Chapter 5: The missing element (Part two)

While sorting through the information, I arrived at the garden.

There, Licia was already receiving instruction from the Order-sol commander.

Some Order-sol knights and knights of the Clausel family.

The garden was also crowded with servants at the edge of the garden, making it look even more lively than usual.

“……Is it like this?”

“Yes. The saint is very reasonable.”

The voice of the commander praising Licia reaches them.

Listening, they preface, “Well, then”.

“Let us engage in some practice.”

As Ren has done many times before, the commander and Licia begin to practice.

When he sees it like this, he can still feel it.

The swordsmanship, the footwork, and the timing.

(Licia and Weiss are also sophisticated, but they are more razor-sharp and honest.)

It was a swordsmanship he had never seen before.

Ren was fascinated by the knight.

He wasn’t interested in it at first, but it was interesting to watch him like this.

—- As Ren thought so…

“Ren!”

Licia, who had once taken a break, noticed him.

She wiped the sweat off her face and ran to his side and took his hand.

“Hey, let’s have Ren practice with us too!”

“Let’s see……… I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to decide on our own.”

Ren told her that she shouldn’t offend them by behaving selfishly, and continued, “I’m only observing”.

But the commander of the regular knights, who was watching the situation, called out from a distance.

“If you’d like, you can join the saint.”

I felt it would be impolite to refuse the invitation.

But how could he easily make the invitation?

Ren and Licia went to the commander with doubts in his mind and he was told the reason why.

“I heard it from the saint. She told me that you are stronger than her and that you have a talent that even Weiss recognized.”

Of course, Ren chuckled, “that’s not true”.

But the commander, who already seems to have a strong interest in Ren, continues to talk with a smile on his face.

“You seem to be a very promising young knight.”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

As soon as Ren was humbled once again, the commander said without a pause. 

“I’d like to take a look at your skills first.”

Since he could no longer refuse, Ren decided to take the opportunity to learn from the commander.

Licia looked at him as he picked up his sword for training and moved away.

“Let’s start with some light hitting,” 

Naturally, this was a substitute for preparatory exercises.

Ren, too, swung his sword without much concern.

As I always do before I move my body, I swing my sword repeatedly to warm up my body little by little, repeating it with the intention of borrowing the commander’s chest.

The other Order-sol who had been watching the situation suddenly fell silent.

As they looked at Ren’s sword, they naturally concentrated and were distracted by his appearance, unlike with Licia.

Eventually, the commander also said with a mysterious look on his face.

“It’s time for us to see your swordsmanship in the form of a practice fight.”

“Yes, sir. Then, with your permission.”

However, the commander didn’t strike at Ren.

It’s a stand-up fight, more defensive than before, with only a light counterattack.

Otherwise, there’s too much difference in swordsmanship.

(As expected of the commander of the Order-sol)

The sound of training swords clashing was dull, unlike the sound of a serious sword.

But the dullness is not apparent in the harshness.

Ren’s age-inappropriate sword flash drew everyone’s attention, and the grass was shaking from the pressure.

But when I see it like this, I understand it well.

“I was surprised! I didn’t expect anything like this!”

“It’s an honor to be complimented.”

“I didn’t need to be modest with this one!—-But…”

The commander’s sword skills are different from his own.

He couldn’t find an opening in front of the skilled techniques, not to mention the difference in their physical strength.

Ren was beginning to find enjoyment in this duel.

His sword techniques were easily dealt with, but he wondered what kind of sword techniques would be better. 

But then, unexpectedly.

The commander took a few steps away from Ren and said.

“You should try to fight more like yourself. There is no need to try to imitate our sword techniques.”

“I’m imitating you?”

Ren tilts his head at these unexpected words.

Before coming to this courtyard, Ren remembered the holy sword technique from his video game days and wondered if the same effect could be triggered by imitating the movements of the battle technique.

Perhaps he was unconsciously thinking about this…..

“Be myself….”

“Don’t hesitate. Try to move as you are comfortable moving.”

Ren changed his mind, thinking that if the commander wanted him to stop, then that was guidance too.

He was thinking about how he would fight with only a sword, even if he didn’t have the power of a magic sword.

“Thank you.”

The presence that Ren wore changed drastically.

The presence was like that of a powerful monster.

“I see. I didn’t think it was possible…..!”

The eyes of the commander changed, and his muscular strength toward Ren increased even more.

It was as it should be. Far from being caught off guard, the commander was on the verge of losing one.

“Here I come!”

Finally, the commander lowers his sword with even more physical force.

He tried to break Ren’s defense.

“Guuu ……!”

“Impossible! You countered it?”

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

Ren, who defended himself by holding his sword right next to him, showed that he could withstand the physical strength of a grown man without falling to his knees.

Ren was looking for an opportunity to counterattack, which made the commander nod “I knew it” —-

…….They repeated sword clashes many times after that, but eventually it ended abruptly.

The pressure that the commander exerted disappeared a moment later, and he retracted his sword.

He then asks, keeping his distance from Ren.

“May I ask your name?”

Ren replies in a voice filled with apology for the delay in introducing himself.

“My name is Ren Ashton.”

“Then, Ren-dono.”

The commander exhaled when he heard the reply.

He continued to close the distance between him and Ren.

The commander bent one knee and brought his eyes closer to Ren, who wondered what he was going to do.

“I’m sorry. I can’t instruct you in the art of the holy sword, Ren-dono.”

“…… Eh?”

But the sudden words made him quiet.

The commander’s continued words took everyone by surprise, except Ren.

“Because you, Ren-dono, are definitely lacking in the art of the holy sword.” 

His tone was not meant to be mean-spirited.

However, many people had their doubts.

It was hard to immediately accept that Ren, who had shown such great skill, lacked the necessary training.

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