Ch.151EP.37 – The Knight Grew to Hate the Ball (6)

“Kunta, I have a question!”

“What is it that you’re curious about?”

“Why are the Sultan and the mage coming to meet the mage chick? Is there some reason behind it?”

“Hmm, this is just my guess, but I think in the case of the Tower Master, he probably wants to confirm if Her Highness’s talent lives up to the rumors.”

“Why would he want to confirm that?”

“He probably wants to take Her Highness to the magic tower.”

“Why?”

“The magic tower is always like that. They want talented mages to be under their command. I think it’s a kind of trophy for them.”

“…That’s a sinister reason. I understand why the instructor hates mages.”

“Well, is the instructor just at the level of disliking them? He treats them almost like pests that need to be exterminated.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Arno and Garand often helped satisfy Kunta’s curiosity.

After frequent sparring and training sessions, this kind of relationship had naturally developed between them.

“Then why is the ‘Lord of the Desert’ coming?”

“Lord of the Desert? Oh, you mean the Sultan?”

“The Sultan… He’s probably coveting the princess’s abilities themselves. Water magic has always been highly valued in the west, and in that sense, Irene Princess’s magic, which can make rivers surge, would be coveted not only by the Sultan but by the entire western region.”

In the west, where water sources are limited, Irene’s magic that can call rain and even discover hidden underground water veins is truly like a miracle from the gods.

If he could just take her away, it would strengthen the Sultan’s authority and power base even further.

“Hmm, so they need trophies too!”

“That’s right.”

“But it won’t be easy. That young lady has none other than the Duke of the Magic Sword behind her. Our old man says that if the Duke of the Magic Sword is determined, he could burn the entire western region, so I wonder if those creatures have the courage to upset such a terrifying person.”

“…The chick’s father is scary.”

“He’s beyond just scary.”

Looking at it this way, the actions of the Sultan and the Tower Master seem like recklessness at first glance.

Like moths to a flame.

“Hmm, my head hurts.”

The Barbarian was starting to feel his head getting hot from his friends’ explanations.

He thought it might be the harmful effect of receiving too much information at once.

“We haven’t said much though. Is this a weakness of Barbarians?”

“I don’t think so. He only uses his brain for physical activities. The Barbarian in our mercenary group is smart enough to be in charge of accounting.”

“…So Barbarians have individual differences too. By the way, a Barbarian accountant? I’d like to meet him.”

“Hehe, I’ll invite you sometime if there’s a chance.”

Their conversation had ended, and they were about to resume training.

After the [Sacrifice Barrier] was deployed, a training fever had swept through the Swordsmanship Department, and even top-tier skilled individuals like them had to do their best not to fall behind.

However.

“…By the way.”

“Is there something else you’re curious about?”

“Yeah, it’s not something else, but what is the instructor doing right now?”

“……”

“Is he practicing some new joint technique or striking technique? It looks a bit unusual.”

“…Hmm.”

At Kunta’s comment, their gazes shifted slightly to the instructor, and they simultaneously witnessed it.

Crack!

Smash!

…The sight of already more than ten heavy sand dummies being utterly destroyed.

“Sigh, this is quite difficult.”

It was rare to see the instructor expressing difficulty and looking troubled, and the two students were dumbfounded.

“To think that’s dance practice…”

“We should offer condolences to his dance partner in advance.”

Dance.

The instructor was showing reluctance to learn what is commonly called social dancing, and the reason for his difficulty was none other than…

CRASH!

…He kept using techniques on his dance partner.

And not just any techniques, but brutal ones that could be called killing techniques without exaggeration.

“To think that’s instinct… How savage.”

“It’s not just savage, it’s scary, really scary.”

Murder dance.

The instructor’s dance moves, which were literally creating steps of death, sent chills down their spines.

CRACK!

The dummy’s waist was completely broken.

* * *

“Geez, there’s more to prepare than I thought.”

Ihan grumbled.

Unexpectedly, an easy opportunity to see the Tower Master’s spellcaster had come, but to make contact, he also had to attend the party.

Sneaking in would be one option, but Ihan decided to take the orthodox approach first.

Not because he was being cautious about the magic tower.

– Please, Master…

He couldn’t resist the desperate look in Levi’s eyes as she pleaded with her hands clasped together.

‘Where did she learn such a deadly technique?’

She had learned it well.

Her hand gestures, eye expressions, and even body language all stimulated sympathy, and amplified her sad atmosphere to the point where Ihan had to give up acting recklessly.

And now, having decided to take the orthodox approach, Ihan was learning party etiquette and culture.

However, contrary to his decision to learn…

“Party food is basically not meant to be touched. It’s not made to be eaten, but just to be looked at and enjoyed.”

“…Why waste food like that?”

The problem was that there were obstacles from the start.

Ihan was furious.

Playing with food was one of his top five most hated behaviors.

Levi, who was teaching party etiquette and culture, quickly added with sweat dripping:

“B-but the food is all taken away and eaten by the servants, so it’s not wasted.”

“Of course it should be.”

“Also, even if you need a drink, raising your hand is not gentlemanly or ladylike behavior, so you have to wait until someone serving drinks approaches you.”

“……”

“And when using a cup, your hand gestures should be like this.”

“…I’m going to faint.”

Ihan felt increasingly dizzy the more he heard.

‘If I had known it would be like this, should I have learned when Jake offered to teach me?’

