Ch.375The Next Day

The next morning.

I resumed training with the three Masters who had fully recovered in just one day. Unlike yesterday, I faced all three simultaneously instead of one-on-one.

Surprisingly, dealing with their coordinated attacks proved more challenging than I expected.

They surrounded me from three directions and pressed their advantage relentlessly like well-oiled gears, clearly showing they’d received professional training in ganging up on a single opponent.

When I swung my sword at Karim whose stance had faltered, Bertrand and Klaus immediately rushed in to exploit my openings.

I changed direction to deflect Klaus’s longsword and kicked Bertrand away, but in that moment, Karim recovered his stance and charged at me again.

The three of them continuously covered each other’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities while attacking without pause.

When I targeted one, the other two would rush in, making it impossible to land a decisive blow.

Sometimes two would create an opening while the third struck from behind.

Their coordination made them far more threatening than simply facing three separate opponents.

A coordinated encirclement attack by Master-level knights.

This seemed like training designed with fighting Orhan in mind. Were they planning to surround him ten-to-one?

…Even then, they’d all end up dead anyway.

Even by my standards, it was only challenging because I had to restrain my strength and avoid killing them. If I fought with the intent to kill at full power, I could win easily with only minor injuries.

—-

Anyway, I had to exert a bit more effort than yesterday.

Consequently, their injuries became somewhat more serious.

The three knights finished the training with wounds that weren’t quite “severe injuries,” but too serious to be called minor.

Let’s call them moderate injuries.

Karim’s jaw was crushed, and Klaus’s leg bone had fractured and pierced through his flesh.

Bertrand’s injury was particularly serious.

I had punched his shield intending to break it, but in my excitement, I put too much force behind it.

My fist, filled with the power of Karma, not only penetrated his shield but also pierced through his breastplate.

Naturally, all his ribs were shattered.

If I had been even slightly slower in withdrawing my strength, my fist would have burst through his heart, crushed his spine, and emerged from the other side.

I really need to be careful. I almost killed him instantly.

Even after receiving Lena’s healing, the three couldn’t regain consciousness and had to be carried to the infirmary.

“To handle the combined attack of three Champions so easily…! You’re truly amazing.”

Unlike Nigel, who worriedly watched his seniors being carried away foaming at the mouth, Jahan’s eyes sparkled as he praised my strength.

“Sister, you’re amazing! I’m not sure how, but you’ve gotten much stronger than before, right?”

Lena also smiled brightly with joy.

Shouldn’t a healing priest be concerned about turning three people into patients…?

—-

After the three Masters were carried away, Jahan requested another match with Nigel.

He said he would keep repeating until he avenged his defeat.

“No, fight with me instead. Why do you two keep squabbling with each other?”

To improve your skills, you should fight against someone stronger, not just keep fighting someone at your own level.

“How could I dare raise my sword against my lord…!”

Jahan planted his glaive on the ground and knelt down, pleading passionately.

While this showed true loyalty… didn’t you spar with me just fine on the first day?

Why are you suddenly acting like this?

[He’s always been quick to notice these things… He’s acting this way because he knows if he spars with you now, he’ll be beaten to death. I personally trained him that way whenever he lost to someone.]

Hersella sighed as she explained the reason.

What? Is that really the reason?

‘Weren’t the Ka’har warriors fierce people who never retreat before enemies, fight without sparing their lives? And such people are avoiding a simple sparring match for fear of getting hurt?’

I thought you were a warrior tribe.

Are you actually a pathetic tribe that’s only fierce against the weak but tucks its tail when facing the strong?

[While risking one’s life fighting enemies is honorable, where is the honor in the disgrace of being beaten to near-death by one’s lord? It’s a combination of dishonor and pain, so anyone with a brain would naturally avoid it.]

So they actually think things through before fighting.

I thought they were just sword-wielding monkeys with nothing but slaughter and plunder in their heads.

Not that I’m letting this slide.

