Ch.79Knight’s Haven (6)

Lily raised her sword.

“Three.”

It was subtly different from before. Earlier, she had pointed the tip of the blade toward Kain’s solar plexus, but now she pulled it toward herself. It was almost as if she were holding the sword completely upright.

“Two.”

Her stance was narrower too. Unlike the first time, she didn’t lean forward, just stood perfectly straight. A sturdy fortress. A tall tower… a defensive posture.

‘This time she wants me to make the first move.’

“One. Begin!”

As expected, Lily didn’t move. Instead of rushing forward, Kain took one step to the left, then to the right.

Lily mirrored his movements in the opposite direction. She wasn’t going to give up her flank.

Kain approached and took a large step forward, thrusting his sword at Lily’s right shoulder. As Lily twisted her body to take a defensive stance, he stepped forward again and swung downward at her exposed thigh.

Lily rotated her sword clockwise. Kain’s blade deflected outward. Continuing with that momentum, Lily brought her sword down toward Kain’s shoulder.

Bawooong!

If Kain hadn’t jumped back quickly, his collarbone would have been broken. It was just a training sword, yet it made a sound like someone swinging a log.

But that wasn’t the end.

Buwoong, uwoong—Lily’s sword came at him with heavy, fierce strikes. Yet there was flexibility in her movements. Stay too close and you’d be devoured.

Her movements seemed to flow gently like being pushed by the wind, but in reality, they were like a desert dune that flattens everything in its path. It was the same cutting technique Arianne had shown him.

But that had been demonstrated with a meter-long blade, not a leather-wrapped wooden sword.

She struck downward, upward, twisting and slashing. Never stopping for a moment, and constantly accelerating.

‘This defies common sense.’

Large movements typically reveal openings. The same was true for Lily. However, she filled those gaps with continuous powerful attacks. It was like a threat: come if you dare, I’ll crush you.

This wasn’t Lily’s usual style. Normally, she treasured her sword—concise, precise, and focused in her attacks. What she was showing now was closer to the Knight of the Scabbard’s style.

‘Why is she doing this?’

Kain thought desperately. Lily could be willful, unpredictable, and impulsive at times, but at least when it came to swordsmanship, she was always serious and sincere.

For Lily, sparring was truly a conversation through bodies, a way to understand her opponent.

‘Ah. Could it be?’

With this thought, Kain stepped back. He lowered his sword and held up one palm.

“Wait. Just a moment. Let’s start over. I’ll use my staff too.”

Lily’s body stiffened for just a brief moment. She too seemed to have a suspicion. But soon a playful expression appeared on her face.

“Are you scared? You may do as you wish.”

“No. I think I understand what you want to see.”

Undisguisable joy spread from Lily’s heart to her face. She blinked her moistening eyes while looking up at the sky.

Because they understood each other.

A novice doesn’t understand a master’s movements. They just clumsily imitate them. Then, as they gain experience, they gradually realize, ‘Ah, so this is why this movement is used.’

Meanwhile, a master can spot a novice’s problems just by watching them. Because they’ve already experienced it themselves.

Lily had accomplished both. By imitating the Knight of the Scabbard, she wanted to understand why he took such incorrect stances, and how he managed to win with them.

She had abandoned her usual style just to imitate the Knight of the Scabbard. Truly befitting a knight who had risen to the top 12 in the White Blood Knights, who were said to learn all the weapon techniques in the world.

‘You’re trying to help me.’

So that the next time Kain faced the Knight of the Scabbard, he could properly handle him. So he wouldn’t be pushed back or have regrets. To show Kain that his own swordsmanship was by no means inferior.

Lily was speaking through her body. Belatedly, Kain realized this. Lily turned her face away, seemingly unable to completely hide her spreading smile.

“Do as you please.”

Her voice was slightly choked with emotion.

Kain held his staff in his left hand and the wooden sword in his right. Just as he had done when facing the Knight of the Scabbard.

They faced each other again. They caught their breath. Three. Two. One.

After bouncing lightly in place a couple of times, Kain charged forward.

Lily continued her heavy, large attacks. They were like the Knight of the Scabbard’s, but much faster.

It wasn’t just speed. She varied her tempo too. She would seem to cut slowly, then suddenly increase her speed.

But Kain couldn’t attack as boldly as before. He would block or deflect Lily’s attacks with his staff, then persistently thrust his wooden sword at any opening.

