Ch.78Knight’s Haven (5)

# Skill level is lacking. Posture is terrible. Techniques are merely repetitions of basics. Yet he easily blocked attacks from skilled knights and even counterattacked.

‘Could he be using sorcery or magic?’

He induces hallucinations that evoke terror and transforms living people into monstrous creatures. Kain wondered if he might be applying some kind of sorcery to his swordsmanship as well.

But that didn’t make sense either. If he truly possessed such power, why would he simply take Kain’s attacks without responding?

“Come to think of it, that fellow rarely attacked first. He almost always maintained a defensive stance, then counterattacked and took down knights when they charged in.”

“Was it the same during your confrontation with him, Sir Kain?”

“No. When fighting me, it was the opposite. He actively swung his sword—no, his scabbard. Though slow, his momentum was impressive, so I chose to dodge rather than block.”

Lily inhaled slowly with a thoughtful “Hmm.” Something seemed to have occurred to her.

“When you fought him, did you fight as you normally do?”

“You mean relying on feints and grappling techniques? Yes, I did.”

“Then he must have attacked like this.”

Lily gripped the training sword lengthwise and swung it broadly. It seemed less like she was trying to cut something and more like she was threatening, warning someone not to come closer.

“That’s right. What do you think it means?”

“It means he wanted to observe and assess from a distance because he didn’t know his opponent well. Choosing to observe during combat suggests a lack of confidence in winning.

Isn’t it strange? Someone who could effectively counter trained knights’ attacks with poor form was actively swinging his sword to drive you away and then took an observational stance.”

Kain’s mind cleared. It hit him like a splash of cold water against his back.

That was it. Something had been different. The nagging doubt that had lingered in his mind.

Someone who had been so passive against others had actively attacked him before suddenly retreating.

“That too can be explained if we consider him an unskilled swordsman.”

Lily calmly explained her reasoning.

No swordsman likes losing the initiative. Losing initiative means being drawn into the opponent’s pace, which progressively limits one’s options and eventually leads to a disadvantageous position.

That’s why Imperial swordsmanship teaches, “Overcome strength with greater strength.” The highest value is placed on seizing initiative by pushing forward more aggressively than the opponent.

“A trained swordsman should be confident. Confident that no matter what the opponent does, victory is inevitable. That’s why the Holy Grail Knights charged in without hesitation.

Conversely, a properly trained swordsman should be able to maintain initiative regardless of what unpredictable techniques the opponent employs. They control the unknown through familiar defensive techniques and skills they’ve mastered.

But that’s not what he did.

He likely knew the Holy Grail Knights’ attack patterns well. That’s why he could defend and counterattack. Defense followed by counterattack is a primary training focus for apprentice knights.

However, if he were truly skilled—skilled enough to be a formal knight—he would have moved aggressively to block your movements.

Or he would have either blocked all your attacks or landed effective strikes.

Neither happened. You were injured because of the monsters beside him, not because of him.”

That was true. Kain’s movements had been hindered by avoiding the monsters, not by his confrontation with the black knight.

“It’s clear. He received only orthodox training. Orthodox, repetitive, conventional training—but he merely received it without completing it or making it his own.

He can perform and defend against formulaic attacks, but he can’t handle versatile techniques at all, retreating to observe instead.

Everything is explained if we consider him an inexperienced trainee. Unable to take control of situations, he excels at exploiting opponents’ attacks.

That’s why he couldn’t even face your unusual attacks.”

Kain fell into thought again.

He summons shadows that draw out deep-seated fears from observers and transform those seeking revenge into monsters.

He endures ordinary attacks with his body, and when truly pressed, transforms into shadow and escapes.

He can counter orthodox attacks with awkward movements but is completely defenseless against attacks outside his knowledge.

Is that why he gathers monsters?

Kain thought it was a likely explanation. In the case of Arius the Temperate, he had created a ghost ship—or monster ship—that flew through the sky by fusing ships and people.

In William the Chaste’s case, he created dragon-like monsters that flew through the sky, and for Arianne the Humble, he created skinless monsters and loaded them onto ships.

War preparations.

While preparing for war, he’s also making a declaration of war. He appears before those seeking revenge and those who want the world to end, grants their wishes, and in exchange takes their bodies and souls to build his army.

But inside that armor is definitely a human. A human who once believed in promises and trust. But now, for whatever reason, a deranged human doing bizarre things.

“May I say something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I don’t know much about sorcery or magic either. Maria would know better. And that person uses both swordsmanship and magic or sorcery. But purely from a swordsmanship perspective, your technique might provide some clues.”

Kain let out a hollow laugh.

“Sorry. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just… absurd. I’ve been told my swordsmanship lacks foundation, yet it was effective precisely because it lacked foundation. Still, my attacks didn’t deal significant damage.”

“I disagree.” Lily shook her head.

“If your attacks truly had no effect, he would have charged forward while taking the hits. But he retreated. He was affected. Though not visible, he was certainly injured.

So… forgive my presumption, but speaking as a knight, you should refine that technique further. Make it more destructive, more powerful, more flexible. Therefore…”

Lily smiled, raising her training sword straight up. She lightly kissed the blade and pointed it at Kain’s solar plexus.

“I request a sparring match.”

Kain didn’t raise his sword.

“Isn’t this a bit sudden?”

“I think it’s a good opportunity. You can strengthen your technique through sparring with me, and I can learn your technique.”

As if urging him to come at her, Lily lightly tickled Kain’s lower abdomen with the tip of her sword.

