episode_0139

“The world has really developed a lot.”

While waiting for departure, Geomseong’s impressions while looking at the airship were like this.

“Even when I was young, I never thought that humans would fly in the sky.”

When you were young, didn’t you clash swords more often than guns?

Even a few decades ago, swordsmen who could swing their swords could do much better. Back then, there were guns and cannons, and firearms were cartridge-type, but the concept of mass production was just beginning to take hold, so the price of bullets was much higher, and so most armies preferred single-shot firearms. That was also the reason why they put cumbersome structures like ‘magazine blocking devices’ inside guns.

In modern warfare, where fighter planes fly, steam locomotives and machine guns are used, the story is different. Still, it is fortunate that the northern warlords do not operate such cutting-edge weapons.

“Even so, the great swordsmanship of the swordsman will not lose its light.”

“… … .”

Blacksmith turned his gaze to the flattery he heard from the side. The person there was, of course, Jaden.

Jaden had been looking at me as if he wanted to be introduced to Kensung by Nana Alice, but I wasn’t talking to Jaden, and Alice was angry in her own way.

I guess he was annoyed that I called Jaden “brother” before I called myself “sister.”

I wanted to say the same thing, but I decided to keep quiet because I didn’t know if Alice would explode again.

Instead, the target of the dialogue was chosen as Jaden.

“My name is Jaden Pangriffin, the commander of the Order of the Gryphon.”

“Then this side is also a prince.”

Geumseong glanced at me and said.

“I unintentionally took both of your younger sisters as my disciples.”

At those words, Jaden’s mouth opened slightly. The way Jaden was looking at me felt incredibly burdensome, so I averted my gaze.

“Is that so?”

As he spoke, a look of anticipation crossed Jaden’s face. Since he had accepted two of the Emperor’s children as his disciples, it seemed like he thought Jaden might accept him as his disciple as well.

“Looking at my brother who has grown up like this, I can tell that his skills are from the family.”

And then he looked at Alice again, and then at me. The way he looked at me and at Alice was different.

You must have felt something when you saw me training earlier. You haven’t seen Jaden’s skills yet… … But if you saw through my movements as ‘cheating’, you must be curious about Jaden’s skills as well.

By the standards of the Black Sword, that would be a hint to the riddle. Solving the riddle in that way… …was Black Sword-like in many ways.

“Hmm.”

Geumseong seemed to be lost in thought for a moment and then made a sound like this,

“The Knight Commander of the Knights Templar.”

He said with a smile on his lips.

“I want to check someday how well the Imperial Knights’ swordsmanship skills are maintained.”

A large exclamation mark appeared above Jaden’s head when he heard that. It would have been the same in a game, obviously.

“We will always welcome you with honor!”

……hmm.

And I thought as I looked at those two people.

After extracting all the information, I thought I would have to turn back time.

If those two got together, I felt like something even more annoying than calling Jayden “brother” would happen.

*

The speed of the transport ship after unloading the supplies was faster than when it was carrying them. It was not a great difference, but as expected of an airship that did not stop in the middle and was not affected by the condition or shape of the road, it was possible to arrive at the island faster than when riding a steam car or a train.

Actually, the speed of a steam locomotive in general was about 100 km/h, so the Anbi transport ship was much faster than that in absolute terms.

There wasn’t a grand welcoming ceremony when I left and arrived. Even though I was a princess, I had a lot of work to do, so it was difficult to prepare such a welcoming ceremony every time. It was the same for the real princess Alice, who was known to the world as the ‘only one related by blood’.

but,

“… … What are all those annoying things?”

Looking out the window of the slowly landing transport ship, Geomseong asked.

There were knights in white uniforms standing in a row.

There were probably about 20 people there. Some looked relatively young, while others looked older. Still, they all looked older than Geomseong.

And behind those knights, soldiers wearing regular military uniforms were waiting in line.

“Is it because there are two princesses?”

“No.”

