Ch.10The Female Knight Possesses the Combat Power Equivalent to Three Tanks

“Hmm… My attendant, you say. I like that. So, what should I call you? Sir Nigel?”

“The title ‘Sir’ is too much for me. Please call me Nigel, Princess Aishan-Gioro.”

“Haschal. Call me Haschal. Aishan-Gioro is an uncomfortable surname for westerners, isn’t it?”

In truth, I’m the one who dislikes it.

Having finally escaped from there, hearing it makes me feel like I’m still bound to that place.

Nigel hesitated, looking somewhat troubled.

“If that is your command… I shall comply, Princess Haschal.”

“Drop the ‘Princess’ too.”

“…Yes. Lady Haschal.”

That’s better.

Calling each other by name made me feel like the distance between us had narrowed a bit.

I’m not the only one who feels that way, right?

Wanting to chat more with this peer I’d just met, I nodded toward a chair in the side room.

Nigel walked over with disciplined posture, silently pulled out the chair, and sat facing me.

“Come to think of it, both the Marquis and you seem quite fluent in the eastern language?”

“The Marquis once told me it would be beneficial to learn the eastern language.”

“Really? I’m curious about the reason.”

Nigel pressed his lips together before continuing hesitantly.

His brown eyes slightly avoided my gaze.

“Well… it might be a reason that Lady Haschal would find unpleasant to hear…”

“It doesn’t matter. Tell me.”

I crossed my arms and urged him on.

“Well… if you know the enemy’s language, you can understand what their commanders are shouting and respond faster, and if you understand their culture, you can exploit their weaknesses, making them easier to kill…”

That’s a much more brutal reason than I expected.

“…That’s certainly an awkward reason. Though, for such reasoning, Sean couldn’t understand a single word.”

“You mean Sir Sean? I heard that he has filled his mind with so much experience and knowledge over the years that there’s no room left in his brain for the eastern language.”

Isn’t that just saying he’s too old to learn a foreign language?

That old man sure knows how to sugarcoat things.

“Also, he said, ‘If you have enough strength, your head doesn’t need to work hard—'”

“Alright, I get it. Let’s stop here for Sir Sean’s honor.”

Because my mental image of Sean is about to change from a dignified middle-aged knight to a sly, bald muscle-head.

Not understanding my implied meaning, Nigel tilted his head.

He doesn’t seem to realize he’s essentially trash-talking his superior.

“So, how long will you be my attendant? For the next four days? Or will you continue to follow me to the academy?”

Personally, I’d prefer if he kept following me.

Having an attendant is convenient. I can ask about things I don’t know and pass off annoying tasks.

Plus, he’s quite good-looking.

“Unless the Marquis orders me to return, I will continue to attend to you until you graduate from Remnant Academy. Special admission students at Remnant Academy are permitted to bring one escort.”

I didn’t know that.

So that’s why foreign characters always had someone following them around like wallpaper.

An escort. In a way, it contradicts the academy’s founding purpose.

But I suppose if a hostage kept for peace suddenly died, the Empire would be in quite a predicament.

There were actually people who tried to use this to cause conflicts.

“So what am I supposed to do now? There are still four days until the Imperial reply arrives.”

“The Marquis instructed me to teach you Imperial common knowledge and language during this time, if you don’t object.”

“Imperial common knowledge and language, I like that.”

“Yes. The Marquis will be pleased.”

It wouldn’t hurt to learn. There’s probably quite a bit I don’t know.

And I don’t know any Imperial language at all.

“Ah, and if you agree, he asked me to give you this gift.”

“Gift?”

Nigel discreetly produced a round necklace with a purple gemstone embedded in it.

“Yes. It’s a necklace inscribed with a translation spell that lasts about three months. It will help you learn the Imperial language.”

“Translation spell? Those make your head quite dizzy, which is rather unpleasant.”

Surprised by my words, Nigel’s eyes widened.

“Mana Resistance, and at such a high level…!”

Ah, so that dizziness wasn’t a common reaction.

I thought it was a side effect that came with translation spells.

But more importantly, if I hadn’t said I’d study the Imperial language, they wouldn’t have given me this necklace, right?

That’s quite an explicit warning.

If I want proper support, I need to show active efforts to assimilate into the Empire.

“—I apologize. If you have an adverse reaction to translation spells, I’m afraid I cannot recommend using this necklace.”

“I see. Then how long does it usually take to learn the Imperial language without a translation spell?”

“Um… could you wait a moment?”

Seeing that he couldn’t answer immediately, it seems such cases were rare.

“Let’s see, that would be about… nine months…?”

Nigel tapped his palm with his fingers while muttering, then nodded.

“Nine months. Yes. It typically takes about 9 months.”

Nine months.

“And with the translation spell?”

“Two weeks is sufficient.”

“Let’s just use it.”

Rather than living as a barbarian who can’t properly speak for 9 months, I’ll just endure it.

—-

I placed the necklace Nigel gave me beside the bed.

“So we start now?”