When he needed to block with his sword, he would strike her wrist, knee, or shoulder with his staff. Lily deflected these with powerful counters, but he had far more options than when he had been completely overwhelmed earlier.

“Haa… haah…”

Lily’s body gradually became drenched in sweat. Kain was equally out of breath. Lily stepped back twice and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Much better… but you still don’t aim for the neck.”

“I did… whew… that time.”

“It didn’t work, did it? Why do you think that is?”

“What do you think?”

Lily paused her breathing for a moment. She pulled in her chin and leaned forward as if about to pounce. Like a growling lion.

“Because it’s dull!”

Lily charged forward with a shout. She was as aggressive as in their first match and swung her sword as heavily as in their second.

Middle and lower body.

She targeted Kain’s lower body with almost excessive persistence. It was practically a taunt—leaving her upper body open, daring him to strike there.

He understood, but couldn’t do anything about it.

Kain’s technique relied on creating confusion, blurring vision, and making openings. But with his legs under constant attack, he couldn’t show any meaningful movement.

In contrast, Lily’s attacks were textbook middle and lower strikes. And as always, proper “textbook” techniques are hard to break through. Especially when your opponent is half a head taller than you, has longer limbs, and is attacking relentlessly without mercy.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Lily’s attacks only grew stronger. Though he blocked and dodged, his legs grew heavy and his wrists trembled.

Each time he blocked with a thud, Kain’s training sword made an ominous cracking sound. The wood inside the leather wrapping was splitting from the impact. The outer leather was already mangled and tattered.

Lily’s eyes were unfocused. She was operating on pure instinct now. For just a moment, Kain lost his balance and staggered. He was tired of both blocking and dodging. The intensity had long since exceeded that of a normal sparring match.

She was serious. Lily was seriously trying to crush Kain.

‘Imperial swordsmanship emphasizes breaking the opponent’s will. A stronger cut against a cut, a stronger thrust against a thrust…’

Kain gritted his teeth. He knew the theory well enough.

But he didn’t think his current self could possibly overcome those cuts, those thrusts. The difference was too great in everything. Physical condition. Training intensity. Experience…

‘She’s one of the top 12 in a gathering of battle maniacs, and you think you can beat her?’

A voice muttered somewhere in his mind. His consciousness was growing distant. Both the wooden sword in his right hand and his wrist, which had been enduring continuous impacts, were at their limit.

‘Why not just run away?’

Another voice. Kain swung his staff, but there was no strength behind it, and it was deflected pathetically. Even holding it had become tiresome.

If he could, he wanted to run away.

But where to?

All he could hear was the splintering sound of wood breaking.

All he could see was Lily, treating Kain as if he were an anvil and her sword a hammer, striking down, cutting through, pressing forward. He could barely see her face. Arms. Chest. Sword. Legs.

His vision, his escape route, his consciousness—all narrowing, receding.

– But, Kairos?

A voice he had forgotten came to him. Not a hallucination, not a shadow. A memory.

– Yes?

Lily raised her sword high. This time it really seemed like a leg, waist, wrist, or arm would break.

– Is the exit always only behind you?

Kain remembered the answer.

The exit can also be in front.

Toward Lily.

He needed to dive into the trajectory of that long-held sword, that straight-extended arm.

So Kain leaped forward. With his left arm raised above his head as if willing to sacrifice it, he gripped the wooden sword in his right hand and thrust it toward Lily’s heart.

But his wrist wouldn’t obey. His legs were heavy. With disappointing simplicity, Lily stepped back and brought her sword down. The staff fell to the ground, and the wooden sword he had barely raised snapped.

And then her wooden sword rested lightly on his shoulder and neck.

“2-0. I win.”

“…Yeah, good for you.”

Kain staggered. Lily threw down her sword and embraced him. He tried to push her away, thinking he must smell terrible, but he was too exhausted and tired to even notice any smell.

Lily laid Kain down on the ground. Then she lay down beside him. From her lying position, she removed her training armor piece by piece.

She even took off the leather garment worn under the armor. Now all that covered Lily’s body was a thin cotton shirt. Soaked with sweat, it clung to her body, nearly transparent.

“You did well.”

“I lost.”

“If you had charged in earlier, you would have won. Too much damage accumulated. But…”

Before he could move, Lily pounced on him. She was quite exhausted too, so all she could do was lay her body on top of his.

“A loss is still a loss.”

“I must smell terrible… and I’m all dirty…”

“What does it matter? I’m the same.”

