Chapter 16: Swordsmanship Competition Part 3
by fnovelpia
Lenz School was bustling with people.
Lenz School, founded by the Sword King Lenz, was established to train knights.
Over time, it shifted toward producing elites in various fields, but its roots remained in knighthood.
Built over 900 years ago, Lenz School holds a traditional swordsmanship tournament once a year.
The student who wins the tournament enjoys the honor of immediately becoming a royal knight.
Most knights who made history in battles were former tournament winners.
In modern times, it changed to early graduation and direct entry into the royal guard.
The number of events was reduced to one.
In the early days, they competed in horseback riding, archery, spear techniques, and sword defense, but now it’s only swordsmanship.
***
“Is this really okay? Eli, you can still forfeit!”
The waiting room for competitors.
Daisy fussed beside her.
“This is a swordsmanship tournament. If you don’t acknowledge a big injury or defeat, they’ll keep going until you’re hurt!”
“I know.”
“Then you should forfeit now. Simond is really going to… torment you.”
“She’s right, Eli… You’re strong, but he’s a third-year and takes knight training classes.”
“He won’t go easy on you just because you’re a girl.”
Her friends each chimed in, urging Elizabeth to forfeit.
They were good friends.
But Elizabeth shook her head and tended to her sword.
It was a blunt practice sword.
“Sorry. I’m going to fight. And I’m going to win.”
There was no retreat now that she had come this far.
Elizabeth’s determined will left her friends unable to argue further.
***
“Next competitors! Second-year Class A, Elizabeth Valentine, and Third-year Class A, Simond Valdeck. Please enter the arena.”
She heard the announcement calling her.
Elizabeth waved to her friends and headed toward the arena.
“I’m going.”
“We’ll definitely cheer for you…!”
“Don’t you dare lose!”
“We’re on your side!”
***
She stepped into the arena.
The arena was a circular dirt ground.
The audience seats were built in tiers surrounding it.
Simond entered from the opposite side.
Waaaah!
The spectators erupted into cheers at the arrival of the competitors.
A small girl against a large man—a stark physical contrast.
Female vs. male.
The clear underdog battle always drew attention.
With the added backstory between Elizabeth and Beatrice, the excitement was undeniable.
The intense atmosphere filled the wide arena.
Their cheers pounded against her chest.
***
But Elizabeth calmly scanned the crowd.
Her friends were in the front row.
They weren’t who she was looking for.
‘…There he is.’
Leo was seated somewhere in the middle.
At that moment, her heart, quiet despite the crowd, began to beat furiously.
Her muscles tensed and her nerves sharpened.
Daughter, stay strong.
It was too far, and too loud, for her father’s voice to be heard.
But she could tell what he said just by the shape of his mouth as he clenched his fist.
“Yes, I’ll be strong.”
Elizabeth nodded.
She drew her sword and turned to face Simond.
He was smirking arrogantly.
***
“Don’t be too scared. I’ll end it quickly.”
“We’ll see.”
That was the end of their exchange.
The referee explained the rules.
No eye-gouging, no groin attacks, no hitting the back of the head.
If a competitor becomes unable to continue or surrenders, they lose.
***
“Then, begin!”
The referee raised the flag to signal the start.
***
“Come on.”
Simond smirked, spreading his arms as he approached.
“Let’s see those fancy skills of yours.”
Simond was already convinced of his victory.
Elizabeth watched Simond with cold eyes.
His arrogant posture reminded her of her past self.
She once got cocky with her dad and was taken down in a single move.
Simond is big. But smaller than Dad.
And his presence is even smaller.
***
‘When you fight, just trust your sword. Don’t doubt it—just thrust it.’
Her father’s voice seemed to echo faintly.
Elizabeth did just that.
She trusted her sword and struck.
***
Clang!
“!!”
Simond, hastily blocking Elizabeth’s sword, looked startled.
It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t strong either.
But it was tricky.
The reason was timing.
She attacked at the exact moment that disrupted Simond’s breathing rhythm.
***
Elizabeth moved to Simond’s flank with precise steps.
She added a shoulder rotation and slashed strongly.
Not a downward strike, but a slicing motion—shwaaak.
Simond regained his rhythm and countered.
His strike grazed Elizabeth’s head. She had ducked to avoid it.
In that position, she slipped under his armpit and struck his side.
***
Thud!
A dull practice sword hit his ribs, and a groan escaped him.
‘W-What is this?’
Simond, who thought it would be an easy win, got scared after one hit.
He looked into Elizabeth’s eyes.