Alice and I shook our heads at the same time. Looking at Alice’s expression, I could tell that she had something on her mind. It was probably the same thing I was thinking.

“… … Maybe, Jaden did something.”

The North and the Islands were quite far apart, but they were connected by telephone lines.

If only he had said that he was coming, it would have been possible to prepare a welcoming ceremony like this.

“Huh.”

Geomseong laughed in disbelief and then looked at me and said.

“Look at this. This is why I was hiding in the mountains.”

Perhaps this welcoming ceremony was not official, but rather something that was just thrown together by the people at this air force base and the knights who were in the system. They probably gathered together as long as it did not harm their mission.

I guessed that there would be many people who wanted to come but couldn’t.

“… … .”

As the airship got closer to the ground, the faces of the gathered knights and soldiers became more visible. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the gathered soldiers were not only privates. There were quite a few who wore dark-colored officer uniforms that contrasted with the privates’ clothing.

And among the people wearing the officer’s uniform, there was one person who looked familiar.

It was Jennifer.

Jennifer, wearing a military uniform with a design very similar to the one I was wearing, was standing proudly and looking up at us.

To put it simply, the expression on his face was one of ‘holding back laughter.’

Looking at his disciple who was so excited at the thought of teasing his master, Geomseong’s eyebrows furrowed deeply.

*

“The system is always hectic.”

“Hasn’t it been 10 years since you last came?”

“It seems like things are more hectic because of you, Jennifer.”

Jennifer, who was in the city on some academy-related business, heard that her teacher was coming and ran straight to join the welcoming ceremony.

And while he was taking his master to his room, he followed him and teased his master.

“Isn’t it you, Master, who came to such a crowded place?”

“… … .”

Whether because he had nothing to say to Jennifer’s words or because he knew that saying more would only end things, Geumseong did not respond any further.

“Where will I stay?”

Instead, he asked me that.

“… … It’s the Imperial Palace.”

Since the expression on Black Star’s face became more interesting after my answer, I quickly added.

“Please stay here temporarily for now, and we will soon provide you with a place to stay outside the palace.”

“Oh my, there is no better place for you, Master, to stay than the palace. After all your great achievements in the previous war—”

The swordsman’s capital flew straight in, but Jennifer dodged to the side.

“The plan to come and stay quietly was completely wrong.”

Geomseong stared blankly at his hand that cut through the air, then sighed deeply.

… … Um, should I say sorry?

But honestly speaking, the biggest reason why the situation is like this now is Jaden.

Even though the cause was my fault, it was all my fault that things turned out this way. If I hadn’t been so excited and told the system about the situation, at least Geomseong wouldn’t have been this angry!

“Okay, then.”

Geumseong suddenly spoke in a calm voice.

“Since I will be staying near the disciples anyway, I will teach you as best as I can.”

“… … .”

His voice and expression were much more peaceful than when he was frowning earlier—

—Is it because I’m in a mood that he looks angrier than any other expression I’ve seen on the swordsman’s face so far?

Jennifer whistled softly next to me, who was instinctively feeling something.

“You guys, we’re in big trouble.”

“… … .”

“Because the master in that state is ‘sincere’. Sylvia, be thankful. Maybe this is the chance for your swordsmanship skills to explode. ”

… … And my body will be torn apart as if caught in an explosion.

“Oh, then I have some business to attend to in our territory—”

“What do you mean?”

Even I, who can’t feel anything, felt something, so Leo, who had been practicing swordsmanship from the beginning, seemed to feel the threat to his life much more clearly.

But of course, it seemed as if Geomseong had no intention of just letting Leo go.

“How can you be the only one left out while other students are being trained? Where did your plan to spend the rest of your vacation in the same cabin as me and hone your skills go?”

And then, Geumseong looked at me and Alice with a kind smile and said.

“There must be at least one more room left in the palace, right? Isn’t it the palace?”

“… … .”

hmm.

It seems like this person is sincere.