The Swan Knights

The battle between Albert and Aila commenced with Aila making the first move.

A grin spread across her face as the battle qi swirling around her instantly coalesced into a volley of arrows, which she unleashed upon Albert.

As Albert swiftly dodged to the side, Aila seized the opportunity, closing the distance between them and executing a wide, sweeping strike with her sword-spear.

Having endured countless battles in his previous life, Albert was naturally unfazed by such a simple maneuver; even while evading the arrows, he had conserved ample strength.

Spotting the sword-spear hurtling towards him, he deftly twisted his wrist, plunging the tip of his greatsword into the ground beside his left flank mere moments before Aila’s blade could connect.

Boom!

In an instant, their weapons clashed, producing a deafening roar that rivaled an explosion.

The concussive force kicked up a cloud of dust from the ground, only for it to be immediately dispersed by the surging battle qi emanating from their forms, scattering into the surroundings.

Fú Nī Yà, caught off guard, found her mouth and nose assaulted by the dust, prompting an involuntary fit of coughing.

“Cough, cough cough! The racket those two are making is absolutely massive, isn’t it?”

Fú Nī Yà quickly pinched her nose, grumbling.

Even her sparring session with Master Valentin this morning hadn’t been this intense; the sheer force of their weapons clashing seemed to dwarf the power of ten fireballs thrown by her.

‘Is battle qi truly that formidable?’

The fierce engagement on the training grounds raged on.

After deflecting Aila’s assault, Albert used his embedded greatsword as a fulcrum, launching himself into the air.

His feet, now imbued with concentrated battle qi, unleashed a barrage of flying kicks aimed at Aila’s chest, each accompanied by a faint whistling through the air.

Aila swiftly withdrew her sword-spear, parrying Albert’s flying kicks with its long handle before executing a swift backward leap, putting ten meters of distance between them.

In the interim, Albert had also wrenched his greatsword from the earth.

With a powerful horizontal slash, a three-meter-long, ethereal azure energy blade, both weighty and swift, surged directly towards Aila.

Not to be outdone, Aila responded with a sweeping motion of her own sword-spear, conjuring a similar dark purple energy blade that met Albert’s attack head-on, triggering a localized explosion.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Observing the two-meter-wide crater at the epicenter of the blast, Aila raised an eyebrow and inquired.

“Little Albert, are you truly only at the seventh rank?”

“Whew~ Of course. What else would I be?”

Albert countered, seizing the brief respite to regulate his breathing.

‘Even now, sparring with his sister still proved to be quite challenging.’

“I thought you might have reached the eighth rank, Little Albert, but if you’re this formidable at the seventh, then I, your older sister, will simply have to exert myself a little more!”

With that declaration, Aila began to wildly brandish her sword-spear, her dark purple battle qi igniting around her like ferocious flames, emanating an aura that sent shivers down one’s spine.

“Hee hee~ Ee hee hee hee hee hee!!!”

Laughing with a wild abandon, she lunged ferociously at Albert.

“Are you serious!?”

Albert cried out, his greatsword a blur as he desperately parried Aila’s relentless onslaught.

He had only managed to fight her to a standstill earlier by relying solely on his past life’s combat experience; if she truly fought with earnest, how could he possibly hope to defeat Aila?

‘After all, Aila was currently a ninth-rank warrior!’

A continuous barrage of explosive sounds reverberated across the training grounds, and before long, the entire area had visibly sunken by a centimeter.

The air grew thick with dust, obscuring everyone’s vision, allowing only fleeting glimpses of deep purple or ethereal azure battle qi radiance.

The exact progression of their battle remained a mystery to all observers.

“Is this truly alright?”

Fú Nī Yà inquired of Master Valentin, a note of genuine concern in her voice.

Master Valentin, now looking hesitant himself, stroked his beard. “To be frank,” he mused, “a few years ago, I would have confidently said yes. But now… I can’t be certain.”

“Why is that?”

“Aila hasn’t been in Saint Mir City these past few years, and her berserker state back then was considerably milder than what we’re witnessing now.”

Master Valentin waved a dismissive hand, then gestured towards Mitchell, who stood quietly behind the two combatants. “If you’re truly worried,” he suggested, “go ask him. Aila has been with them all these years.”

