Kays Translations

Chapter 243: Sword-Drawing Technique

　I cut down the Snow Wolf before anyone even saw me draw the katana, then returned it to its sheath in the same motion. It was battōjutsu—a sword-drawing technique. In an instant, five Snow Wolves became magic stones.

　The remaining Snow Wolves halted, apparently alarmed by the sudden disappearance of the pack’s vanguard.

“Wh-what was that?”

“When did Lord Julius draw his sword?”

　The knights stared in bewilderment. We were still in the middle of a battle; they could be astonished later. Taking advantage of their distraction, the remaining Snow Wolves charged all at once.

“The next wave is coming! Do not let your guard down. Ice Needle!”

　Countless ice spikes erupted from the snow and pierced the Snow Wolves. I finished the few that escaped with battōjutsu.

　I could have fought with the katana drawn, but the battōjutsu skill granted a long-range attack bonus. It allowed my slashes to reach targets at a distance, making the moving monsters much easier to hit.

　In no time, all thirteen Snow Wolves that had tried to ambush us had become magic stones.

“Magnificent, Lord Julius.”

“Thank you. We will need the magic stones for the cold/warm-air blower magic tools, so please collect them.”

“Yes, my lord!”

　The knights moved briskly at my order. I could sense no other monsters nearby. I had never expected monsters to appear on the main road. The snowfall had come so abnormally early that the Snow Wolves must have mistaken it for hunting season and emerged from the forest—only to be eliminated. I almost felt sorry for them.

　When I returned to the carriage, Sister-in-law Daniela was waiting with open arms. How was I supposed to respond? When I used Search towards the front of the convoy, I could tell that the others were still fighting there.

　Should I go and help? No. Brother Alex had ordered me to protect this position. I would leave the front to my brothers.

“Sister-in-law Daniela, the Snow Wolves have been dealt with.”

“Amazing!”

　She swept me into a tight, jubilant hug. I could barely breathe. Nero, help me! Yet Nero was staring at me with exactly the same awestruck expression as Sister-in-law Daniela.

　This was probably her first time seeing a battle. Excited by the encounter, Sister-in-law Daniela recounted every detail enthusiastically until Brother Alex returned.

“I’m back. The wagons ahead are safe. Cain and Lady Meeka will be lectured when we reach town. It appears Julius protected Princess Daniela well… What is happening here?”

　Brother Alex frowned when he found me still trapped in Sister-in-law Daniela’s embrace. She immediately began her excited account again. The troublesome part was that it sounded wildly embellished, yet every word was true.

　In other words, I had defeated the entire pack by myself. Perhaps I should have let the knights handle a few, but I could not risk even one reaching the carriage and frightening Sister-in-law Daniela.

“I see. Perhaps I should have sent Julius to the front instead.”

　Brother Alex’s smile was frightening. His eyes had narrowed to thin lines. Could he even see me like that? It seemed I might be joining Brother Cain and the others for a lecture.

　When we reached the next town, Brother Cain came to see me. Apparently, word of my exploits had already spread.

“I heard, Julius. You defeated the Snow Wolves by yourself.”

“And I heard your swordsmanship was extraordinary. Please show me the technique.”

　Sister-in-law Meeka seized my hands with shining eyes and refused to release me until I agreed. Resigning myself to my fate, I promised to demonstrate battōjutsu discreetly in a quiet corner of town.

“Julius, where did you learn that sword technique?”

“Why, at the royal castle, of course, when I studied swordsmanship there.”

“Hmm. Was there a royal knight who used a technique like that?”

　Brother Alex tilted his head. This was bad. He knew many royal knights and might discover that I was lying. Hopefully he would forget about it before the snow melted.

“Julius, please teach me that technique as well.”

“I think it would be difficult. It is a specialised technique, and you probably cannot perform it without a weapon of this shape.”

　I handed the katana to Sister-in-law Meeka. She held it in both hands and examined it carefully. It was completely different from the sword she normally used, so mastering the technique would not be easy.

　Realising that, she fell silent and returned to Brother Cain, who comforted her. Sister-in-law Meeka, could I have my katana back first?

“Listen. No matter how confident you are in your swordsmanship, charging towards monsters without an escort is dangerous. At the very least, take knights with you—or better yet, let the knights go first. You are nobles; you should not be leading the charge yourselves.”

　Brother Alex made the three of us sit on the floor while he lectured us. He clearly regarded us as a collection of problem children. Brother Cain and Sister-in-law Meeka had apparently leapt from their carriage without listening to the knights who tried to stop them.

　Their defence was, “We wanted real combat experience. We are reflecting on our actions now.”

　They were genuinely skilled: by the time Brother Alex caught up, they had already defeated around seven Snow Wolves without injury. Nevertheless, Sister-in-law Meeka was an honoured guest of House Heine, and Brother Cain was thoroughly scolded for allowing her to join the fight. May he rest in peace.

“Now, Julius. Why did you leave the carriage? There were knights around it, weren’t there?”

“Well…”

　I explained that the knights had lost their composure and no one had taken command.

　Their commander had accompanied Brother Alex to the front and had not anticipated a second pack attacking the carriage.

　Brother Alex summoned the knights responsible, and we all sat together on the floor for the rest of the lecture. Sharing the same punishment made me feel a little closer to them.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter