Kays Translations

Chapter 9: The Caliber of the Two

This was part of the lesson—a chance for the instructor to gauge the students’ abilities.

However, believing these two would make a good match—and having another intention of his own—the instructor made no attempt to stop them from crossing swords.

Instead, he added a warning.

It was directed not only at the two girls, but at every student present.

“This is part of the lesson. Although the purpose is to assess your abilities, remember that you are still in class when you swing your swords. Injuring your opponent is absolutely unacceptable.”

With those words, the two began their bout.

Despite the understanding that this was only a lesson, Sera swung her sword as though she had forgotten that fact entirely.

Neither her step nor her sword stroke belonged to an ordinary girl.

“Haaah!”

Pressure that seemed to split the air rippled throughout the training ground.

Her footwork, the brilliance of her sword—everything about her was impressive enough to rob the other students of their confidence.

Yet the attention directed at Sera, who was displaying swordsmanship drilled into her by Hero Riohard, soon shifted elsewhere. Against Sera’s dazzling performance, Licia’s ability to block every strike only made her own prowess stand out all the more.

“Hehe! How strange! You’ve gotten stronger again, Licia! But what’s wrong? You’ve only been watching me this whole time!”

“I’m not looking down on you. I’m simply feeling you out.”

As though to prove it, Licia’s movements changed in a single instant.

Sera’s sword, swift as the wind, slid alongside Licia’s blade.

In the next moment, Sera’s balance was broken, forcing her to hurriedly brace herself.

“—!?”

Licia’s sword was already bearing down on her.

It was several degrees faster than Sera’s blade, which itself had seemed as swift as the wind.

Sera managed to block it, but the blow was so heavy that her footing nearly gave way.

Even so, Licia had not used Mantle, the distinctive concept of the Mighty Sword Style.

Whether Mantle itself should be classified as an Art was debatable, but Licia had refrained from using it because it did not suit the purpose of the lesson.

“Hehe… Licia! You can still go faster, can’t you!? Show me! Let me see your true sword speed!”

“Of course! That was always my intention!”

Licia raised the speed of her sword one step, then another, until before long she was swinging as quickly as she did when facing Ren.

Had the power of the Mighty Sword Style been added to those attacks, they would have belonged to an entirely different class.

The weight and speed of her blade would have transformed into something else altogether, displaying an even more exceptional level of strength.

But even without using that power, Licia overwhelmed Sera.

After Sera blocked the first strike, a new impact shook her footing.

Unable to restore her stance in time to defend against the second, her arms were forced wide apart.

By the third strike, she could do nothing at all, and the sword was knocked from her hand.

A moment later, Licia’s blade was pointed at Sera as she knelt on the floor.

“Another complete defeat.”

Despite losing, Sera was smiling.

The gap between them had grown since their last bout, and her frustration was beyond words. Even so, the strength of the girl she aspired to surpass only made her want to grow stronger herself.

Then applause echoed through the training ground.

“Here, Sera.”

Licia held out a hand to her.

“Thanks. Haah… The gap between us has grown even wider than before. And you can use the Mighty Sword Style on top of that, right? What would happen if you did?”

“But you’ll be able to use the Sacred Sword Style too.”

“You can use Sacred Magic as well. Even without that, using the Mighty Sword Style alone would make you a completely different kind of strong.”

Sera was not speaking spitefully or trying to pick a fight.

There was a smile on her face, and it was true that the bout had left her fulfilled.

In fact, she was grateful to Licia. The final sword speed Licia had shown was the fastest she could manage without using Mantle.

Sera was happy that Licia had not held back.

Anything beyond that would have become a real battle. In other words, Licia had shown her everything she could safely reveal here.

At the same time, Sera was frustrated that she had been unable to do anything against that sword and had lost.

“One more time! We still have time, don’t we?”

“Hehe, all right. But is Vayne okay with that?”

“He’s fine. I told Vayne that I wanted to spar with you today.”

Sera stuck out her tongue as she spoke, still brimming with enthusiasm. During the training that followed, she continued crossing swords with Licia without losing heart.

The sight inspired the other students to put even more effort into their own practice.

With two girls their age displaying such strength, the students who had come to this academy could hardly remain complacent.

Partway through the lesson, several boys approached Licia and asked to cross swords with her.

They were the same boys who often approached her because they were drawn to her beauty, and that motive was apparent here as well. It was understandable that a girl like Licia would attract some interest, but Licia’s feelings were another matter.

“We are also confident in our swordsmanship. My father serves as a general in the army, and I have studied the Sacred Sword Style since childhood.”

“I have trained in swordsmanship since I was young as well. Please, would you allow us to spar with you?”

“Um… I’m sorry. I decided that I’d spar with Sera today.”

“T-Then what about another day?”

The boy who had been turned down continued to press her.

