Ch.14This Kid Is Really Kind-Hearted, But…

“The visible wounds have almost completely healed. You can start removing the bandages except for those on your shoulder and leg.”

The middle-aged priestess who was examining the condition of my leg nodded with a reassuring smile.

Despite her attempt at reassurance, her exhaustion-darkened eyes and the vertical scar across her lips didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Her pristine white priestly robe had dark red stains scattered across it, as if she hadn’t even had time to wash it.

The holy symbol hanging from the white cloth wrapped around the priestess’s forehead swayed gently, gleaming crimson.

It was a golden ornament with two semicircles of different sizes joined together vertically.

This was the symbol of Saulite, goddess of sun and life, one of the eleven deities.

I nodded gratefully for my improved condition.

It had been two days since I was confined to this sickbed, looking like a torn rag.

After two rounds of healing blessings, my outer appearance had been more or less restored.

The recovery speed was absurd.

It far exceeded the normal capabilities of blessings.

A military chaplain, was she?

She was clearly no ordinary priestess but seemed to be of bishop rank.

Well, healing injuries of this severity so quickly would be impossible for an ordinary priestess.

She must be the highest-ranking among the margrave’s military chaplains, or something like that.

“However, that sort of thing is forbidden.”

The priestess shook her head, pointing at the bed across from mine.

Nigel was doing push-ups while in a handstand position, using just one arm.

Beads of sweat ran down her chin and gathered on her forehead, dripping to the floor with each bend of her arm, forming small puddles.

Her swollen arm muscles trembled violently, as if cursing their owner.

Her heated body released wisps of white steam.

The humid, warm air reached all the way to where I was.

It was impossible to believe this was the same person who had struggled to move just days ago.

Are all imperial knights such monsters?

She had torn off her bandages after just one day and had been doing this since yesterday.

Unlike me, with the combined effects of priestly blessings and potions, she had recovered enough in just one day to perform such feats.

Lord Landenburg, who had briefly visited yesterday, was also dumbfounded by this sight.

He looked like he wanted to say something but gave up, sighing and pressing his lips together tightly, which was quite amusing.

Nigel probably contributed significantly to the deep furrows between the lord’s brows.

“The wounds haven’t even completely healed yet… but then again, it’s not the first time Lady Nigel has done this, and there’s no use trying to stop her.”

Nigel continued her push-ups diligently, apparently oblivious to the priestess’s disapproving gaze.

I wasn’t sure whether to call this soldierly perseverance or just stubborn obliviousness.

Well, many soldiers do have that kind of personality.

Not bad people, quite capable individually, but too serious about everything and rigidly adhering to their principles.

The type that exhausts you physically if they’re your superior and mentally if they’re your subordinate—frankly, frustratingly inflexible.

Nigel was exactly that type.

So I was going to have my mind worn out.

I let out a long sigh internally.

The future looked bleak, like a new recruit’s military life.

…I suppose I should be grateful that she at least follows orders well when commanded by a superior.

—-

I removed the bandages and moved my stiff jaw around. Good. It moves well.

My severed ear area had grown new flesh and looked fine on the outside, but when I pressed it with my finger, it sank in alarmingly, suggesting it wasn’t fully healed inside.

I supposed my torn left shoulder and gouged right leg were in a similar state.

I recalled the advice the priestess had given before leaving.

Unlike cuts or fractures where the severed surfaces just need to be rejoined, regenerating completely lost body parts takes more time.

Walking would still be difficult in this condition.

“Are you feeling better, Lord Haschal?”

Nigel, having finished her exercise, approached me while wiping her sweat-soaked body with a towel.

“Better than yesterday. Much better than the day before when I was practically a corpse. Quite fortunate, isn’t it?”

I was slightly annoyed that Nigel was freely exercising while I still had to lie in bed.

I subtly mocked her, implying she should be relieved that the person who nearly died because of her misunderstanding was recovering.

“Indeed. Your injuries could have significantly delayed our response to the imperial summons.”

She doesn’t get it.

Nigel nodded with relief.

The kid is certainly diligent, but I’m at a loss for words…

“Then I believe you can start studying the imperial language right away. I almost failed to keep my promise to you, Lord Haschal, but as you said, it’s fortunate indeed.”

Ah, right. I did have to do that.

I don’t want to…

Having to study a foreign language I’ve never heard before in this physical condition.

My head was already starting to ache.

But I suppose I have to.

It’s necessary if I don’t want to be called an uncivilized barbarian who can’t even speak properly.

“Fine, bring the materials…”

I answered in a weak, mumbling voice.

The burden of civilization is too heavy…!

—-

The two days of lessons were quite harsh.

I had to pay the price for neglecting foreign language studies in my childhood.

—-

On the morning of the fourth day, my condition had finally recovered reasonably well.

When I removed the bandages and rotated my shoulder, it felt a bit stiff but moved without any major issues.

This should be enough for daily activities, even if combat might still be difficult.

Nigel had apparently recovered completely, already changed into new clothes and standing guard beside me.

She wore a crimson coat with pauldrons and breastplate like before, but with several additional pieces of armor.