“No. I haven’t prepared teaching materials today, and we have another schedule, so I plan to start teaching you the Imperial language tomorrow.”

“Another schedule?”

Did we have something else to do?

Nigel stood up.

“Nothing special, just a sparring match with me.”

What?

So he’s saying he’s going to beat me up now?

“Sparring? That’s a bit sudden.”

“This is also the Marquis’s order. Even for special admission, Remnant Academy requires skills befitting its standards.”

“…It may not be something to boast about to you, but I think Lord Ludwig has heard of my exploits. Is verification really necessary?”

I should be quite infamous.

Even though I haven’t messed with the Empire yet, Sean was shocked when he heard my name.

The Whore of Ka’har, wasn’t it? Quite an unpleasant nickname.

“…It’s the Marquis’s will, so it’s not for me to judge.”

Are you my subordinate or the Marquis’s?

Ah right, you’re the Marquis’s.

I reluctantly stood up.

“Since I’m living off his hospitality, I have no choice. Fine, let’s go fight.”

“Yes. I’ll guide you to the training hall.”

Nigel bowed lightly before leading the way.

His coat tails fluttered behind him with his confident stride.

You seem a bit excited?

Or is that just my imagination?

—-

Contrary to my expectation that we’d head outside, Nigel led me to a spacious area inside the castle.

High walls about three times my height surrounded all sides, and warm afternoon sunlight poured through the open ceiling.

Weapons arranged on one wall gleamed in the sunlight.

“Even though we’re inside the castle, the floor here is just dirt.”

“Stone floors tend to break easily during sparring, so it’s better to have dirt laid down.”

I walked into the training hall with Nigel.

Only the sound of our footsteps echoed quietly.

“For what you called a training hall, there’s no one else here. Did you clear it out on purpose?”

“No. This is the Landenburg family’s private training hall, a space reserved only for the head of the family and his successor. The knights are probably training at the outdoor training ground across from the castle.”

A space exclusively for the family head and successor?

That’s quite intimidating.

“I’m not sure if we should be using such a place.”

“It’s a courtesy extended by the Marquis. The outdoor training ground would attract too much attention, wouldn’t it?”

Is that so?

Well, then I don’t need to worry about it.

“Speaking of successors, what are Lord Ludwig’s children like? I haven’t encountered them since coming here.”

“The Marquis has no children.”

That’s unexpected. Don’t nobles usually have multiple wives or children?

Especially high nobles like a marquis.

“Isn’t that strange? At his age, he should normally have a child or two. He needs to continue the family line.”

“Both of them died in battle.”

Shit.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

The sunlight no longer felt warm.

“Uh… that’s unfortunate. But you know, there’s a saying that you can always have more children? With the Marquis’s wife—”

“His wife took her own life.”

Why are you doing this to me?

Nigel’s eyes, which I glanced at, had already hardened like fossils on display.

I shouldn’t have asked. If we spar now, I’ll probably end up buried in the ground like a dinosaur.

Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Nigel turned to me.

“…You wouldn’t have known, Lady Haschal, so please don’t worry about it. However, it would be better not to mention them in front of the Marquis. From what I’ve heard, it was the Ka’har who killed his sons.”

That makes me worry ten times more.

Our tribe completely destroyed the Marquis’s family?

Am I going to be found dead in my sleep or something?

—-

Nigel walked to the end of the training hall and picked up two wooden swords from the wall.

“Wooden swords?”

That’s a relief. With wooden swords, we won’t get seriously injured.

“Ah! How rude of me. I apologize. I’ll correct this immediately.”

Nigel suddenly put the wooden swords back down and moved to the side.

Wait, what was rude?

Whatever it is, don’t correct it.

An ominous feeling ran down my spine.

“I sincerely apologize for my rudeness. I was taught that the Ka’har are a warrior people where even children wield swords. Unless in a master-disciple relationship, they consider it both respect and honor to fight with their lives at stake, even in sparring.”

Then, Nigel drew two longswords.

The sharp blades gleamed menacingly.

So you were planning to kill me after all!

“Offering a wooden sword to such a person would be an insult, treating them like an infant. Though this culture is somewhat unfamiliar to me… I too will face you with all my strength, with the same heart as a knight facing an enemy.”

Damn the Ka’har. Are they going to hold me back even here?

Feeling like livestock being led to slaughter, I took the longsword Nigel offered.

Well, whatever. It’ll work out somehow.

I’m counting on you, Haschal’s body!

“Then…”

Nigel stepped back a few paces and raised his longsword to his face in a knight’s salute.

…Yes. That does look cool.

I just gripped the sword somehow, staring blankly at Nigel.

Yes, he said sparring, so surely I won’t die.

That was a naive thought.

“The tenth sword of Landenburg, shield of the Empire. Nigel.”

Suddenly, his aura transformed.

His eyes, filled with hostility, glared at me fiercely.

Turning his body sideways, he raised his sword horizontally, aiming at my neck.

“—Here I come.”

With that quiet voice, a chilling killing intent swirled around us.