“You don’t know how much I admire that swordsmanship. No one has harmonized Imperial swordsmanship, which prioritizes killing, with Eastern staff techniques that neutralize opponents while ensuring safety for both parties.

Even fewer have refined it through practical experience. Though I learned all sorts of unwanted swordsmanship at Valhalla of the White Blood, yours is the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

Kain looked down at the training sword tracing his stomach.

“I didn’t realize it was that significant. I didn’t know it was so valuable. I thought it was unusual, but I didn’t believe it was special.”

“You don’t know how elegant and sophisticated that swordsmanship is. How flexible and smooth each movement, each line of the body is. Every time I see it…”

Lily’s breathing became slightly rougher. Her cheeks flushed slightly.

“…I feel like I’ll go crazy with desire to possess it.”

“Could you not say that so loudly?”

Kain looked around. Fortunately, the only people nearby were leisurely fishermen across the lake. The surroundings were filled only with reeds growing about chest to shoulder height.

“I wouldn’t know. I can’t see my own swordsmanship. But if this is the way… Alright, let’s do it.”

Kain stepped back three paces and raised his sword.

“A single match seems a bit inadequate, doesn’t it?”

“How about best two out of three?”

“Rules… Imperial duel style?”

Victory comes from landing a strike on a vital point past the opponent’s guard—head, neck, wrist, vital organs in the abdomen. If both land valid strikes simultaneously, it’s a draw.

Proper training swords are heavy iron swords similar to real ones. Of course, they have no sharp edges, making them more like elongated iron rulers.

But the swords Lily and Kain now held were wood covered with leather. They’re more suitable for teaching techniques or for light play.

Indeed, if they needed to repeatedly reenact and spar, these would be better than heavy pieces of iron. They could be swung freely, wouldn’t cause fatigue as quickly, and most importantly, wouldn’t cause serious injury.

Lily had brought not only training swords but also vests filled with thick, rough cloth and leather caps. These would protect vital points and reduce impact, preventing accidents.

Of course, under Imperial duel rules, merely touching a vital point with the sword means defeat, so relying on armor and charging in recklessly would be foolish.

“Since it’s our first time, let’s use just swords, no staffs.”

“Agreed.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“Begin!” Lily charged forward, much faster than Kain had anticipated.

At the last moment, Lily leaped forward. With her longer legs and the added momentum from running, the distance closed instantly.

A vertical slash aimed at his forehead. Too late to dodge. It would push through if blocked with one hand. Kain gripped the handle with both hands and blocked horizontally.

“Ugh.”

His wrist felt like it would break, but he managed to hold. With her attack blocked, Lily raised her sword high. Taking one step to the left, she brought it down diagonally, aiming for Kain’s waist.

An angle awkward to block or dodge. There was only one option: to slash at Lily’s neck or chest. Since he had blocked horizontally, he just needed to swing.

But Kain hesitated. Lily slapped his side with the flat of her blade.

With leather clothing and thick training cloth armor on top, he didn’t feel it, but it made a loud sound like hitting a blanket with a stick.

“One to zero. Are you not fully recovered? You seem sluggish.”

Lily’s voice was filled with disappointment. Her tightly drawn chin was challenging, and her eyes looked sharper than even an angry Maria.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then were you distracted? Or perhaps… were you going easy on me?”

“Not that either.”

“Then why didn’t you aim for my neck? You must have known that was the most effective approach in that situation. Striking my neck would have been faster than me slashing your waist.”

Kain averted his gaze slightly.

“I aimed for the neck when fighting the Knight of the Scabbard. I just didn’t want to hurt you.”

“So you are going easy on me.”

Lily didn’t seem pleased. On the contrary, she breathed heavily, swinging her sword threateningly with a whooshing sound. Her eyes blazed, and her tongue flicked between her lips.

“I appreciate the consideration, but such consideration is unnecessary. Surely you don’t believe you could actually hurt me. Such consideration is only appropriate when your skill far exceeds your opponent’s. This kind of consideration… makes me a little angry.”

“Aren’t you being overconfident? You said yourself that you can’t know a sword until you’ve crossed it.”

“I didn’t mention this before our match because I didn’t want to pressure you… but originally, I was supposed to state what I wanted before our match. Remember? The bet.”

“I remember.”

“If I lose, I’ll obey you absolutely, at least while in this city.”

He refrained from saying that was what she should have been doing anyway. He knew Lily was incredibly stubborn about Kain’s personal matters. So Kain smiled slightly.

“And if you win?”

“I’ll ‘visit’ your bed tonight. You know what that means, don’t you?”

“…Wait. That…”

But Lily showed no embarrassment.

“According to long-standing custom, I declare on my honor as a knight that I will visit fully clothed and engage only in conversation. I will not touch any body part except those exposed outside clothing, and despite how sacred it may be, I will not engage in any lewd acts.”

“I’m really caught off guard…”

Whether she was clothed or not wasn’t the issue. The “Visiting Night” custom meant more than just spending time together. It was a matter of common sense, not requiring a knight’s oath.

During a “Visiting Night,” one could only engage in conversation. Also, one had to leave the room after three or four hours. One must not stay together until dawn.

Of course, this might seem meaningless since Kain and Lily shared a four-person room with Maria. With Maria sleeping nearby, they couldn’t engage in lewd acts anyway, and Kain had no intention to.

The real issue was that continued “Visiting Nights” were interpreted as a signal that physical intimacy was permitted, naturally leading to engagement and marriage.

So Lily was openly declaring that if she won this match, she would propose to Kain, and Kain, having lost, would be unable to refuse.

Kain gripped his sword firmly.