Kays Translations

Chapter 171: Gathering Information in the Royal Castle, Part Two

Axel and I stepped apart and bowed to each other.

Since we were using wooden swords, there was little danger of serious injury. Even so, neither of us could afford to let our guard down. There was a treatment room in the royal castle, so even if I got hurt I would probably be fine, but that would mean having to drink one of those nausea-inducing healing potions. I wanted to avoid that if at all possible.

Our wooden swords met with a light clack. We were both feeling out the other’s skill, exchanging slow blows as though practising swordsmanship forms.

Axel’s wooden sword stopped just short of my head. Mine stopped near his torso.

“Hmm. Even though you’re a noble, you’ve learned how to use a sword properly.”

“Why, thank you. Are there nobles who haven’t?”

“Plenty.”

We separated again as we talked. This time our movements were faster and sharper than before. Axel’s motions were almost exactly the same each time; there was hardly any wobble in the path of his sword. He must have put serious effort into running and repeated swings to keep his body that stable. Thanks to that, his attacks were very easy to receive cleanly.

“You don’t have to stay on defence the whole time,” Axel said with a grin. “You can attack too, you know?”

He seemed to have mistaken my restraint for a defensive fighting style.

Oh dear. Shall I get serious, then?

…Just kidding.

“All right. Then I won’t hold back.”

I pretended to take Axel’s cute provocation seriously and switched to the offensive. He immediately went on the defensive.

Of course, I’d spent years sparring seriously with Lionel, commander of House Heine’s knight order. There was no way I would lose to a child my age. On top of that, I still had the abilities I’d carried over from the game.

I quickly drove Axel backwards and knocked the wooden sword from his hands.

“I suppose that’s my win.”

“Damn it! Again!”

Axel was intensely competitive. His swordsmanship was genuinely impressive for a child too. I wished Ijidol had even a little of that competitive spirit. He was so timid that I couldn’t help worrying about him.

For the next bout, unlike the first, I matched Axel’s strength and pace when our swords met. This way would probably be much better training for him.

When swordsmanship practice ended, we greeted Commander Yeongseon. By then, for some reason, several children were looking at Axel and me with open admiration.

I couldn’t stand the attention, so I invited Axel to the common lounge. Naturally, I had the servants prepare tea.

“Ahh, sweets after training are the best.”

Axel happily munched on pound cake. It was delicious, probably because it was a rather expensive pastry, but I kept that to myself. I didn’t want him to become self-conscious about it.

I took a piece too and relaxed with my tea.

“Does your father serve in the Royal Knight Order?”

“Yeah. My dad’s a unit commander.”

“Oh, that’s impressive.”

Then his father must be a fairly skilled swordsman. Axel’s swordsmanship was probably this good because he trained with him regularly, although Axel’s own talent surely played a part as well.

Even in our short exchange, Axel had already started adapting to the way I moved.

“Julius, let’s spar again tomorrow.”

He said it with a wonderful smile, apparently having enjoyed himself. His eyes were practically asking, ‘Of course we’ll do it again, right?’ He looked like a dog waiting to be taken for a walk.

“Ah, tomorrow is my magic-training day. I’m supposed to alternate between swordsmanship and magic.”

“Isn’t that exhausting?”

“It is. But I’m still the son of a noble house. I have to be able to do both.”

Axel looked disappointed. Don’t look at me like that. Besides, my time here in the royal capital was limited. Once the social season ended, I would return to the Heine Margraviate, and after that I wouldn’t visit the royal capital nearly as often.

“Axel, besides Ijidol, do you have any other friends you could introduce me to?”

“Oh, so that’s what you’re after? Sure.”

Axel knew a surprising number of children. Whether every one of them counted as a close friend was another question, but he was clearly sociable.

Hang in there, Ijidol. I’m on your side, my friend.

“By the way, what about Ovidio, Commander Yeongseon’s son? You haven’t mentioned him at all.”

The moment I asked, Axel made a thoroughly disgusted face.

Oh. He really didn’t like Ovidio. What had happened between them?

“He’s the kind of guy who can’t stand it when he isn’t the best. That’s why we don’t get along. He doesn’t like the fact that I’m strong.”

For some reason, Axel sounded proud of that last part. In his mind, being disliked by Ovidio because of his strength seemed to count as proof that he was a worthy rival.

No, Axel. If you get arrogant about that, your growth will stop. Teaching others can help you grow, but being seriously taught by someone better can help you grow too. Ideally, you should get the best of both.

“You’re already strong, Axel. I think you could become even stronger if you learned directly from Commander Yeongseon. Isn’t that what the commander wants too?”

“Yeah, but Ovidio doesn’t like that either.”

Axel raised both hands helplessly. Apparently Ovidio’s personality was the real problem. I hoped somebody corrected that while he was still young.

“So you haven’t received much direct instruction from the commander?”

“Not really. We always end up running, practising swings, and repeating forms like today. He corrects us sometimes, but I’ve never had much formal instruction. It’s not just me either.”

“And Ovidio isn’t happy about that.”

“Exactly.”

We looked at each other and smiled wryly.

The basics were important, though. If you neglected them, you wouldn’t be able to apply more advanced techniques when it mattered. Commander Yeongseon probably concentrated on fundamentals precisely because he understood that.

“Oh, right,” Axel said. “I heard a carriage with the royal crest has been coming and going every morning. There’s a rumour that a prince from some foreign country is secretly visiting one of the princesses.”

“W-who told you that rumour?”

“The servants. They were making a huge fuss about it this morning.”

This was only my second visit to the castle, and the rumour had already grown into that.

The servants’ information network was terrifying.

Well, they were everywhere inside the royal castle. I could only hope no even stranger rumours appeared.

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