“Hmm?”

Though Fú Nī Yà didn’t quite grasp Master Valentin’s meaning, she nevertheless followed his advice and turned to look at Mitchell behind her.

“Mitchell, is Aila-jie really alright looking like that?”

“She’ll be fine,” Mitchell assured her. “The Commander always fights like that, but she can revert to normal whenever she wishes.”

“That’s a relief…”

Hearing Mitchell—who had always accompanied Aila and was presumably her sworn companion knight—offer this reassurance, Fú Nī Yà finally let out a sigh of relief.

Yet, her relief was fleeting, as she soon noticed something that had long piqued her curiosity, prompting her to voice a question.

“Um… Mitchell, speaking of which, why do you always address Aila-jie as ‘Commander’?”

“Hmm? You don’t know?”

Mitchell regarded Fú Nī Yà with a puzzled expression.

“Why would I know? Is it some famous story?”

“Of course it’s famous; the tale spread across half the empire back then…”

“But that still leaves a small half of the empire that didn’t know!”

“But at least in Saint Mir City…”

“I wasn’t in Saint Mir City at the time, so what exactly is it!?”

Fú Nī Yà asked, puffing out her cheeks.

‘Riddle-makers are so annoying, seriously!’

“Don’t rush, don’t rush, let me collect my thoughts first…”

Mitchell raised a hand to halt Fú Nī Yà’s eager questioning, then, after a moment of contemplation, began to recount Aila’s past.

****

Five years prior, at the tender age of seventeen, Aila had graduated from the Imperial Grand Academy’s Martial Arts Branch, having secured the top rank among all students that year.

At that time, Aila was renowned as the foremost beauty in the Holy Lohiris Empire, captivating all with her exquisite appearance, refined demeanor, stellar achievements, and prestigious family background.

Countless young, handsome nobles yearned to pluck this enchanting bauhinia.

Yet, the marriages of noble children rarely aligned with their own desires, a truth even more pronounced for those of imperial lineage.

Even for the resplendent Aila, shimmering like a precious gem, she was, in the eyes of Emperor Uther, merely a valuable commodity.

Before long, he had arranged a marriage for Aila: to the eldest son of Duke Skammeto from the Empire’s southern territories.

For the Caldwell family, this was undoubtedly an advantageous match.

The Duchy of Skammeto commanded significant power in the Empire’s south, and an alliance through marriage would greatly benefit the Caldwell family’s ambitions to extend its influence southward.

For Aila, however, it struck like a bolt from the blue.

Her proud spirit utterly refused to enter into a marriage with a stranger.

Thus, on a dark and blustery night, she made her escape.

Indeed, she had fled.

Her journey led her northeastward, to a kingdom perpetually shrouded in wind and snow.

There, she donned male attire and enlisted in the local order of knights, the renowned Swan Knights.

Fú Nī Yà wore an expression of utter bewilderment. ‘Disguising herself as a man to join the army? Aila-jie, did you spring forth from the legend of Mulan?’

Nevertheless, to sate her inner gossipmonger, she suppressed her urge to comment and continued to listen intently to Mitchell’s tale.

Within a year of joining the knight order, Aila, through her exceptional strength and accumulated military merits, ascended to the esteemed position of Commander of the Swan Knights.

“The Commander is an extremely high-ranking official within the Swan Knights,” Mitchell explained softly. “At that point, the Commander gained the authority to negotiate directly with the Emperor.”

“Consequently,” Mitchell continued in a hushed tone, “the Commander revealed the truth to everyone in the order, and with their full backing, commenced negotiations with Saint Mir City.”

Emperor Uther was initially stunned.

He had never imagined that his daughter, missing for an entire year, was not only alive but had also risen to the rank of Commander of the Swan Knights.

Perhaps swayed by a flicker of paternal mercy, Uther did not prolong the matter when Aila requested the annulment of her engagement.

After a brief negotiation, he readily conceded to her demand.

The entire empire was scandalized by this turn of events.

Duke Skammeto, deeming himself utterly humiliated, severed all ties with the Caldwell family from that day forward.

In the years that followed, Aila continued her service within the Swan Knights, and when the Grand Commander retired two years later, she was elected as the new Grand Commander.