He was probably unaware of what he was saying. He had no intention of belittling Ren; the words simply slipped out because he was desperate to get closer to Licia.

“I-I believe I would make a better training partner than some knight’s son!”

Sera, listening beside Licia, put a hand to her forehead.

Licia, on the other hand, wore a lovely smile.

“Thank you for your concern. But I’m all right, so I’m sorry.”

After answering with that same smile, Licia turned toward Sera.

“Let’s continue.”

“All right.”

The two boys could no longer interrupt and could only watch the girls cross swords.

The instructor promptly ordered the boys to resume their own training, so they gave up and returned to their previous position.

“Licia, I’m surprised you aren’t angry.”

“Those two genuinely don’t know how strong Ren is. It would be unreasonable for me to get angry at them for that. Come to think of it, weren’t they the sons of nobles from the Imperial and Hero Factions?”

“There are quite a few cases like that these days. You know how exchanges across faction lines increased after the incident in the Baldor Mountains? In some places the factional struggle continues, while in others it doesn’t.”

“I see… So that’s why.”

During the first half of the afternoon lesson, the two girls drew more attention than anyone else.

Vayne attracted just as much attention as he displayed his abilities before the boys and girls his age. His swordsmanship might not yet match Sera’s, but when physical strength and everything else were taken into account, he was likely her equal—or perhaps even slightly superior.

Ren arrived shortly before the lesson ended.

“I’m sorry I’m late!”

“No, I was informed. Thank you for your work on the organizing committee.”

Soon afterward, the bell rang to signal the end of class, and the swordsmanship instructor dismissed the students.

The sweaty students gradually began leaving the training ground.

Some remained to rest or chat. Others watched the newly arrived Ren with interest, wondering whether he too would swing a sword. Including the pair who had approached Licia, roughly half the class was still present.

“I’m sorry. I should have been helping with the work too.”

“No, it’s fine. I couldn’t keep Lady Riohard waiting any longer.”

Ren had been the one who first accepted the position on the organizing committee, so he felt somewhat guilty as well.

Licia smiled and thanked him for being considerate.

“What was today’s lesson like?”

“The instructor wanted to see how capable everyone was, so he had us pair up and cross swords. I spent the whole time sparring with Sera.”

“Oh, so he was assessing your abilities for future lessons.”

“Yes. During the second half, he also instructed us in Imperial Swordsmanship, so everyone must have gotten tired. I think that’s why they left the training ground so quickly.”

Then—

“Ashton.”

The instructor for the class approached him.

“Sorry, but may I have a moment of your time? And if she does not mind, I would like Clausel to stay as well.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“So am I. But what is this about?”

“Something occurred to me while I was assessing Clausel’s ability. For the sake of future lessons, I would like Ashton to show me what he can actually do. Clausel, I want you to serve as his opponent.”

“I don’t mind. Should we conduct the bout in a practical combat format?”

The instructor nodded.

At the beginning of class, he had allowed Licia and Sera to fight freely without stopping their bout because he had a particular objective in mind. Ren’s presence was connected to it as well.

The students still in the training ground noticed what was happening between Ren and Licia.

The pair who had approached Licia spoke first.

“…Is that guy really strong?”

“I heard he barely did anything during the final examination, so who knows?”

“Well, we’ll find out. The Saint will probably overwhelm him.”

Sera, who heard them from one section of the seats, rested an elbow on the back of the chair in front of her and propped her cheek on her hand with a wry smile.

Vayne, seated beside her, looked equally exasperated.

“Have you heard, Vayne? Apparently Ren showed none of his true ability during the final examination and devoted himself entirely to supporting the others.”

“I heard. Whenever a monster appeared, he just swung his sword and defeated it so easily that no one could tell how strong he actually was.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m looking forward to seeing his strength with my own eyes again.”

While the two spoke quietly, Ren and Licia—unaware of their conversation—turned to face each other and composed themselves.

Standing at the center of the training platform, neither looked particularly nervous. They were exactly as they always were.

It was no different from the warm-up they performed before training at the Lion’s Holy Office.

“Ren, you should warm up first.”

“I’ll be fine if I warm my body while crossing swords, just like usual.”

Vayne, Sera, and the instructor all widened their eyes upon hearing him.

He intended to loosen up in a practical combat bout against Licia after the swordsmanship she had just displayed? They wondered whether he was underestimating her.

Or perhaps Licia planned to hold back while serving as his opponent.

The way everyone looked at Ren made it clear that they doubted his ability.

“The same as usual?”

“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”

Licia’s opening step and the speed of her sword were almost identical to what she had shown against Sera.

It was easy to imagine the relaxed Ren failing to react in time and being struck down.

…However—

“…That’s impossible.”

“What just happened?”

Several female students voiced their surprise.

When had he blocked the sword? They had seen nothing. Their expressions all but spoke those words aloud.

What they had witnessed was Licia’s sword being stopped with ease.

