On the second day as well, it was a smooth schedule with not much difference from the day before. Though it was too early to let my guard down, His Highness didn’t seem to pay much attention to me. When he’d pressured me at the time, I thought he was going to keep me close and watch me, so this was fortunate. I still didn’t have the confidence to act without dissonance right next to him.
I didn’t know whether he didn’t want to keep someone he suspected that close, or whether he was planning to observe slowly, but for now I was relieved.
“Hey, are you already heading back to the barracks?”
Today as well, after switching with the afternoon guard, I was about to return to the knights’ hall. One of the knights I’d been on watch with called out to me. He seemed to have been with the one who’d been bad-mouthing Aila, so it was surprising that he was talking to me.
“Yes.”
I planned to eat, loosen up my body lightly, then train alone at the training grounds. Aila’s body had struggled just from standing outside for a long time, but if I didn’t train even a little, the muscles that were finally starting to form would surely all disappear.
“Really? How about hanging out with the other knights a bit? That’s what you were best at, right?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand the intent of your question…”
I stopped mid-sentence when I was about to refuse outright. If it were me, I would have declined such a proposal to stick to the plan I’d set up, but if it were Aila, it seemed like he would have immediately followed along eagerly. I changed my mind, thinking that showing such behavior often might clear up misunderstandings.
“Aw, don’t be like that—everyone’s waiting, so let’s go together?”
“Understood.”
Fortunately, since he invited me once more, I could change my words easily. He hummed a tune while leading the way, seeming excited about something.
‘Looks like we’re going to the First Training Grounds.’
If he was planning to go somewhere secluded and set up a drinking session, I’d intended to secretly tip off Sir Ken the next day, so I was glad it wasn’t that.
‘They seemed to really dislike me, but are they trying to train together? Maybe they want to correct my swordsmanship since my skill is unbearable to watch.’
Considering I’d caused so many incidents in the Third Knights Division that I was treated like I was invisible, this was quite good treatment. It seemed to be because I hadn’t caused any incidents yet.
“Go in.”
It felt strange to be introduced to the training grounds I’d frequently visited in this manner. When I opened the familiar door and entered, there were quite a few people even though it wasn’t the designated training time.
‘Doesn’t seem like they gathered to train earnestly.’
If they’d really gathered to discipline their bodies, they should be swinging swords or exercising, but the people right in front of me were all standing or sitting slovenly, looking toward the door—in other words, looking at me who’d just entered.
“You came without even running away.”
“Didn’t I tell you? If you just say let’s roll around once, he’d follow right away.”
Moreover, seeing them each make a comment, it seemed they’d been waiting for me. They weren’t all people I could say I knew well, but they were ones whose faces I’d seen coming and going. I remembered them because while their skills were good, their conduct was improper.
“Sorry to disappoint, but this isn’t the depraved gathering you were thinking of. We’re not the type to swing the sword in our lower half around recklessly.”
Seven people total. As I examined each of their faces, I suppressed a sigh that was about to escape.
“None of them are Aila’s type though.”
And then I went “oh no” at the words that came out without me knowing. I’d heard that while Aila was truly a guy who didn’t care about gender, age, or even species, he never gave a second glance to burly types, and unfortunately all the guys in front of me were exactly that type.
‘Saying it like this makes it sound like I’m treating myself as someone else. They won’t think it’s strange, will they?’
The faces of the knights I glanced at to check had changed strangely. Especially the two standing in front—their ears had turned bright red as if they’d eaten something very hot or spicy, to the point where I wondered if they were ill.
“Really? Then if you didn’t come to have a go with us, you must have come for a sparring match? We were just about to do that anyway, so this works out perfectly.”
It seemed pointless to ask if that was really the case when I’d just followed along without even knowing who was at the training grounds.
‘They’re probably not talking about ordinary sparring.’
I had followed along obliviously thinking we’d train in a peaceful manner, but I wasn’t stupid. The people in front of me bore ill will toward me, so they’d try to torment me in some way.
‘I might have been involved in a love affair with them. There are also many people in the First Knights Division who want to become guard knights.’
Whether I’d followed from the start or not, it was impossible to back down now that I’d come this far.
“Then I’ll spar with the mindset of learning from you.”
“Right. We’ll verify whether someone like you who only digs back holes has the qualifications to be His Highness’s guard knight.”
Aila had just been promiscuous, not selling his body, but it didn’t seem like these angry people would listen to such excuses.
“Gareth, knight of the First Knights Division. I’ll be your first opponent.”
“Aila of the Crown Prince’s Guard Knights. Please treat me well.”
I’d heard Gareth’s name a few times. If it were the original Aila, he was skilled enough that he would have been knocked out cold just from crossing swords once with him, let alone sparring. The fortunate point was that among them, he was the one lacking in skill relatively.
“Then begin!”
Gareth circled around me while pulling up only one corner of his mouth. He was trying to intimidate me that he could take me down at any time. But I didn’t need to wait anxiously for when he would attack.
‘The sound of footsteps when making a real attack is always different.’
After circling me once like that, he stomped his foot hard as if he’d been waiting.
“Hiya!”
Famous for his strong power, he raised his sword high while making a loud shout.
‘Making shouts when attacking isn’t a good habit.’
It would be foolish to take that brutish sword head-on. After reading the sword’s trajectory in advance, I slightly twisted my wrist at the point where the sword barely grazed.
“Wha, what?”
When I forcibly twisted the sword’s trajectory, Gareth’s body balance—already precarious from attacking while charging—broke. Taking advantage of his stumbling, I brought my sword to his neck.
“Will you surrender?”
I said it as if it were nothing because I didn’t want to look weak, but honestly my hand was still throbbing.
‘His strength really is strong.’
Even though it was just a brief contact, at this level, if I’d taken it head-on, Aila’s frail body would have fractured. I was lucky to have subdued him in one move like this. Though it varies slightly with each match, I would usually end it when I caught a vital point with my sword like this.
“Surrender, my ass!”
But Gareth apparently had no intention of ending this match. Ignoring the blade at his neck, he re-gripped his sword and began swinging down wildly. When he came at me that brutishly, it was difficult to pull the same trick as before.
“Ugh.”
As I continued dodging the pouring sword strikes and deflecting their trajectories, the burden accumulated on my wrist.
‘This won’t end.’
Because his swordsmanship lacked sharpness, I was continuing to block, but that didn’t mean there were many opportunities to subdue him either. If this were real combat, I would have charged in prepared to get hurt, but I didn’t want to sustain a major injury in a sparring match.
“Gareth! What are you doing? Finish it quickly!”
“If you can’t do it, I’ll switch with you. If rumors spread that you lost to that Aila, it’ll be a complete disgrace, won’t it?”
Since it was taking longer than they’d expected, jeers and all sorts of comments could be heard. Sparring should be conducted with proper form, but this was lowly behavior.
‘They’re doing this because they don’t think of this as real sparring.’
If I continued just blocking like this, it seemed like it would end in one of two ways—either I’d injure my wrist or make a mistake from exhaustion.
