Ch.132132. At the Training Ground (2)

“Can you show me now?”

“You mean using magic in our sparring match?”

“That’s right. If possible, not just with your body but also imbued in your sword.”

I gently shook my head.

Mixing magic with swordplay during a match is quite dangerous. Magic, once formed and manifested, shows no mercy.

Siabel is a Sword Expert knight, so she would naturally react adaptively to magic. But if she somehow failed to dodge or counter it, she might end up with a rather painful experience.

For now, I shake my head slightly to give her a chance to reconsider her suggestion.

“It could be quite dangerous.”

“I thought you might say that, so I’ve made adequate preparations. No need to worry.”

Siabel raised her right hand.

On her index finger was a ring. The same ring she had once gifted to me. An expensive magical tool imbued with protective magic.

“We’re not fighting to the death, and this ring’s magic should be enough to block your magic if it happens to hit me. Well, is that sufficient?”

“…Yes.”

To think she’d bring such a precious item just to see my magic once.

It seems she had been hoping from the beginning for our aura and magic to clash together.

“Then let’s begin now.”

Siabel smiled slightly and pointed her sword at me.

I also obediently directed my training sword toward her.

Both of us held our swords in middle stance. The tips of our swords aimed at each other’s vigorously beating hearts, which pulsed with excitement before the duel.

“…Go, Ray!”

Sione’s small cheer broke the silence. She was watching our standoff with an excited expression, her fists clenched tight.

Siabel merely flashed a smirk at her sister. Sione flinched at her gaze, then turned her eyes to the side and kept staring at me.

“You still won’t cheer for me. Well, can’t be helped—”

Siabel’s aura suddenly changed.

The corners of her mouth remained upturned, but the emotion that had lingered there was long gone.

Then, as a cold light flashed in her icy eyes, her attack came rushing in.

Whoosh!

A thrusting sword.

I quickly moved my body sideways while tilting my head.

“I’m feeling a bit lonely, so I’ll just improve my mood by watching your swordplay.”

“…Aren’t you coming on too strong from the start?”

“For someone who says that, you dodged quite cleanly, didn’t you?”

“Well… I remembered that Lady Siabel usually starts duels by thrusting at the head. That’s all.”

I caught her blade on the bridge of my nose and pushed it away forcefully.

As her sword fell away in the direction I pushed, I immediately dove into her space.

The sword I had been holding in middle stance. The blade that had been aiming at her heart in a diagonal line, I raised my wrist and aimed the sharp edge at her once more.

The cold weapon approached Siabel’s slender neck.

“Oho.”

But Siabel wasn’t tense.

She was enjoying my sword path. Perhaps she hadn’t expected me to immediately aim for her neck so deeply. She seemed intrigued by the situation.

“A bold attempt.”

Clang!

The two training swords, devoid of mana, collided with a clear metallic sound.

“For your next move, it would be better to strike at a more vulnerable point.”

Siabel pushed her body forward while our swords remained locked.

The application of heavy force, likely from circulating mana, forced me to step back.

I lifted the heel of my left foot to prevent my body from being pushed back further.

Then I finally began circulating mana. Strengthening my body while quickly forming magic.

‘I’ll start with fire.’

I fully imbue the long blade with fire.

Normally, the proper method would be to infuse the blade with the heat it endured in the hot forge under the blacksmith’s hammer as it took shape. But this was just a duel. I didn’t give the rising flames too much heat.

However, just the sight of dancing flames on the sword was visually stimulating enough.

“Wow…”

Sione’s cherry-like lips parted slightly as she gasped. The red flames reflected in her blue pupils, flickering. She was so busy admiring the sword that she forgot to blink. It seemed to have stimulated her aesthetic sense.

Siabel’s eyes widened briefly when she saw the flames rising from my sword, then she smiled with deep satisfaction. The expectation that settled on her previously cold, expressionless lips made her smile radiant.

‘And next, it would be good to use wind.’

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze blew and wrapped around my body.

Perhaps sensing the sudden wind and the path of air that brushed her skin before gathering toward me, Siabel, who had been absorbed in looking at my sword, gathered her aura in her sword and straightened her fighting spirit.

“Hup!”

I exhaled sharply and stomped on the ground.

My form shot forward. In an instant, the distance between Siabel and me closed to a single step, single sword’s length.

I don’t have refined swordsmanship. But because I had experience and skill honed in real combat, there was no doubt or hesitation in my sword path.

“…Your momentum is much more impressive than what I saw on the wall.”

Siabel surrounded her sword with an even denser aura.

As soon as her defense was ready, I swung my sword.

Flames followed the path of my sword. The curtain created by the scattered flames dissipated brilliantly along the path of the gentle wind. Even though the phenomenon disappeared, the remaining warm heat would make the space feel hot.

Bang—!

A collision close to an explosion. Siabel blocked my attack while firmly gripping her handle. The impact seemed greater than expected, as she showed an even more satisfied expression.

Crackle… crackle…

Sparks flew with the sword strike over the crescent-shaped curtain. The sparks met my wind and will, blooming into flames that engulfed Siabel.

“…!”

The fire’s remnants, spread wide like a net, momentarily blocked Siabel’s vision.

Huff!

I thrust my sword through the curtain of fire without hesitation. But my attack was in vain.

Shing!

