Furina x Reader - Thalassophile

Chapter 8: Deceived

Clorinde: "Here. Want a hand?"

Y/N: "Thanks... Ugh, you really don't hold back, huh!"

The Champion Duellist had reached her hand down so as to meet mine. A courtesy I had been given only after having been sent to the floor by said Champion Duellist in thanks to her sword. Of course I accepted the kind offer to pick me back up to my feet, as the only reason we came to clash was because Clorinde wanted to see what she was working with. After all, she had agreed to help train me so that I might more handily wield my weapon.

Shortly after the gathering in which I met both Clorinde and Neuvillette for the first time, we had said our goodbyes for the evening and I was planning to return back to my shared accommodation with the others adopted by Arlecchino. But before I got too far I was intercepted by Clorinde who thought it wise to have an initial session right now, so that she might know where I currently am in terms of skill, and so she would then be able to plot out some training exercises for me.

She definitely seemed quite confused when I revealed my weapon to be such a large claymore, what with her being recommended to me by Lady Furina herself and her preferring to use a sword as her weapon of choice. But when she realised just how it was that I wielded such a seemingly heavy weapon that was when she came to realise the reasoning for her services to be requested as they were.

The duel itself must have been quite interesting for her too, as she very quickly realised that whilst I was able to swing my weapon around as if it were a sword, it still had the weight of a claymore— in fact it weighed an unfathomable amount to anybody who wasn't me for some reason. And whilst our first impact went heavily in my favour, my opponent very quickly realised what was going on and adapted, and within no more than ten seconds I had been bested entirely and sent down to the ground by Clorinde.

Y/N: "I guess that's to be expected from a Champion Duellist!"

Clorinde: "I suppose you might see it that way, but I was actually trying to be gentle..."

Y/N: "o–Oh... I would have been better off not knowing that!"

Clorinde: "Still... That is quite the weapon you have, might I have a look at it?"

Y/N: "Hm? Oh, sure. You can have a look, I guess. Be careful, though, it weighs a lot more than it looks to."

Clorinde: "So I noticed..."

I was back up on my feet now, thanks to the hand that Clorinde offered out to me, so I was able to offer my weapon off to her — but I did so in a way that meant that the entire weight of the weapon wouldn't fall onto Clorinde until she was ready for it... if she could handle it at all, that is. After all, other than myself I've yet to meet a single person capable of handling this weapon of mine without additional manpower to assist them.

And... it seemed that Clorinde was no exception. She started off with what seemed to be a deliberate attempt to handle my weapon gently, perhaps to show respect to it and by extent me? But I think she quickly realised just how heavy it actually was, and I saw her stance change with that realisation in an attempt to better handle the heavy load... but it seemed that it was beyond her abilities, and so I quickly moved in and relieved Clorinde of the weight very quickly pressing down on her; and with that oppression removed, she almost immediately sprung back into her rather stoic stance as if nothing had happened.

Clorinde: "Hmm... Quite strange. But also quite the powerful kinship you share with that blade. With the proper training I am certain you will become quite the capable duellist indeed. I presume that is why Lady Furina made this request of me? She has mentioned in the past that she would be interested in the idea of a duellist to call her own; but she felt that just claiming me as such a thing would be rather unsportsmanlike... I won't say I understand her point entirely, but if that is what Lady Furina wishes..."