LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 83
The Royal Guards are all equally skilled in martial arts.
After all, they must protect and assist the mainstay of the royal family.
Each of them is a sword expert. Only those who have mastered and refined their skills can join the Royal Guards.
And I heard that Diolia once had the opportunity to join this prestigious group.
Being a knight in the Royal Guards alone speaks volumes about one’s prowess. With the honor of defending the kingdom, they even receive high salaries.
If given the choice, it would be far better to make a name for myself as a knight in the royal castle than to remain at the Count’s House, situated at the edge of the western kingdom.
But Diolia has turned down this honorable opportunity and remains a knight in the Shianella Count’s House.
As my mouth uttered both Diolia’s name and Siabel’s name, Shione fell into thought for a moment.
“I was thinking of asking Lady Diolia about your swordsmanship…”
Shione, who had been lost in thought for a while, started to agree with my words.
“That doesn’t sound bad at all.”
I nodded at Shione’s remark.
It’s not just sheer talent she possesses; she had been training daily with Siabel, after all.
Even before we headed to meet Shione’s former fiancé, Evan, every time I visited the training grounds, Diolia and Siabel were always there, swords clashing.
I remembered how Diolia would effortlessly block Siabel’s strikes while teaching her.
‘If only I had Diolia’s help…’
With some prior knowledge of Siabel’s fighting style and her unique swordsmanship, I could possibly come out ahead in a duel with Siabel.
‘The quest expects me to show more than she anticipates.’
To awaken Siabel’s potential and enhance my mana efficiency, I’d need to be somewhat familiar with my opponent beforehand.
Because—
‘…I have no idea what kind of expectations Siabel has for me.’
I couldn’t tell how much she might be hoping for me as she waited for our duel day.
If she were expecting a swordsmanship capable of taking down at least a wolf, that would be one thing.
It would be relatively easy to exceed those expectations.
However, our dear Siabel knows full well that I have a track record of slaying Arachne, not mere wolves.
Well, anything’s better than wrestling with those demon worshippers, I suppose.
But I expected that my duel with her wouldn’t be settled so easily.
Perhaps Shione shared this worry, as she looked at me with a concerned expression.
“Well… even if it’s just a duel, Siabel’s sword is likely to be quite fierce. Since there’s still a lot of time, it might be best to consistently receive help from Lady Diolia.”
Shione’s tone suggested she was more worried than necessary.
Her expression was even more amusing.
She looked at me as if I were a lover being dragged off to war.
Shione’s overly sensitive reaction started to stir a bit of anxiety in me.
“…Are you really not going to do anything about this?”
Shione shook her head.
“I trust that my sister will be careful thinking about you… but our family is known as the clan of heroes who hunt demons, right?”
“You’re right. Our ancestors were recognized for their achievements in slaying demons, receiving titles of nobility as the kingdom was founded…”
“Exactly, so perhaps the techniques passed down are all aimed at demon-hunting… Your sister’s sword might be a little too intense, I think.”
“Ah.”
I understood Shione’s words and my expression hardened.
Having seen once before how one endowed with the power to eradicate demons fought, it was a style filled with tenacity.
Sure, it’s just a duel, but I can’t help but wonder if she would actually go that far…
That thought alone left me feeling a bit uneasy.
*
Shione began earnestly practicing how to concentrate her mana into arrowheads.
As blue energy gathered on the sharp piece of iron, only to scatter at the moment it seemed ready to fully compress, it appeared she still had quite a bit of time before reaching that level I previously mentioned.
Considering she had completed the quest involving Noah Belreia, the acceleration in her growth might lead her to achieve it faster than I had originally anticipated.
Watching Shione, I couldn’t help but smirk to myself.
“Hmm…”
Was she trying to steal a kiss from me?
Even amidst the chill in the air as winter approached, she was sweating, focusing intently.
A good portion of the reason Shione was working so hard on her martial skills stems from the promise I had made in the past, so I couldn’t just back out now.
Even as I pondered the complications that lay ahead for us, I quickly collected my thoughts.