Steel plates covered from her wrists to her elbows, and two metal skirt plates gently weighed down the coat tails on either side of her waist.

The breastplate had also been reinforced with additional metal plates to protect her abdomen and lower neck.

…It seems like she specifically reinforced the areas where I had injured her. Must be my imagination?

While I was staring at her with an inexplicable uneasiness, Nigel tilted her head.

“Lord Haschal? Do you need something?”

“What’s with that armor? It’s different from before.”

“Ah, the armor I wore then was light training armor. It was severely damaged and discarded. This is my regular armor.”

“So that was training armor. I thought the protected areas seemed rather limited.”

Just the shoulders and chest were metal.

“About that time… may I ask you something?”

“You don’t need to be so formal. You were quite blunt with me back then, weren’t you?”

And with quite a fierce tone, too. As if you’d suddenly become a different person.

“I apologize if I offended you.”

Nigel bowed her head and explained.

“I am your attendant now, but at that time, I was a knight facing an enemy.”

“You have a peculiar personality, almost excessively earnest. Fine. Ask away.”

I’m not sure what she’s hesitating to ask, but I have no reason not to answer if it’s something I know.

“Where did you learn imperial swordsmanship?”

“Imperial swordsmanship?”

“When your sword broke, you countered my thrust by deflecting it. Using the long ricasso to entangle and redirect the opponent’s attack—it was a bit clumsy, but unmistakably the formal swordsmanship of the imperial knights.”

I did indeed do something like that during the fight. But I don’t really know how I did it.

I had just accepted it as something that happened, but of course she would ask about that.

“I gave you a longsword for our duel since you carried one, but I’ve heard that Ka’har primarily use curved blades with short ricassos. This means they don’t typically use ricasso techniques… I’ve heard your mother was from the Empire, but was she perhaps a knight?”

Well…?

I should ask Orhan about that?

I couldn’t answer hastily.

Haschal’s mother, Imelia was it?

If I answer that she was a knight but she actually wasn’t, or vice versa, it could be problematic.

Which could it be?

It seems unlikely she learned it from her knight mother, as Nigel pointed out the movements were somewhat clumsy.

But it’s also odd to definitively say she wasn’t a knight, considering Haschal chose to use an imperial longsword instead of a Ka’har blade.

Either way, giving the wrong answer would be troublesome.

Nigel might mention today’s conversation to Lord Landenburg later.

And if that information is incorrect, it could cause problems.

Though they spoke in the imperial language to keep me from understanding, Lord Landenburg and Sean seemed to know Imelia.

Due to the eventful aftermath, I don’t remember exactly what they said at the time.

No one in the world would give a wrong answer about their mother’s profession, so Lord Landenburg would think I was lying.

After that, he would continue to wonder why I had lied.

But since the premise of lying is mistaken to begin with, no amount of thinking would lead to a proper answer.

In the end, unnecessary suspicions would just snowball.

…It’s better to plead ignorance here.

Rather than answering as if I know and being proven wrong, which would arouse suspicion, it’s better to claim ignorance from the start.

“I don’t know if my mother was a knight. She never wielded a sword in front of me.”

“Is that so? Then how did you learn imperial swordsmanship—”

“I just copied what I saw you doing.”

That’s not entirely a lie.

Every night in the hospital bed, I recalled and reviewed the swordsmanship Nigel had demonstrated.

I could probably imitate a move or two by now.

So in a way, I did learn by watching Nigel’s swordsmanship.

“It’s not a simple technique that can be performed after seeing it just once… It seems you have exceptional talent for imperial swordsmanship as well, Lord Haschal.”

“Really? Maybe I should learn it properly sometime. Though I doubt there’s an imperial knight willing to teach swordsmanship to a Ka’har.”

I casually dropped the hint.

Given Nigel’s personality, she should give me the answer I want, right?

“If you wish, I could teach you when time permits. We would need Lord Landenburg’s permission first, but I don’t think he would object.”

“Good. Let’s do that.”

Just as expected.

Our Nigel is so kind.

I recalled again how Nigel wielded her sword.

Learning it would definitely be helpful.

Relying entirely on Haschal’s instincts was too dangerous.

That ferocious impulse that burns away all reason, disregarding the body and raging until nothing but ashes remain.

It was like putting a thin leash on a fierce wolf and commanding it with a whip.

One small misstep and it could take my life instead. While I might have no choice in truly dangerous situations, I wanted to avoid such instances if possible.

In fact, it urged me to keep fighting even when I was injured to the brink of death.

In that sense, Nigel’s swordsmanship was ideal.

It prioritized defending oneself, using the longsword to its fullest to deflect enemy attacks and counter with precise techniques.

Though my attack eventually broke through, that was only because I relied on Haschal’s instincts.

Since I myself didn’t even know the basics of swordsmanship, I was completely outmaneuvered.

“Shall we return to your quarters soon? The imperial response should arrive today, so it would be good to prepare for departure to the island.”

“As for preparations, I didn’t bring much besides weapons and a few valuable ornaments.”

Come to think of it, what should I bring to the academy?

Lord Landenburg said he would provide support, so I suppose he’ll take care of that?