“That doesn’t sound right,” Fú Nī Yà interjected, a frown creasing her brow. “According to your account, Aila-jie was only in the knight order for about three years.

How could she have possibly risen to the position of Grand Commander so quickly? Isn’t that an incredibly rapid promotion?”

Implicit in Fú Nī Yà’s question was the suspicion of foul play in the election.

Mitchell responded with a heavy, drawn-out sigh.

“Most of the knights in the order rarely saw women year-round…”

“So, Aila-jie’s popularity within the knight order was ridiculously high, and these knights were all her devoted fans, simply casting their votes for her without a second thought during the election?”

“While I’m not familiar with the term ‘fans’…” Mitchell began, “that’s essentially the gist of it.”

Mitchell buried his face in his right hand, looking utterly mortified.

Fú Nī Yà, however, widened her eyes in astonishment. ‘Is this the legendary “charisma-based governance” (TL Note: A slang term referring to a leader’s popularity or “charisma” being the primary factor in their rule, often humorously implying a lack of other qualifications.)?’

‘This move is a thousand years ahead of its time; even in my original world, such “charisma-based governance” was unheard of!’

‘What kind of enlightened Middle Ages is this!?’

“But with Aila-jie’s personality, can she truly manage the affairs of the order effectively?”

Fú Nī Yà pondered Aila’s somewhat ditzy nature.

“Of course not,” Mitchell stated bluntly, showing no deference to Aila. “That’s why I handle everything except combat command.”

“Everything?”

“Yes, including financial management, army training, logistical coordination, territorial development…”

‘No wonder… Is this what they call a hands-off boss?’

Fú Nī Yà mused inwardly.

‘Such things are typically only seen in novels; in the real world, a hands-off boss would either be sidelined or outright dismissed. To think Aila-jie could be so comfortably hands-off is truly astonishing.’

‘It just goes to show, charisma-based governance is indeed terrifying.’

At last, she had gained some insight into Aila’s background.

“Speaking of which, Albert’s fiefdom also seems to be in the north…”

Fú Nī Yà murmured, stroking her chin.

‘That would make future meetings quite convenient.’

Meanwhile, with a soft clang, the prolonged battle between the two finally reached its conclusion.

As the dust raised by their fight slowly settled, Fú Nī Yà could finally discern the outcome: Albert’s greatsword had been knocked away by Aila, and he knelt on the ground, panting heavily.

Aila stood with her sword-spear in hand, only a few beads of sweat gracing her face, clearly retaining considerable reserves of strength.

“Wow, Little Albert, you’re amazing! You lasted so long!”

With the battle concluded, Aila’s tone lost its wild intensity, becoming gentle as she praised Albert.

“I merely gave it my all…” Albert said with a wry smile. “After that fight, all my battle qi has been completely drained.”

“But I’m ninth rank and you’re seventh; that’s already incredibly impressive,” Aila continued to console him.

“Is that so…”

Albert shook his head, ceasing to speak and focusing instead on resting.

After catching his breath slightly, he rose once more and, together with Aila, walked across the pockmarked ground to Fú Nī Yà and the others.

“Did you watch the battle just now? What did you think?”

“Nothing to think of!” Fú Nī Yà huffed, crossing her arms. “You two kicked up so much dust fighting, I couldn’t see a thing!”

“Really?”

Albert turned to look at the training ground, which had been leveled by five centimeters due to his and Aila’s battle, and scratched his head, having not considered that aspect.

After concluding her conversation with Albert, Fú Nī Yà excitedly rushed over to Aila.

“Aila-jie is actually a knight commander? That’s incredible!”

“Ehehe… it’s nothing special…” Aila said shyly.

“By the way, Aila-jie, what does your knight order do?” Fú Nī Yà suddenly asked, curious. “If you’re on the northeastern border… are you defending against foreign enemies?”

“Foreign enemies? What foreign enemies? Those barbarians?” Aila tilted her head in confusion. “They’re hardly foreign enemies. Our Swan Knights exist to eliminate those barbarians and expand the territory of Lohiris, you know.”

“Eh? Eli… eliminate?”

Fú Nī Yà’s heart tightened, and for a moment, she was utterly speechless.