Chapter 42: The Test of Skill and Strength

I woke up early in the morning, almost close to dawn.

As I opened my eyes, I met the gaze of Yuri, who had already woken up before me.

Seeing Yuri smiling brightly right in front of me made my groggy mind fully wake up.

“El, did you sleep well?”

“…Good morning.”

I could barely greet her while calming my racing heart.

Seeing that Yuri didn’t say much, it seemed like it wasn’t too obvious.

“Isn’t it still too early for morning training?”

“Yeah. We have some time, so take it slow. Only a few of the knights, the particularly diligent ones, will have gone to the training grounds by now.”

Still, as someone receiving guidance, I didn’t want to appear lazy at someone else’s house, so I went back to my room and changed into comfortable clothes after a quick wash.

I chose a long-sleeved shirt and long pants for better mobility, and loosely tied my hair back so it wouldn’t be too messy.

I grabbed my sword from the side where it was kept and headed out to the hallway, where Yuri was already waiting by the door, fully prepared.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I started preparing at the same time, so it didn’t take long. Shall we head down?”

“Yeah. After eating, playing, and sleeping all day yesterday, my body already feels sluggish. Let’s go quickly.”

Together with Yuri, I walked toward the training grounds. The closer we got to the training grounds, the more sounds of battle cries I heard.

However, since the cries were disjointed and not in sync, it seemed like they were still in individual training, just as Yuri had said.

“Lady, you’ve arrived.”

As we entered the training grounds, one of the knights closest to us greeted Yuri. He appeared to be quite an older man.

“Good morning, Sir Rufin.”

After exchanging simple greetings, the knight, whose name was Rufin, immediately returned to his individual training.

Before starting our training, Yuri and I warmed up with some stretching to loosen up our muscles and then began jogging around the training grounds.

Since it was the Marquis’ mansion, the training grounds were quite large, and after running a few laps, we had worked up just the right amount of sweat without overdoing it.

“Gather!”

Just as Yuri and I were finishing up, Rufin called out loudly, and the knights, who had been scattered, quickly lined up with precision.

Instead of joining the line with the knights, Yuri and I stood slightly off to the side, forming a position next to each other.

After a short wait, Marquis Craig walked slowly into the training grounds and stopped in front of Rufin.

“Did you sleep well last night, Lord?”

Instead of going overboard with formalities, Rufin greeted Craig with a simple inquiry about his well-being. Craig, not seeming to mind, nodded lightly and accepted his greeting.

“Looks like you were the first one up again today, Rufin.”

“Haha, as I get older, I don’t seem to need much sleep in the mornings.”

“Then, as usual, I’ll leave the training in your hands today, Rufin.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Following Craig’s command, Rufin gave loud orders and began directing the knights in training. From what I could see, they were practicing tactics rather than individual combat.

“You two, come here.”

Leaving the knights to Rufin, Craig took us to a corner of the training grounds.

Although it wasn’t the main area, the training grounds were so vast that there was enough space for the three of us to move freely.

“Hmm… Since the two of you won’t be able to bring out your full potential by sparring with each other, let’s do it separately. Yuri, draw your sword.”

“Yes.”

Following Craig’s instructions, Yuri drew her sword from her waist. I had seen Yuri’s stance many times throughout the semester.

“Now, try swinging it.”

On the other hand, Craig didn’t adopt any stance at all, not even drawing his sword, and just stood there.

Yuri, unfazed by Craig’s posture, swung her sword with full force.

Whoosh.

However, as expected, Craig simply deflected Yuri’s attack with ease.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Yuri swung her sword countless times, but not once did it even graze Craig’s clothing.

After dozens of futile attempts, Yuri’s breath began to grow heavy.

“Ha, ha.”

Eventually, her stamina seemed to run out, and she stopped in place, her sword trembling and swaying from side to side.

Only then did Craig speak.

“Your attacks are dull, the flow of your movements is jagged, and your feints are clumsy. You haven’t learned anything at the Academy, have you?”

At this harsh critique, Yuri bit her lip slightly, but she didn’t offer any excuses, knowing that everything Craig said was true.

She simply stood quietly and listened.

“…But your stamina has improved compared to before. Rest for now.”

As soon as Craig’s permission was given, Yuri sheathed her sword.

Her hands were shaking, and after several attempts, she finally managed to place the sword back into its scabbard.

“Then, let’s continue immediately. Elysia, draw your sword.”

Instead of Yuri, this time I drew my sword.

Of course, it was a real sword, but I wasn’t particularly worried.

A sword master like Craig wouldn’t get injured by my sword, and even if he did, surely he wouldn’t complain to a friend’s daughter.