Not only had Ren’s hand remained perfectly steady, his entire stance had not wavered in the slightest. He simply received her sword in silence and without concern, literally using the exchange as a warm-up.

Even Sera and Vayne, both confident in their own ability, were astonished.

“Just as I thought, he’s on a completely different level from last summer.”

“…Yeah.”

The two, who had both witnessed Ren’s strength firsthand, recalled that summer and reconfirmed the truth of what they had seen.

The other students were too overwhelmed to speak. They held their breath and seemed to forget even to blink.

The pair who had approached Licia were utterly speechless.

Licia increased the speed of her sword still further, and the repeated clash of blade against blade rang sharply in everyone’s ears.

Before long, Licia’s demeanor changed.

“I’m honestly jealous. Her entire atmosphere changes whenever she faces Ren.”

Just as Sera said, even the air surrounding Licia had transformed.

The other students noticed it as well and began to suspect they were about to witness something far more extraordinary than they had imagined.

Licia suddenly tightened her grip on her sword and drew a slow breath.

The boy before her—Ren Ashton—also changed the stance with which he had done nothing but receive her attacks.

For one instant, the thunderous impact of their swords colliding echoed through the training ground.

The change in how Ren received the blow sent a violent shock from his sword into Licia’s hands.

“What is going on…? It almost looks as though Ashton is much stronger than the Saint—”

“Not ‘almost.’ He really does look stronger!”

Although Licia’s changed demeanor made her sword increasingly fierce, Ren dealt with every attack without appearing troubled.

“It’s about time I attacked.”

Licia had been the one attacking, yet after he caught her blade, she was the one forced backward.

Ren’s sword approached immediately after that declaration.

Licia reset her guard at almost the exact moment his blade began to descend.

He had not charged with a deep step or used obvious momentum. Even so, contrary to appearances, his movement was faster than Licia’s. But Licia refused to be outdone.

She adjusted her grip and put greater strength into the hand holding her sword.

With light footwork, she evaded Ren’s strike, and its sword flash passed through the space she had just vacated.

From the opposite direction, Licia answered with a flowing sword flash—her specialty—sharper than any she had shown before.

No one watching could imagine how such a blow might be blocked or evaded.

Both its speed and the strength behind it were remarkable.

—And yet—

“Hmph!”

Ren easily knocked it aside head-on and, in the same motion, pointed his sword at Licia after her stance broke.

It was an exchange lasting only an instant—one that none of the students could follow no matter how intently they watched.

The only fact they could comprehend was that Licia had lost.

“…Haah. I was fairly confident in that one.”

When Licia released her grip, her sword clattered to the floor.

Ren gave a wry smile at having taken the point rather than merely defended, then gently lowered his blade.

Calling their ability “beyond the level of ordinary students” did not begin to describe what had just occurred.

Without using Mantle or any Arts, the two had demonstrated the extraordinary power of those who honed their swords at the Lion’s Holy Office.

No one doubted Ren’s ability any longer.

The eyes directed at him were filled with wonder and admiration.

“Ashton! Clausel!”

The swordsmanship instructor approached Ren and Licia with a grave expression.

He too had been rendered speechless by their exchange and had been forced to reconsider many things about their strength.

“We need to talk. Come with me.”

The two left the training ground with the instructor.

The dazed students silently watched them go. A dozen seconds later, they finally opened their mouths as though they had only just remembered how to breathe.

All at once, nearby students began voicing their amazement and praise for the pair’s strength.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Your usual training is conducted at a much higher intensity, isn’t it?”

The instructor asked while leading Ren and Licia away from the training ground.

“Yes. I still thought of that as no more than a warm-up.”

“Good grief… I’m glad to hear you say so yourself.”

Puzzled by his remark, Ren and Licia tilted their heads at almost the same time.

The instructor took them to a preparation room used by the swordsmanship faculty near the training ground.

Once there, he sat in a chair across from the two students.

“By the way, is this really all right? Wouldn’t it be better for you to assess me properly, just like everyone else?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. What more could I possibly need to assess?”

The swordsmanship faculty had already heard that both students practiced the Mighty Sword Style. Many people knew that they frequently visited the Lion’s Holy Office, so that much went without saying. Some apparently believed Ren only accompanied Licia as her guard, but that was beside the point.

Compared with other schools of swordsmanship, practitioners of the Mighty Sword Style were exceptionally rare.

Ren occasionally forgot this himself. The Lion’s Holy Office was simply the sacred ground of the Mighty Sword Style; outside it, one would seldom encounter a practitioner at all.

It had been a long time since this instructor had witnessed two practitioners of the Mighty Sword Style cross swords.

“I heard from Clausel that Ashton also surpasses her in Imperial Swordsmanship. That is why I believe we need to discuss how the two of you should proceed from here.”

He spoke with a troubled expression.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter