This chapter has a change of perspective.
Please be aware of this.
The currency exchange rate is 1 Luci = approximately 10 yen.
A notice for large-scale training…?
I was informed about it by my senior, and saw the notice posted inside the castle the day before the scheduled event.
“–All soldiers in the castle, except for those necessary for security, are to participate.”
“Furthermore, anyone who defeats the red-haired female swordsman Katia Myers, who will be the training opponent, will receive a special bonus of 500,000 Luci.”
F-Five hundred thousand!?
That’s more than my annual salary.
“Oh, did you see that? As expected, the bonus is huge. Everyone is fired up to defeat the ‘Red-haired Swordsman’.”
“Well, it’s not as much as the prize money for the Fighting Tournament, but it’s still enough to live a pretty luxurious life.”
Five hundred thousand, huh.
With that much, I could send a lot more money to my parents.
And maybe I’d finally buy a new spear for myself.
Luckily, I’m free tomorrow, so I can participate in the training.
I don’t know if she’s really as strong as the rumors say, but it might be worth challenging her for the bonus.
“You can’t compare it to the Fighting Tournament. The prize money for that is a ridiculous twenty million, right?”
“Kingdom soldiers can participate, but if you’ve ever seen the tournament, you basically wouldn’t, right? It’s hopeless because it’s a one-on-one competition.”
The Fighting Tournament is usually adorned by many strong fighters who have trained in Tobal.
And some of Silas’s mages.
In past tournaments, by the time the main event starts, everyone else has disappeared.
Therefore, we have no chance of winning in the individual competition.
“We wouldn’t lose in a group battle, you know.”
“There it is, senpai’s favorite phrase.”
“Idiot. What do you think we’re doing training every day, crushing the blisters on our hands? If you give up on that, you’ll have no reason to exist.”
Not just limited to the Royal Guard, the kingdom’s army has many humans.
It’s said that this is a remnant of the fact that the country was originally founded on the former imperial territory of Garcia.
Humans are physically inferior to beastmen, magically inferior to elves, and less skilled with weapons than dwarves… As a result, the soldiers of the kingdom’s army had no choice but to hone their group combat skills.
There are occasionally strong individuals who are half or quarter-human, but they are extremely rare.
It’s still a tough situation for pure-blooded humans.
“Well, the captain is strong for a human, but he’s getting up there in age.”
“That’s true. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a titled human, ever since the Sword Saint disappeared. This is a good opportunity. Let’s see with our own eyes whether this disciple of his has the power to match.”
“Wow, senpai, you’re so arrogant. You and I have almost the same individual competition record.”
“…Do you have any intention of respecting your senior even a little bit?”
“Hahaha. But, what’s the point of this training?”
The Fighting Tournament is near, and the castle is generally busy.
The higher-ups don’t tell us anything, but since there are so many scholars from places like Silas coming and going in the castle, there must be something we don’t know about.
Because they decided to go ahead with the training despite this situation.
“Hmm, I think one reason is to let off some steam? For us.”
“Ah, we’re so busy, aren’t we? Lately.”
Due to the aforementioned group of scholars, the security team is extremely busy.
Because of the large number of people coming and going, the castle gates are congested every day due to identity checks and other procedures.
However, we can’t afford to be negligent and let any suspicious people into the castle.
“And then there’s that, right? The strange rumors about that swordswoman. That’s it.”
“There are so many outlandish ones, aren’t there?”
They say she flew high in the sky and sliced a wyvern in half with her sword.
Or that she burned a swarm of worms with magic that you wouldn’t expect from a swordsman, and that the flames are still burning in the mine.
And that she beat Lyall the Fist and made him her subordinate.
These three battles have been depicted in paintings by the famous portrait painter Fina Raza and are circulating in the Imperial capital.
The reproductions are said to be selling like hotcakes, even though they are expensive.
I’ve only seen the place where the paintings are sold.
…They were all, shall we say, quite unrealistic.
“That’s right. They’re all so exaggerated that they’re completely suspicious, right? And have you ever seen that girl’s appearance, other than in the paintings?”
“No, I haven’t. I’m sure the paintings are exaggerated to make her look so beautiful, right?”
It’s the type where you’re disappointed when you meet the real person, right?
I know, I know.
“No, actually. She’s a stunning beauty. She’s on par with Princess Lily.”
“No way. Princess Lily is so beautiful that you might only see her once in a lifetime. There’s no way someone like that would be just hanging around.”
The first time I saw her, I mistook her for a finely crafted doll walking around.
Her ethereal beauty makes her very popular both inside and outside the castle.
She’s often seen with Lord Spike, and there are high expectations for her to be the next successor.
“Heh, well, it’s fine. We’ll see her tomorrow anyway. People who have actually seen her say that she’s so beautiful that it doubles the dubiousness of the rumors. I felt the same way.”
“You mean that if your appearance is too good, it’s easier to be wary of? Come to think of it, the female serial swindler who was caught the other day had a pretty normal appearance, didn’t she?”
I wonder if it’s easier to not be wary of people like that.
Anything that’s too perfect, except for the real thing, seems fake.
Even with people, I feel like someone who’s a little bit off is more likely to be trusted.
Well, we’re told that we’re too clumsy and full of holes!
Everything is best in moderation, I guess.
“Ah, that swindler woman. That’s true. But well, we’re soldiers, and warriors. If we actually cross weapons with someone, we can tell if they’re lying or not, right?”