“Sigh… Stop talking nonsense and both of you come at me. Nigel, don’t accept this guy’s sparring requests for a while. Understood?”

“Yes! I will do as you say!”

Nigel nodded obediently and pointed her spear at me.

After looking at her for a moment, Jahan seemed to realize there was no escape and drew his glaive with a deep sigh.

His face looked like that of an ox being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

[Would you mind letting me control the Karma of Murder? After half a year, he’s become quite impertinent. I think he needs some stern discipline.]

Seeing his face, Hersella growled as if she’d caught him at the perfect moment.

I silently prayed for Jahan’s soul as I entrusted the control of the Karma of Murder to Hersella and drew my practice sword.

“Let’s skip the introductions and begin!”

With me charging toward Nigel, what appeared to be a two-versus-one match but was actually a two-versus-two match began.

—-

“Indeed, this is Lord Klaus’s swordsmanship…!”

“Judging by your quick responses, you’ve experienced it before? Well, I suppose that’s natural. You’re from the same order.”

I faced Nigel using only the power of my achievements, swordsmanship, and martial arts without utilizing the techniques of the Karma of Murder.

Hersella was already using that power to her heart’s content.

This was enough to pressure Nigel anyway.

Meanwhile, Hersella had transformed the power of the Karma of Murder into ten whip-like tendrils with thorns, relentlessly lashing at Jahan.

[So you dodged that? Well, try dodging this! Good! You blocked well. You’ve improved since before. Then how about this! Ahaha!]

She’s really enjoying herself.

Hersella burst into laughter full of joy while saying things Jahan couldn’t even hear.

Ten minutes later.

“…I concede.”

The match ended with my sword at Nigel’s throat.

“Ugh…urgh…”

By then, Jahan was already lying on the ground with his limbs shattered.

Knowing he could be restored with healing miracles, we hadn’t held back.

—-

After asking Lena to take care of Jahan’s treatment, I ordered him to use his rest time to learn the Imperial language instead of playing around.

While the Eastern language might work here, few people would understand the Ka’har language when we return to the Empire.

I asked Lord Sean to provide him with a translation necklace and assigned a servant to teach him writing, so he should manage well enough.

—-

[Hmm… a translation necklace. Come to think of it, you also used such a device to learn the Imperial language, didn’t you?]

While returning to my room after giving Jahan the necklace, Hersella quietly spoke to me.

It was a meaningful question filled with something close to suspicion or doubt.

‘I did do that. Why?’

[Why? You’ve been lying to me after all. How could an Imperial soldier not know the Imperial language? That makes no sense.]

Hersella snapped sharply.

It doesn’t make sense, true.

I never actually claimed to be an “Imperial” soldier, but Hersella had naturally assumed I was.

Well… I had anticipated this question would come when I instructed Jahan to learn the Imperial language.

Of course, I had prepared an excuse.

Actually, it was fortunate that she asked so directly.

It would have been more troublesome if she pretended not to notice while harboring suspicions and being wary of me.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I was pretending. It wouldn’t make sense for the arrogant Ka’har princess to know the Imperial language well, would it? If I had spoken Imperial fluently, it would have raised suspicions instead.’

In truth, I really didn’t know it.

How would I know a language from another world? I only know it because I worked hard to learn it.

However, Hersella wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, so I could just deny it.

This excuse would be useless if she didn’t trust me at all… but that probably wasn’t the case.

The very fact that she directly questioned me about this revealed her subconscious desire not to doubt me.

That must be thanks to our growing friendship.

[My goodness, it was all an act…?]

See? It worked perfectly.

Though it was just a simple excuse, Hersella seemed to accept it, her voice returning to normal.

When someone wants to believe something, they’ll accept even a plausible reason as truth and become convinced of it.

That’s not my philosophy, but rather the claim of religious terrorists I once locked in interrogation rooms.

—-

Anyway, that’s how I spent the week.