Chapter 15: Swordsmanship Competition Part 2

“…Just what kind of mercenary group were you part of?”

The father and daughter sat under the shade of a tree to rest for a while.

A cool breeze brushed past Leo and Elizabeth.

As she wiped the sweat from her neck and collarbone with a towel, Elizabeth spoke.

“I may be young, but I’m good enough that even Sir Otto acknowledges me.”

“I just wandered around a lot. Didn’t really have any special skills.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Anyway.”

I stood up, patting Elizabeth on the shoulder.

“Want to learn from your dad? I mean swordsmanship.”

“…Okay.”

Elizabeth had been defeated.

She had lost completely in the one thing she was confident in—swordsmanship.

‘Now that I think about it… Dad’s body isn’t normal.’

Elizabeth had occasionally seen her father naked.

His body was packed with muscle—like an ancient statue.

But unlike a statue, her father had scars.

A lot of them.

At first, Elizabeth thought the scars came from doing construction work.

Hard labor tends to leave a lot of injuries.

But—

‘They were all blade wounds.’

That wasn’t just a guess—it was a certainty.

After training in swordsmanship, she could tell.

The scars carved into her father’s body had all been made by blades—not by labor.

‘Dad… he was so strong I didn’t even need to protect him.’

The Glorious Sword, Otto.

Even now it was hard to believe, but her dad seemed even stronger than Sir Otto.

Something about how he fought was different.

Sir Otto used heavy, textbook swordsmanship—exactly like a knight.

But her father’s moves were sharp and quick.

His swordsmanship dismantled his opponent’s body, like he was taking them apart.

It was clear that was his intent.

‘But… I can protect Dad in another way.’

The world didn’t move by strength alone.

Power, money, honor.

There were plenty of things that strength alone couldn’t solve.

And looking at it that way, her father only had strength.

He had no power, money, or honor.

Elizabeth decided to focus on those things.

Still—

‘What kind of past did he go through?’

Looking back, she realized she didn’t know much about her father’s past.

Whenever she asked about her mother, he always avoided the topic.

Whenever she asked about the old days, he just said he used to be a mercenary.

Her dad was near the level of a Sword Master—or maybe even equal to one.

With skills like his, he should be treated with respect anywhere he goes…

So why wasn’t he?

She was curious, but she didn’t ask.

Because even though he would answer any other question, he never talked about his past.

***

“First of all, swordsmanship isn’t as hard as it seems. Just apply some force and cut like you’re slicing through your enemy.”

Her father demonstrated swordsmanship right beside her.

No excess, just speed.

The true measure of a master wasn’t how flashy they looked, but how solid their fundamentals were.

Even if the outside looked flashy, if the inside was hollow, they’d never reach greatness.

That lesson was worth more than gold.

It came from someone who had survived countless real battles.

But Elizabeth couldn’t concentrate at all.

‘…Nice.’

She tilted her head slightly and took in the faint scent coming from her father.

It pierced her nose—a strong, masculine scent of sweat.

Normally, she would’ve found it unpleasant.

But strangely, now it felt like a fragrance.

Not only was there no discomfort, she actually wanted to be closer to that scent.

At this rate, she felt like she could just bury herself in him and inhale his body’s warmth forever—

“Elly.”

“Uh, huh?”

“What are you doing with your eyes closed?”

Without realizing it, she had blocked her sight and focused entirely on her sense of smell.

Startled, she opened her eyes to see her father staring at her.

His natural breath brushed past her lips and nose.

“Dad…”

Elizabeth called to him—

With just a hint of breath in her voice.

Her breath rose up his face and brushed against his eyes.

He blinked from the sensation.

That small exchange made her heart flutter.

“What’s wrong, Elizabeth?”

“I didn’t catch that. Can you explain it again?”

“I said focus. How are you even top of your second-year class?” he said teasingly.

“It’s nothing complicated. I’ll explain one last time, okay? Keep it simple and fast. You don’t need to use flashy or difficult techniques.”

“So I should just stick to basic moves?”

“To put it simply, yes. The most important thing is not being confined by form.”

Now Elizabeth really focused.

This moment was nice, but she had to win the tournament—for her dad.

“When you fight, just trust your sword. Don’t hesitate. Just swing it.”

As she learned, Elizabeth thought—

‘I’ll sneak his shirt into my room later.’

Leo, who hadn’t sweated a single drop during their sparring matches, was now drenched in sweat while teaching her.

The lightweight shirt he wore was well-ventilated but soaked through just as easily.

Half of it was drenched.

It smelled sour from sweat.

But to her, it was more intoxicating than any perfume.

That night.

“Hey? Elizabeth. Have you seen the clothes I left here?”

“Clothes? What clothes?”

Leo had lost an outfit.

As the swordsmanship tournament drew nearer, Elizabeth’s skills improved rapidly.

She shed flashy tricks and instead honed a form rooted in fundamentals, yet still capable of unpredictability.

‘She’s a real genius.’

Leo watched Elizabeth perform a sword dance.

It had only been two weeks.

A timeframe too short to expect noticeable growth.

But Elizabeth now was completely different from two weeks ago.

‘At this rate, if she focuses solely on swordsmanship, she could become a Sword Master before she’s twenty.’

That was the extent of her talent.

“All done.”

Elizabeth finished her sword dance.

Sword dance was a form of training that combined basic movements into a flowing performance.

