamed to make use of it." Turning back to the others, she continued, "Do you know the sorceress makes use of negative emotions? The more they build up inside you, the more power she gains. Right now, you felt anger, didn't you? It's a negative emotion. It's bad enough on its own, but if you bear it for your allies, then how will you survive on the battlefield, hmm? I just said a few words to provoke you, and the results are before your eyes. You lost control of yourselves, of your magic. You couldn't even work as a team to hit your opponent. Rather than helping, you would be more of a burden on the field. Strong magic comes with a focused mind, but you let it run wild. I hope you learned something," she concluded before leaving them and heading back inside.