He was also a knight after all.

He was in a position where he should have learned the basic culture of nobility, but Ihan preferred to lift a dumbbell one more time rather than learn such things, which is why he didn’t know anything about noble etiquette.

Even dancing was something he was learning for the first time, so he was experiencing various difficulties.

“…I didn’t know learning to dance would be this hard.”

“Instructor, I don’t think it’s that the dance is difficult, but rather that you’re not good at controlling your strength?”

“I’m confident in controlling my strength. The problem is that when there’s a person in front of me, I instinctively try to knock them down or intimidate them.”

“…That’s an excellent attitude for a knight, but unfortunate for your partner.”

Levi clicked her tongue, somewhat understanding his habit, but noting that it was a habit that caused significant problems in daily life.

However.

“It’s not like I show this habit to just anyone. Only to unfamiliar people. Actually.”

Thud.

“See, I don’t threaten someone I’m familiar with even when I get close.”

“……”

“Levi?”

“Ha, haaaa…!”

“??”

Levi felt her strength leave her waist.

She was extremely excited that he had approached her without hesitation.

‘This person is really…’

Levi was aware that her appearance was quite embarrassing, but she couldn’t stop her face from turning red.

Excitement was excitement, and happiness was happiness.

‘He said I’m comfortable…’

He doesn’t habitually threaten those he’s familiar with.

This meant that he trusted Levi as a woman, which brought her immeasurable joy.

Because she realized that the man she had feelings for also had goodwill toward her.

How could she not be happy?

As Levi was feeling this happiness, perhaps today’s luck wasn’t over yet.

“Ah, right. I heard this is also etiquette.”

“?”

Swish.

Ihan took out a deep navy-colored ribbon from his pocket.

It was a color that suited her well, and the act of a man presenting a ribbon to a woman had this meaning in Pendragon:

“Will you go to the party with me?”

“……”

“I-is this right? Is this how it’s done?”

“……”

“?”

She had frozen without any reaction, and Ihan quickly assessed her condition.

“…So it’s possible for a person to faint with their eyes open.”

He learned something interesting.

Levi was personally experiencing that too much happiness can make you lose consciousness.

* * *

“Why is Miss Levi like that?”

“I don’t know either.”

Ihan shrugged as he laid her down on a shaded hammock.

He said he had no idea.

“It’s fortunate that I brought a blanket.”

“…How convenient that you happened to bring one.”

“Hehe.”

Leira Winter, a maid with braided hair that suited her well, gently covered the sleeping Levi with a blanket.

“Looking at the smile on her lips, she must be having a happy dream.”

“…It seems the maid can not only see through people’s hearts but now even their dreams.”

“??”

“…You really seem so innocent at times like this.”

The maid occasionally showed sharper insight than anyone else, and strangely, Ihan always became like a gentle lamb in front of her.

Perhaps it was because he knew she was an extremely frail, innocent being without a hint of threat, which made him become docile.

“By the way, Sir Knight, is learning to dance difficult for you?”

“…I’m just progressing slowly. I’ll improve gradually.”

“Can you master it all within four days?”

“……”

For reference, that was the time remaining until the party.

It was a sharp observation, and as Ihan was showing his difficulty…

Hop.

“Don’t be like that, practice with me!”

“Miss Maid?”

“I know the basic dances too.”

“T-that’s…”

He was extremely reluctant because he might accidentally hurt the maid.

However.

Hug.

“Now, let’s begin~.”

“……”

She was fearless.

She suddenly clung to his body like an embrace and started dancing, and Ihan found himself dancing along with her lead.

“…Huh?”

Not even two seconds into the dance, Ihan’s eyes widened in surprise.

…The dance was working.

It might be awkward, but the important thing was that he was dancing normally.

“Here, like this. The man needs to support his partner. Hold the waist firmly.”

“…I’m afraid I might break you.”

“Hehe, I’m quite sturdy!”

“That’s… true.”

Her waist was slender and soft.

He was worried that he might cause a serious problem by grabbing her waist too firmly, but knowing her abnormal sturdiness, he thought he shouldn’t worry too much, but…

‘Strangely, that’s not working…’

Now that their bodies were touching like this, she felt infinitely weak and precious to him.

Like something he needed to protect.

“Now, carefully turn!”

“…Like this?”

“Yes! You really do have good body control.”

“Is that so.”

“Yesss!”

“Hah…”

Her hand gestures, foot movements, and those eyes resembling beautiful honey color were all directed solely at him, making it an undeniably beautiful and dreamlike moment like a summer day’s dream.

And at some point…

“-How is it, it works, right?”

“…Yes, indeed.”

Just as dreams eventually end, the dance had finished.

Although Ihan had succeeded in properly dancing for the first time, he couldn’t feel a sense of achievement and was simply dazed.

“Hehe, I dance pretty well, don’t I? Royal maids sometimes have to attend balls or parties, so I learned in advance. I made a lot of mistakes when I first learned though.”

“……”

…Ihan suddenly found it very uncomfortable to think that she might attend parties with someone other than himself.

The fact that those eyes could be directed at another man strangely made his chest feel tight.

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing, I just had some idle thoughts.”

“Hmm…”

“……”

Her eyes seemed to see right through him, and Ihan turned his gaze away as if exercising his right to remain silent.

And he thought:

‘Ah, I suddenly dislike balls.’

The knight came to dislike balls.

…Intensely.