“If we actually cross weapons, we can tell! Intense look …Wow, senpai, you’re so cool, I’m so jealous.”
I could never say something like that.
I’d be too embarrassed.
“Hey you, you’re on! Get out here, I’ll carve your fifty-first loss into your body!”
“What are you talking about, senpai? My next loss will be my fiftieth! You’re the one who’ll have fifty-one losses!”
There was a low-level battle that couldn’t be lost.
Training Day.
Many soldiers had gathered at the training grounds.
About 200 people, excluding those on security duty, I guess?
Everyone wants 500,000 Luci… There are so few people who aren’t here on their day off.
Of course, I want money too.
I’m carrying a wooden training spear, and I’m fully prepared.
Next to me is the face of my senpai, which I’m tired of seeing.
“Senpai, is she here yet?”
“I heard that Midir-sama will explain the training.”
“Ah, Midir-sama. He’s having a hard time too, isn’t he?”
Midir-sama joined the intelligence department right after graduating from the knight academy.
He’s good-looking, sarcastic, young, and has a high position.
Just hearing this, he seems like someone who would be easily disliked, but that’s not the case.
He’s running around busier than us every day, taking orders from Lord Spike and his father, Intelligence Chief Dagza, so there’s not much resentment.
He’s known as “the hardest worker in the castle,” and although he doesn’t know it, he’s popular not only with women but also with men.
And then, the person in question appeared.
It seems that the captain is also with him.
Midir-sama raises his voice.
“The rules for this training are simple. Everyone here will take turns having a mock battle with Katia-dono. That’s it. The order will be decided by lottery, and the prize money will be given to the first person to defeat her.”
Everyone? Seriously? Does she have that much stamina?
But a lottery…
There are a lot of participants, will it go around to the end?
No matter how strong she is, I think she’ll get tired along the way.
“The lottery tickets have numbers on them, so line up in the order you drew. Don’t dawdle, are you even knights!”
“Senpai, let’s go.”
“Yeah… Wait, isn’t the captain drawing a lottery ticket too?”
“Ah, you’re right. Is he going to participate?”
Looking over, I see that Captain Eisen is also drawing a lottery ticket.
His brown hair is starting to turn gray, but his strength hasn’t diminished.
He’s an exemplary knight who still takes command on the battlefield.
He’s usually a good-natured old man who’s relaxed just the right amount.
And finally, it was our turn to draw a lottery ticket.
When I opened the paper and looked at the number… 208…
Isn’t this pretty far back?
“Senpai, how about you?”
“Me? …207.”
Consecutive numbers.
And when we actually lined up…
“We’re second to last!”
“You have bad luck, both of you. I don’t think it’ll even reach us, will it?”
The guy at the front is happy.
He’s already thinking he’s won and has the 500,000 in his pocket.
Damn it.
“Don’t be so hasty, young men. I thought I taught you that it’s bad to look at the enemy too big or too small before you see them, right?”
“But, Captain.”
By the way, Captain Eisen was at the very end.
I don’t know if he remembers our names, but we’ve been instructed by him several times.
He calmly stands there with a composed demeanor.
“Hey, she’s here.”
Senpai urges me to look forward.
A woman with long hair is walking in from the entrance of the training grounds.
The line is divided into several sections, so she’s close enough to see clearly from here, but…
I think my eyes are wide open right now.
“Haa…”
“Hey, your eyes and mouth are wide open. Close them, close them.”
The woman who appeared, shaking her long red hair, was a beauty of the highest caliber.
Her hair was tied back in a single ponytail, and left hanging down.
Her bewitchingly shining eyes were also a burning red, and above all…
“Amazing figure…”
“Yeah… That’s something that even the princess doesn’t have. Because, she’s fla–”
“Don’t say it, senpai! You’ll be killed by the princess’s devotees!”
Tell her she’s slender!
But, it’s really amazing.
Like, the curves, or…
Her limbs are long too.
She’s tall for a woman, but her well-proportioned figure also gives her a very powerful presence.
It’s like, her posture is glamorous.
Midir-sama silences the noisy crowd with his hand, and then raises his voice again.
“This is Katia-dono! She will be assisting us with today’s training! Now, Katia-dono, please say a few words.”
“Um, um… well, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules today. I will do my best, so please treat me well.”
…Humble!
Senpai looked at me in surprise.
“She’s surprisingly modest for her appearance, that girl. Right?”
“Yeah, I’m surprised. I was expecting someone more like a high-handed queen.”
Like, “I’ll be your opponent, be honored!”
Because her eyes are sharp and the corners of her eyes are upturned…
The other participants also seem to be taken aback by her unexpected statement.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
The first man’s weapon… is a sword.
I don’t know him very well, so I don’t know how skilled he is.
The red-haired swordsman, Katia-san, uses two swords, a longsword and a short sword.
However, since this is training, both are made of wood.
Since it’s a mock battle, the basic rule is that the match is decided when one of the following occurs: a weapon is dropped, a weapon is pointed at a disadvantageous position, or a blow is received.
“…Hmm, it’s no good. The difference in the quality of their aura is too great. Even if he’s completely off guard, this is terrible.”
“Eh? What do you mean, Captain?”
Before I could get an answer to my question, the match started.
First, the moment the two lightly clashed their wooden swords together–.
“What the hell is this!?”
The man shouts.
The wooden sword in his hand was shattered into pieces.
Katia-san’s sword, on the other hand, is completely undamaged.
…Undamaged.
Seriously?