I wouldn’t let her feelings fall by the wayside; I needed to clearly align my intentions and chart our future path.
‘Well, I can think about this later.’
There was no need to dwell on a matter I could mull over before bed.
I set aside such thoughts, organized my mind, and headed out of the shooting range.
In the spacious open area, I could see women training and sweating.
“Anna, your arms are already shaking!”
“N-no, they aren’t!”
“You too, Harel!”
…Looks like they’re having a tough time even in the middle of the day.
The Count’s guards were honing their swordsmanship and stamina, wielding wooden swords under the coach’s instructions.
Given the recent stir involving demons, and monsters frequently rampaging in the territory, they were working harder than I recalled, sweat pouring from them as they swung their swords with vigor.
“Looks like the training intensity has increased.”
I prayed that at least some refreshing breeze would come their way before I turned my gaze to the area where the sounds of clashing swords were incessantly ringing out.
“There they are.”
Instead of wooden swords, those engaged in fierce dueling were using dull-bladed practice swords.
With their refined swordsmanship and movements devoid of excess, they stood out dramatically from regular soldiers; they were the knights known for awakening their mana.
I searched for Diolia among them.
“Found her.”
Normally, Diolia would be engrossed in heated discussions about swords with Siabel, but now she was either exchanging simple sparring with other knights or training alone, as Siabel hadn’t shown up at the training grounds for two days.
Right now, it seemed that she was focused on the fundamentals—Diolia was silently swinging her sword.
Swish!
Seeing her sword make a clean cut through the air, I slowly approached her.
“Lady Diolia, hello.”
“Hmm? You are…”
Diolia’s cold, deep gaze settled on me.
After a moment of assessing my face, she nodded as if recalling something.
“Oh, you’re Shione’s personal attendant. It’s been quite a while since we had a chat.”
“Yes, Lady Diolia. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Of course. Ever since I took down a demon in the Beltlin Mountains, there haven’t been any major dangers. I’ve just been sharing swordplay with Lady Siabel at the Count’s House.”
We exchanged casual pleasantries, and I realized that since meeting Shione and Evan Feiosha, I hadn’t spoken with her privately, so this was quite a pleasant moment.
After we exchanged a few more words, Diolia looked at me with an inquiring expression.
“By the way… may I ask why you’ve come to see me?”
I quickly nodded to her question.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but… I’ve come to request something from you, Lady Diolia.”
“A request, huh? I’d like to hear it and decide.”
If she’s willing to listen and decide, then I slowly began to explain my purpose.
Starting with how I’d been granted the chance to spar with Siabel, I expressed my desire to improve my abilities in order to meet her expectations and perhaps how I could counter her swordsmanship in our bouts.
As I elaborated, I noticed a smile forming on the corners of Diolia’s mouth.
“Given that you’ve protected Lady Shione with just a single sword, and your great feat of taking down an Arachne has spread, it seems Siabel has taken an interest in you.”
“Is that so—”
“Then I’ll help you out. Grab a sword.”
Diolia pointed toward a corner.
Her finger indicated a stack of practice swords, all with dull blades, arranged in groups.
“Nothing beats learning through hands-on experience.”
I stood before the weapon display.
From the longsword that both Diolia and Siabel typically wielded to the short sword I handled, a variety of weapons awaited, and luckily enough, I could find a sword familiar to my grasp.
Naturally, I picked up a short sword and stood before Diolia.
Swish…
Although it was a dull practice sword, made of cold iron, it still produced a metal sound as it slid out of the scabbard.
Once I steadied my position—
“Let’s begin.”
Whoosh!!
Diolia lunged at me as if to say she wouldn’t go easy on me for being a man.
Her sword, completely devoid of mercy, lunged straight for my neck.
Clang!!
As I deftly deflected her longsword, twisting its trajectory aside, our eyes met, and I couldn’t help but let out a silent chuckle at Diolia’s sudden aggressive move.
Seriously, what’s the rush? Why is she aiming for my neck right off the bat?