Straddling Kain’s body, Lily began removing his armor piece by piece. Kain stared blankly at the drifting clouds and the reeds that gathered around, peering as if witnessing something extraordinary.

Eventually even the sky was blocked from view. But Lily didn’t remove Kain’s leather garment. Instead, she supported herself with both hands on the ground, like doing a push-up.

Kain swallowed hard and tried to look away. The neckline of her loose shirt revealed her cleavage, but Lily made no attempt to cover it.

“Since tonight is coming anyway, I won’t push any further now. But I expect better tomorrow.”

“…Tomorrow?”

“Surely the skill you showed today isn’t all you have? If it is, I’d be truly disappointed. Is that really the extent of your… mediocre ability?”

It was an obvious and childish provocation. She even sneered, which made him even angrier. So Kain took the bait, knowing full well what she was doing.

“I’ll continue until I win.”

“Then I’ll keep defeating you until you break.”

* * * * *

It was afternoon by the time they returned to the mansion. Lily entered lightly, but Kain gritted his teeth as he set down their wooden swords and equipment on the floor.

“My, my. Equipment should be treated like your own body. Don’t you know the basics?”

Maria, who had been waiting in a chair, snickered. Kain suppressed his anger and neatly stacked the equipment. Maria giggled and held out two ceramic containers.

“This ointment is good for muscle pain and fatigue. I’ve prepared bath water, so wash up. Kain, yours is on the right, and Lily, yours is on the left.”

“When did you prepare all this?”

“While you two were engaged in your love affair, this poor nun was entertaining a miserable college student who can’t even spell properly. It was nothing—I told him one more amazing story and he was delighted. Then I sent him on an errand and he brought this back.”

The mansion’s owner was clearly someone obsessed with stories. Not only did they charge money, but they also wanted interesting stories in return.

Even washing and applying the ointment was a struggle. Kain’s wrists were so sore and painful that his arms trembled. Lily had already returned to the room, looking fresh and clean.

“Sit here. Give me your arm.”

Maria sat Kain on the bed. She tightly wrapped his wrist with bandages to immobilize it. She explained that he should keep it fixed until bedtime to prevent further injury, even if it was uncomfortable.

Kain’s dinner was onion soup with roasted bacon pieces. Maria had decided that meat or bread might upset his stomach given his physical condition.

While it certainly didn’t feel heavy after eating, he had to watch enviously as Maria and Lily returned from enjoying a feast in the dining hall.

“Was it good?”

“Let me tell you, I’ve never had such delicious grilled trout in my life. They removed the fishy smell with lemon juice, grilled it in butter with garlic on top, and sprinkled parsley powder over it—incredibly rich and savory. Too bad you missed it.”

Maria cackled teasingly. Seeing Kain’s reddening face, she smiled apologetically, perhaps feeling a little sorry.

“Don’t worry though. Lily also ate somewhat regretfully. She ate enough, but her main dish didn’t arrive.”

“I thought you said she had grilled trout.”

Maria shrugged at Kain’s question.

“It was trout for me. Not for Lily. Lily’s main dish is you.”

Before Kain could protest this nonsense, Maria suddenly approached and pressed various parts of his body. Whatever she pressed and however she did it, he couldn’t even yelp.

Then Maria wrapped Kain tightly in a blanket. She even secured it with leather straps she had prepared somehow. Now Kain could do nothing but squirm.

“What are you doing?!”

“Should I have put on a chastity belt instead? You should be grateful to me. Otherwise, Lily would have eaten you alive. This leather strap, it won’t break, right?”

“Of course not. That absolutely won’t happen.”

Lily nodded. Maria dusted off her hands and approached the balcony.

“Enjoy your meal. I’m leaving.”

She bounced slightly, apparently intending to exit through the window. Kain, who had naturally assumed they would all sleep together in the four-person room, was simply dumbfounded.

“…Where are you going?”

“The room upstairs. I checked it earlier and it’s nice. There’s nobody there.”

“Why are you going there?”

“While you two young people enjoy the summer, this poor nun… ah, never mind. Let me rest too. If anyone asks, just say the door was open. Let me get some rest too.”

The next moment, Maria leaped up to the balcony above. After a brief rebound, she pulled herself up completely.

“Don’t worry.”

Lily picked up Kain effortlessly. She carried him to her bed, covered him with a blanket, and lay down beside him.

Though it seemed a bit early for bed, she didn’t seem to mind at all. Lily drew the curtains and locked the door.

“I won’t eat you.”