The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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Mana efficiency has improved.

And it’s not just a measly upgrade; it’s become substantial enough to warrant a “considerable” label!

I was itching to check just how much my mana efficiency had risen.

But it wasn’t the right time to gauge my improved mana efficiency calmly.

After all, I was currently engaged in a spar with Siabel. A ridiculously strenuous spar, no less.

Big, aggressive movements were required.

Moreover, predicting the path of her comical sword was no walk in the park either.

If Siabel would just give me permission, I’d want to throw down my sword right now and take a break.

There was no time to leisurely contemplate my soaring mana.

Swish!

After crossing swords, our battle of strength began, and inevitably, Siabel started to gain the upper hand.

“I feel like you just copied my moves. Am I right?”

A strong pressure emanated from her.

As she poured strength into her sword, it was only natural that I was pushed back due to the disrupted balance of power.

“Ugh… it’s merely one of my trivial skills.”

“Hah, what you just showed is merely a trivial skill? If our trainees heard you, they’d all be shedding tears of blood.”

With her sword pressing down on mine, she leaned closer to my face.

With only a palm’s distance between us, no exaggeration.

Siabel felt the unstable breath brushing against her cheek and remarked,

“Your breathing’s ragged. You’re exhausted.”

I calmly steadied my glaring eyes and looked at Siabel, who was stating the obvious.

“Now that I’ve shown something entertaining… doesn’t it seem reasonable to take a little break and continue later? What do you think?”

I nodded vigorously at her suggestion.

Hearing her say we should take a break made me think I’d have to do this once more, but…

For now, my priority was to catch my breath and enjoy a short rest.

Numerous discussions swirled around me. I barely paid attention to their chatter.

They probably already had some inkling of my unusual abilities since I was the guy who caught Arachne all by myself.

It was already exposed. With so many eyes scrutinizing me, there was no hiding it now.

Yeah, just like how I have a charming and homely woman; a man can whip out his sword with flair too.

Even if it’s not about mana, the swordsmanship I displayed while dispatching two demons in the royal castle holds some significance.

Feeling my heart gradually calm as I took deep breaths, I noticed Shione expertly racing towards me, her silver hair flowing.

“Ray, are you okay?”

Her previous supportive smile was nowhere to be found.

Her expression was the epitome of seriousness, one that clearly conveyed her concern.

Shione’s soft voice was filled with worry solely aimed at me.

“Um… didn’t my sister’s sword touch your breastplate? I was worried about that…”

How sweet of her to worry about me.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quietly chuckled at the way her voice trailed off.

“I’m fine. It just grazed the surface of the armor.”

“…Even so, that was quite a powerful strike. Surely, you must have felt some shock.”

“I assure you, it truly just scratched the surface.”

My reassurances didn’t seem to convince her.

She kept giving me skeptical looks, so I sighed softly.

“Could you lend me your hand for a moment?”

“My hand?”

Shione tilted her head curiously as she extended her hand to me.

I took her hand and guided it to the long scratch on my breastplate.

Oh wow…

Unlike the knights who were deeply engaged in discussions about the spar, those who were looking at Shione and me gasped in awe.

Boom.

Shione started to fidget nervously and scanned her surroundings.

Zing!

As the blush spread across her cheeks, she shot glares at the onlookers.

Under the sharp gaze of the Count’s precious young lady, the attention that had been directed at us slowly began to dwindle.

It was quite the reaction, and all I was doing was checking my protective gear.

What’s so touchingly dramatic about this flat-chested guy that I have to witness this?

I swallowed a chuckle and said,

“Isn’t the scratch on my breastplate pretty shallow?”

“…Well, but…”

“The impact really wasn’t that great. Please, don’t worry about it.”

“…I’ll take your word for it.”

Shione nodded several times and yanked her hand back.

At that moment, Siabel appeared behind Shione.

“Hmmm—”

Unlike the flustered Shione, Siabel was observing us calmly.

Her deep blue eyes glimmered briefly, but just like that, I couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

Siabel flashed a small, gentle smile.

Creating an endlessly soft atmosphere, she quietly approached and took in Shione’s demeanor.

As Siabel reached the side of us, she shut her eyes momentarily, brushed back her hair, and when she opened them, she was looking directly at me.

“Hm…?”

Just like when I saw her perform her sword dance.

That’s how Siabel was now, smiling softly, as if nothing could possibly be more fun.

“Ray, it seems Shione cherishes you a lot.”

At her words, Shione’s cheeks turned even redder.

For some reason, as Shione reacted, Siabel’s smile appeared to deepen.

“Now that we’ve taken a decent break, let’s start another round, shall we?”

“…I shall comply.”

Just as Siabel was about to lead me back into the sparring session,

“Um… sister.”

Shione grabbed her sister’s hand as she passed by.

“If possible… could you please tone it down a bit…?”

Siabel, in response, gently patted Shione’s head.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t treat someone you care about without kindness. Besides—”

As Siabel spoke, her gaze shifted past the closed-eyed Shione receiving the head pat, and landed on me.

“I also like him, so I won’t treat him too harshly.”

“…What?”

Shione, surprised, echoed her sister’s statement.

Siabel ruffled Shione’s hair playfully with a mischievous flick of her hands.

“Now, let’s get back to it. You’ve had enough rest, I assume?”

I nodded at Siabel’s words.

From there, we continued our duel.

Siabel’s teasing smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression as she skillfully wielded her sword.

Much time passed.

I had to keep going until my muscles protested that they couldn’t handle more intense movement.

Only when I was nearing the point where my body could no longer comply with my will did she finally declare the spar to be over, with a satisfied expression.

“You did well. Truly impressive.”

“…Thank you for your hard work.”

After a brief exchange of courtesy, the quest was completed.

In this exhausted state, I found reading the text cumbersome and only skimmed through the important bits.

The rewards listed were precisely what had been mentioned in the quest.

Normally, I’d feel some sense of pride upon seeing the rewards, but right now, I didn’t even have the energy for that.

“I’m dying.”

They say a healthy body houses a healthy mind.

I don’t know about that, but one thing I can declare for sure is that a fatigued body leads to a sluggish mind.

Right now, all I wanted was to shed this restrictive armor and lie sprawled on the cool ground.

With exhaustion evident, as I was putting the training sword away, I noticed Siabel approach as Shione came closer.

“You once claimed you could take down a wolf on your own; guess that was a total lie. Not a wolf, but it seems you could handle a whole pack!”

“…You flatter me.”

As I nodded, bowing my head in acknowledgment, Siabel toyed with her lips and continued.

“Maybe that’s why… I feel a tinge of disappointment.”

Then she moved closer, excess distance closing fast.

I tried to step back instinctively, but Siabel was quicker and closed the distance between us.

She nearly hugged me as she leaned in to whisper in my ear.

It seemed she was consciously acting with the attentive knights nearby in mind.

“Battling with pure swordsmanship is fine and dandy, but… the true beauty of a sword lies in the clash of magic and mana.”

With that, Siabel rested her hand on my shoulder.

“Ray, if possible, I would like to cross swords with you once more.”

“……”

“In a fashion that isn’t just pure swordplay, but the knights’ way.”

Shione, startled by Siabel’s sudden approach, rushed up to me.

As Siabel let her hair down, it cascaded elegantly.

“Shione.”

Siabel started slowly tidying her silver hair.

“I would like to borrow your attendant now and then at dawn. Would that be alright?”

“Y-Yes…?”

Contrasting sharply with Siabel’s calm tone, Shione’s demeanor grew cold in an instant.

“…Could you repeat that?”

The voice seeping out from my noble lady was as chilling as a biting winter gale.