Unlike his own fearful ones, hers were completely calm.
Elizabeth gripped her sword tighter and closed in.
The swordsmanship Elizabeth learned from Leo wasn’t anything special.
She simply improved through realistic and frequent sparring.
She never once beat Leo, but each defeat became her strength.
Clang! Ting! Crack!
Simond tried to leverage his only advantage—his strength.
If nothing else, he was stronger than Elizabeth.
But even that didn’t work.
Elizabeth’s constant sparring partner was Leo.
Leo didn’t go easy just because she was his daughter.
He knocked her down and disarmed her with brute force.
Taking repeated beatings, she had no choice but to learn how to counter it.
Clack, creak.
Simond slammed down hard.
Elizabeth tilted her sword and deflected it—effortlessly.
Her blonde hair swayed with her smooth movements.
“…What the hell is this!”
Simond gradually lost his composure.
Everyone experiences defeat, but to lose to a younger female junior was humiliating.
The crowd roared at the overwhelming upset from the underdog.
Simond’s friends covered their faces or bowed their heads in shame.
His younger sister, Beatrice, watched quietly.
Everyone expected Simond’s defeat.
He couldn’t lose like this.
He had to win.
The right amount of pain exploded into adrenaline.
And shattered his reason.
Simond stomped forward and slammed his full body weight into his sword.
It was a momentum unlike before.
It was as if his anger had turned into the sword itself.
“Whoa?!”
“What the heck is he doing?!”
The blade may have been dull, but it was still steel—no different from a hammer.
If that hit directly, even an adult wouldn’t be safe.
Let alone a fifteen-year-old girl—her head wouldn’t survive.
Whoosh—!
The blade, packed with murderous intent, came crashing down.
But Elizabeth was ready.
She gripped her sword with both hands and raised it above her head in a half-swording stance.
Creakkkk!
The blade clashed and scraped with a sharp metallic shriek.
Elizabeth slightly bent her knees, took a breath, and gently leaned back, using the recoil to redirect Simond’s power.
Power cannot defeat technique.
Simond gritted his teeth and pushed on, but the balance was already tipping in Elizabeth’s favor.
At that moment, Elizabeth twisted her sword into a rotation.
Thud!
The pommel of her sword struck Simond’s temple dead-on.
His brain rattled, and he dropped his sword and collapsed.
The referee, rushing over, blinked in surprise…
“Pat, pat. You worked hard. It’s enough that you did your best, okay?”
“…Yes.”
“Let’s eat something delicious today. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Eating out with Dad.”
Nod.
Elizabeth, her nose red, nodded shyly.
It was then.
Bea——trice approached.
Elizabeth, as if she had never cried, responded with a blank expression.
“…Elizabeth.”
She spoke in a timid voice.
“Beatrice?”
“…Sorry. My brother left first.”
Simond, who had lost to Elizabeth, was supposed to apologize.
But he ran away.
“Then why did you come?”
“Because someone has to apologize…”
“You?”
Elizabeth couldn’t understand.
Sure, Beatrice had done wrong, but that was in the past and it was already over.
She had no reason to apologize now.
“Father, I’m really sorry.”
All of a sudden, Beatrice bowed deeply to Leo in front of everyone.
So deeply that the top of her head showed.
“…Back then, I said terrible things. I’m sorry. I was jealous of Elizabeth. So… so, I’m really sorry.”
Beatrice didn’t lift her head.
“You can raise your head.”
Only after Leo said that did Beatrice lift her head.
Her eyes were brimming with tears.
“You’re still young. Of course, being young doesn’t mean you’re blameless. But what matters is whether you truly regret it. And I believe you do. That’s enough for me.”
“…Thank you.”
Beatrice sniffled and turned to look at Elizabeth.
“…I’m sorry to you too, Elizabeth. Because of me, your father…”
“Did your brother put you up to this?”
Elizabeth looked at Beatrice with an unreadable expression.
“No! It’s not that. I just… I just felt bad about what I said back then, and I wanted to apologize…”
“Okay.”
“…Huh?”
“I accept your apology.”
Elizabeth said that and walked past Beatrice.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Tom— tomorrow?”
“At school. Were you planning to pretend not to see me?”
Elizabeth gave a refreshing smile.
After parting with Beatrice, a sense of fulfillment welled up inside her.
***
“Valentine.”
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to them.
“Hildegarde.”
When Leo said the name, she tipped her military cap in greeting.
A dozen soldiers stood behind her.
“You watched the swordsmanship competition too?”