My sword and Siabel’s became entangled beyond the curtain of fire.

After entering through the curtain of fire, we pressed our swords against each other and entered a test of strength.

“How’s the combination of magic and sword?”

“…Your technique is more flashy than I expected. I never saw this on the wall.”

“Back then, I was busy shooting arrows imbued with magic. I didn’t have the luxury to imbue my sword with magic.”

“Hmm…”

After briefly looking at my sword, she raised her head and met my eyes.

Then she smiled leisurely.

“But, more than I expected—”

Siabel began pushing my sword back more forcefully.

“Your sword seems light and your magic lacks substance. Or am I mistaken?”

That this fire contained only this much heat. And that I could use wind magic not just as support but also offensively—Siabel knew this well, yet she said such things.

It was an obvious provocation. She probably wanted me to use magic more intensely.

I gripped the handle tighter to counter her pressure and replied:

“Then I’ll increase the intensity of the fire from now on.”

“Bring it on.”

My duel with Siabel continued unexpectedly longer.

* * *

“Mmm…”

Sione rubbed her eyes with her small hands. She had been admiring the sword dance of her favorite person, marveling at the harmony of sword and magic in each stroke of his blade, but that was a while ago.

The prolonged duel showed no signs of ending.

“Yaaawn…”

Sione opened her mouth wide in a yawn.

Flames flickered repeatedly… and when Ray manipulated the wind, warm air flowed even to where she sat.

Though quite fierce sword-clashing sounds could be heard, she had already adapted to this level of noise…

With the repetitive situation and the comfortable temperature of the training ground perfect for a nap, it was natural that boredom and drowsiness gradually set in.

“Hmph.”

Sione puffed her cheeks, watching Ray and her sister who were too busy sword fighting to remember her existence.

“When is this really going to end?”

She was now tired of waiting.

* * *

Finally, the duel came to an end.

While I felt fine during the exchange of swords, once the duel ended, all the accumulated fatigue hit me at once.

After putting away my sword and organizing my protective gear, I bowed my head to Siabel.

“Phew… good work.”

“You too. Your swordsmanship wasn’t bad. Let’s end it here for today.”

“Thank you.”

“But there are quite a few points that need correction. Your innate sense is excellent so they didn’t stand out much… but there were some attacks that were misaligned or lacked technique, resulting in less power.”

“…Is that so?”

She seemed to have just enjoyed the duel, but she had somehow found my shortcomings in that intense exchange. Setting aside how she identified them, it seemed she was genuinely trying to understand me, as she had promised to teach me.

Siabel nodded moderately at my response and answered:

“Yes. From now on, we should mainly practice those parts and handling magic more definitively. As for the days and times to come here… would it be alright if I send a servant to let you know by tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmm.”

Siabel crossed her arms and smiled softly.

Then the status window, which always appears when least expected, showed up.

[You have completed your first lesson with your mentor, Siabel Sianella.]

[As your duels with Siabel continue, your swordsmanship and magic imbuing abilities will increase.]

Increase in swordsmanship and magic imbuing abilities. The status window must be directly supporting the improvement of my skills through duels with Siabel.

“I should also visit the library a bit.”

“The library?”

“Yes, I’m a novice when it comes to magic. It would be better for me to know at least the basics to teach you better.”

“…”

For someone who usually swings a sword in the training ground every day to additionally study magic in the library. It seems Siabel was serious about teaching me.

“Thank you.”

“Judging by your expression, you don’t understand why I’m going this far.”

“To be honest, that’s correct.”

“Hmm… No need to think too deeply about it. The reason—”

Siabel smiled playfully, like when she teases Sione.

“If you attend classes regularly without skipping, I’ll tell you as a reward later.”

“…Pardon?”

“It would be better not to run away because it’s hard, right?”

After saying that, Siabel calmly walked over and crouched in front of Sione, who was sitting and nodding off.

Despite the fierce shouts and sword clashes that must have sounded quite brutal, being able to sleep through such loud noise is also a talent.

As I laughed at my amazing master, Siabel pulled Sione’s cheek.

Stretch—

As her cheek stretched like rice cake, Sione’s tightly closed eyelids opened.

“Uh… sis…?”

“The duel is over. We’re about to finish up and go back.”

“…Duel? Ah!”

“Sione, you were calling Ray’s name in your sleep… did you have a nightmare?”

“…?”

Sione tilted her head, not understanding her sister’s words for a moment, then her cheeks turned bright red.

“S-sis, you’re saying I called Ray in my s-sleep?”

Flustered, Sione forgot her usual formal speech and stammered.

Seeing her, Siabel shrugged and nodded nonchalantly.

“You were smiling a bit, then suddenly became gloomy. Your expressions were quite varied.”

“Ah…”

Sione looked around nervously, found me, and carefully asked:

“R-Ray… really…?”

My master, with her face flushed red, exuding an embarrassed aura.

Siabel, who had been crouching in front of her, turned her body so Sione couldn’t see her face, then subtly winked at me.

Since Sione’s reaction was quite cute and amusing, I willingly went along with Siabel’s intention.

“Yes, you did.”

“Eek… ugh…”

In the end, Sione could only hang her head low with the bursting embarrassment.

Afterward, to console Sione after she realized it was a joke, I had to spend 30 minutes carefully brushing her hair.