Leo practiced it often as well.

He walked over to Elizabeth.

It was time to teach her the final technique.

“Half-swording. It’s one way to beat an opponent stronger than you.”

Leo showed her how to grip the blade and hilt together.

Half-swording was a technique where one grabbed the blade with the hand to swing it.

It was usually used in strength duels or when countering.

Because it involved grabbing the sharp blade barehanded, it was risky—but effective if used well.

“Like when Dad used it?”

“Yeah. Want to try it?”

Elizabeth raised her sword above her head and brought it down.

Leo caught her strike using half-swording.

“From here, you can twist the blade to thrust, or spin it the other way and strike your opponent’s head with the pommel.”

He demonstrated the move.

After a moment, it was Leo’s turn to attack while Elizabeth used half-swording.

Clang.

Elizabeth blocked it with ease.

Not stopping there, she aimed her sword tip at Leo’s neck.

Half-swording wasn’t hard if one understood centrifugal force well.

Elizabeth grasped that concept, and with just a few tries, used the technique skillfully.

“Well done.”

Leo lowered his sword and patted Elizabeth’s head.

His affection and love were clear.

Elizabeth purred like a cat as she snuggled into him.

Over the past two weeks, Elizabeth had become almost a different person.

The constant worry over her emotional state seemed like overreaction now, replaced by charming affection.

It was as if the old Elizabeth had returned.

Turns out, those uncles were right.

Puberty just needed time to pass.

Elizabeth took every chance to snuggle into his arms.

Even now, she was rubbing her face against his cheek and neck.

“What’s this, is your puberty over?”

“Maybe. But Dad.”

Elizabeth smiled as she slowly laced her fingers with Leo’s.

Her pale, delicate hands rubbed against Leo’s large ones.

“Why do you come home late every Friday night?”

“I told you. I meet up with a friend.”

“Really?”

“…Are you doubting me? That hurts, you know.”

“I’m asking because I smell a woman on you.”

Was she a bloodhound?

Leo avoided her eyes.

Every Friday, he met Hildegarde at a quiet bar.

They drank, talked, and then parted ways.

That was all.

“Answer me. Hmm? Are you really meeting a friend?”

Elizabeth stared at Leo without blinking.

Her eyes were like a doll’s—emotionless.

She knew.

Leo could sense it.

“…No.”

Leo admitted the truth.

After all, he was a single father dating someone new.

From Elizabeth’s perspective, even if her biological mother had passed away, it still felt like her father was cheating.

“Yeah. I’m seeing a woman.”

“I see.”

Surprisingly, Elizabeth’s expression was calm.

She wore her usual faint smile.

Leo didn’t realize how hard she was clenching her facial muscles to keep her expression from breaking.

Swoosh.

Elizabeth pushed Leo’s chest and swept his legs.

Leo fell onto the grass.

Thud.

He let himself fall, thinking it was just playful teasing.

Elizabeth smiled sweetly.

But her next action was slightly more dangerous.

She climbed on top of him, looming over him as if to pin him down.

Her soft golden hair draped over his face, tickling his eyes, nose, and mouth. It felt almost intentional.

Then Elizabeth leaned in like a cat, pressing her body against him, her face resting against his neck.

From that position, she looked up at Leo with a dizzying gaze.

Their fingers were still interlocked.

“Alright, alright. What’s with the sudden affection?”

As the atmosphere started to shift into something strange, Leo sat up.

Elizabeth backed away without resistance.

“What kind of woman is she?”

Elizabeth asked with a smile.

But her eyes weren’t smiling.

“What’s her job? Is she tall? Is she pretty?”

“Aww, are you that jealous?”

“Answer me.”

She asked persistently, resting her head on Leo’s chest.

Even though it was sticky with sweat, she didn’t seem to mind.

She could hear his heartbeat through his firm muscles.

Thump, thump…

That woman must get to hear this every time.

Clench—

Elizabeth’s hand, resting on Leo’s chest, curled into a tight fist.

Unaware of this, Leo answered honestly.

“She’s a great woman. So great I don’t even understand why she’d date me.”

“She asked you out?”

“Yeah. She said it first. But I don’t think she was serious. Her ex cheated on her, so maybe it was out of spite.”

“Ohho.”

Elizabeth laughed.

This time, even her eyes smiled.

Her clenched fist loosened softly.

So it wasn’t Dad who confessed first.

That woman did.

“By the way, why are you entering the swordsmanship tournament?”

“No reason.”

“No reason?”

“Yeah. I just feel like entering.”

Elizabeth avoided the question by hugging Leo’s neck.

With her soft face rubbing against him, Leo couldn’t resist and let it go.

He changed the topic.

“That’s a relief.”

“What is?”

“That your puberty’s over.”

“Should I stay in puberty a little longer? Are you disappointed?”

“You little rascal.”

Leo squished Elizabeth’s cheeks like rice cakes as she played around.

She basked in his affectionate touch.

Elizabeth had ended her puberty.

More precisely, she decided to end it.

Her father no longer felt unfamiliar.

No—he was far too lovable.

Competing for his love as a pubescent daughter had been overwhelming.

But now she understood.

Being an affectionate daughter was far more effective.

If it meant earning his love, pride didn’t matter anymore.

And finally, she realized—

What she felt wasn’t just familial love.

Her feelings for her father were perhaps much more complex and deeper.