Given the age difference, Leo spoke casually.
“I came as part of the event’s security detail. Thanks to that, I saw a wonderful match. It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth Valentine.”
Hildegard looked at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth calmly looked up at Hildegard.
“Hello. Nice to meet you.”
Her tone was even stiffer than that of the soldier.
Hildegard glanced at Leo in slight confusion.
Leo shrugged.
“She’s in a bad mood. She lost by a close margin.”
“Even so, that’s quite an accomplishment. Her opponent was the Captain of the Guard’s prized student. It’s unfortunate you lost, but don’t be too sad, Miss Valentine. You were remarkable.”
“…Thank you.”
The conversation fell into an awkward silence.
After a moment, Hildegard checked her pocket watch and spoke.
“We’ll be heading out now.”
“Alright, take care.”
Still on duty, Hildegard left with her soldiers.
***
“She’s a woman.”
“Yeah.”
Elizabeth quietly stared at Hildegard’s back and then turned her head away.
The good mood she had felt plummeted.
She was on her way to have dinner with her dad, feeling good— and she had to show up.
A tall, fairly attractive female soldier.
Swish.
“We used to walk holding hands all the time.”
Leo gently took Elizabeth’s hand for the first time in a long while.
Flinch— Elizabeth’s shoulders trembled.
Her ears, visible between strands of blonde hair, turned red.
Her gloomy mood lifted again.
Yeah, it’s been a while since she had dinner with her dad.
They were walking for a while.
Then Leo suddenly stopped.
A sound of someone getting beaten up came from not far away.
“Dad?”
“Wait here.”
Leo let go of her hand and headed toward the sound.
Elizabeth, rubbing her now-empty palm, followed behind.
They passed through a rough alley. The dull thudding grew louder.
Soon, the scene of violence came into view.
Several men were mercilessly beating up a young girl.
To the point it seemed like she might die if no one stopped them.
“Ellie, stay back.”
Leo spoke.
His voice was cold.
“I’ll stay here.”
Elizabeth watched from a few steps behind.
Close enough to jump in if something happened.
***
“What the hell? Who are you?”
“Listen, old man. If you don’t wanna get hurt, just walk away.”
The men growled threateningly.
“I’ll leave if you let her go.”
Leo pointed to the girl crumpled among them.
Her face was swollen and bruised all over.
“Just scram. We’re beating her legally. She borrowed money and didn’t pay it back.”
“Yeah. She owes us over ten million Hertz.”
The girl shouted,
“No! I only borrowed 700,000 Hertz a month ago!”
“Are you stupid or what? You ever heard of interest?”
“But how could the interest be that high…!”
“Shut it.”
One man grabbed the girl by the hair and yanked her head up.
“Got it now? We’re just here to collect our loan. It’s none of your business, so buzz off.”
***
Leo had no intention of just leaving.
He wasn’t exactly kind, but he had enough conscience not to ignore trash like this.
He walked toward the men.
And in an instant,
he struck their throats.
Before they could react, three men dropped like puppets with cut strings.
“Huh?”
The girl let out a dumbfounded sound.
***
Leo walked up to her and knelt on one knee to meet her eye level.
“Can you stand?”
“Yes, just—ugh!”
She couldn’t. Her leg must have been hurt.
“Let me take a look.”
Leo gently touched her ankle.
It was swollen.
“Looks like standing won’t be easy. I’ll carry you to the hospital.”
“What? No, it’s fine! I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not. Just stay still. I’ll carry you for a bit.”
Leo hoisted the girl onto his back.
Startled, the girl clung to his neck.
Then, calming down, she held on tighter.
Her cheek rubbed against Leo’s neck and jaw.
Elizabeth blankly watched the scene, her eyes dull.
“…Let’s go, Ellie.”
“To the hospital?”
“…Yeah.”
It takes 30 minutes to get to the hospital from here.
Are we really going?
Then what about dinner?
Elizabeth wanted to ask,
but held it in.
Because a good and pretty daughter doesn’t say things like that.
***
They went to the hospital.
“Sophie, huh? That’s a pretty name.”
“R-Really? Thank you…”
“Oh dear, your pretty face is all messed up. Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“I’m okay… hehe.”
Elizabeth walked a few steps behind.
Her father, laughing and chatting with a girl he didn’t even know, paid no attention to her.
The girl on his back smiled like a fool and hugged his neck tighter.
She kept glancing back at Elizabeth.
Her eyes unreadable.
Then she turned forward again and went back to chatting with Dad.
Grit.
Elizabeth clenched her teeth.
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