When Craig saw me draw my sword, he raised an eyebrow and then took his own sword from its scabbard, which had been hidden until now.

He then took his stance.

The way Craig stood with his sword was a stance I was familiar with.

It was the same stance I had seen in Yuri’s form throughout the first semester.

However, while the stance was the same, the momentum was distinctly different.

Normally, such a difference in pressure would make anyone feel intimidated, but I wasn’t shaken.

If I had to compare the pressure, it was far less intense than when I faced a demon lord.

In comparison to that time, when I was surrounded by killing intent, this situation felt like standing under the summer sun without any shade—uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

“Hmm. Your momentum isn’t bad. When you’re ready, begin.”

Since there wasn’t much to prepare, I charged at Craig the moment he finished speaking.

Clang!

Naturally, my attack was blocked.

The rebound from the force I put into the strike made my hand go numb, but I gripped the sword tightly, refusing to let go.

Standing still in place, Craig blocked my sword again with just a simple lift of his own sword.

Clang, clang.

However, when I angled my sword to deflect and send it flying, I did my best to suppress the movement and instead clung to Craig’s sword with all my might, not allowing it to separate.

Using both hands, I tried to push Craig’s sword away to seize an opening, but his sword, held in one hand, was so overwhelmingly powerful that my efforts were futile.

It wasn’t just a matter of muscle difference; the enhancement of his body through his aura made the disparity absurdly vast.

No matter how much I tried, even with both hands, I couldn’t outmatch his one-handed stance.

I should have known better, considering he was a sword master.

In the end, unable to move, I tried to retreat by bouncing Craig’s sword away, but this time, Craig kept his sword tightly pressed against mine and didn’t let go.

As I tried to pull back, he matched my movement exactly, closing the distance between us.

No matter how I twisted or swung my sword, Craig’s sword moved like it was a part of his body, effortlessly nullifying all my attempts.

Desperate, I subtly shifted my gaze to Craig’s feet and planned to sneak a step to land a strike there.

But just as I was about to step on his foot, Craig’s foot moved back, and instead, he kicked my foot sideways as I was bringing it down.

Normally, balancing on one foot wouldn’t be difficult, but as he kicked my foot, his sword, still pressed closely against mine, easily disrupted my balance.

I released one hand from the sword I was holding with both hands to steady myself as I was about to fall sideways. I quickly rolled and tried to get back up, but by then, Craig’s sword was already pointed at me.

“Hmm… not bad. Considering your age… No, even without that, it’s impressive. The way you swing your sword, read your opponent, find openings, and control your aura is better than most knights.”

Seeing Craig sheathe his sword, I brushed off my rear and stood up.

“However, your swordsmanship lacks form. You could say it’s free-spirited, but ultimately, it’s without foundation. It’s not that you’ve mastered a form and broken free from it, it’s that you’ve never built one in the first place. If I had to describe it, it’s thoroughly practical.”

Craig’s words came after just a few exchanges of strikes. My swordsmanship was nothing to be proud of. If it had been anything special, the guild master would have made me a member of the swordsman’s guild instead of the assassin’s guild.

“Fortunately, you have great talent. With your abilities, it might actually be better for you to wield the sword based on your instincts rather than studying swordsmanship now. I can see traces of correction here and there, but the one who adjusted your swordplay knew not to change much. If they had tried to alter it too much, it would have been neither this nor that.”

He was probably referring to Celian. As an educator, did Craig believe Celian’s perspective on swordsmanship was equal to that of a sword master?

“Thank you.”

After hearing the praise and advice, I couldn’t keep quiet and expressed my gratitude. However, instead of responding, Craig turned to call for Lupin, who was leading the knights at a distance.

“Did you call for me?”

At Craig’s call, Lupin quickly approached.

“From now on, let someone else take over the training or let them do free practice. You, starting today, will duel with Elysia every day. It will certainly benefit both of you.”

“Yes, understood.”

Despite seeing me, a much younger person, Lupin didn’t question Craig and returned to the knights, giving them various commands.

“Elysia, from now on, you will duel with me every morning, and after that, continue to duel with Lupin. Your sword relies on your natural talent, and with a bit of guidance and experience, you’ll develop significantly.”

“Yes, understood.”

It was the word of a sword master, so there was no need to question it.

“And Yuri, I’ll watch over your training every day from now on. Don’t skip any sessions.”

“Yes.”

With that simple arrangement, Craig finished up. Since I had already dueled with Craig, I continued to practice with Lupin, repeating duels, and thus ended the day’s training.