episode_0006

Fortunately, among the trainees, there were some who knew how to use the four basic elemental magics.

Knights aren’t just about swords; the Second Knight Order, specializing in practical combat, utilizes magic and weaponry alike, as long as it’s effective in battle.

“Lift your leg.”

Especially, the trainee preparing for a sparring match in front of me right now… I’ve crossed swords with him a few times when I was younger.

He was known for his explosive movements using fire mana to wield his sword.

“Turn around.”

Not all knights focus solely on swordsmanship. Some trainees specialize in magic.

The fellow sitting next to me, for instance, uses water mana to perform ice magic—

“Raise your hands.”

“…Yuri, do we really have to do this?”

Before putting on protective gear, Yuri insisted that my clothes were too loose and needed to be tightened.

I put on more clothes, tied the laces… making sure no part of my skin was exposed.

“Of course! The Princess is a proper lady now.”

“We didn’t do this before…”

“Enough chatter! Stay still!”

Swish, whir, whoosh!

I wondered if I’d be able to move properly like this, but once it was all done…

“There, all done.”

“Ooh…”

Even when I flailed my arms or kicked my legs, everything felt comfortable and unrestricted.

“Where did you learn this?”

“A long time ago… a little. I helped my mother do this for the soldiers before.”

“Really?”

I gently patted Yuri’s head and, grabbing my sword, headed to the sparring grounds.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Okay. I’ll be back.”

***

A fallen leaf rolled across the rough sandy ground.

At opposite ends of the sparring grounds stood a trainee and Princess Narita.

And in the middle, the Carmoer Knight Captain raised his voice.

“The sparring match will begin now. The match will end when one party is incapacitated, forfeits, or at my discretion. Salutations!”

Nod.

Trainee Ren, bowing at the Knight Captain’s signal, was actually quite nervous.

His opponent was Princess Narita, a sword prodigy since childhood.

Of course, she wasn’t an unreachable presence. They’d spent considerable time sparring, and outside of sparring, she was quite affectionate. He was always captivated by her elegance during their shared meals.

However, when she held a sword, her eyes changed.

Despite training together, learning from the same master, the results were vastly different. It wasn’t a matter of heaven and earth, their styles were simply distinct.

Unpredictable sword strikes. Footwork that couldn’t be tracked by eye. Endless, inexhaustible stamina.

He’d managed to hold his own a few times but had never won a sparring match.

That was when they were younger. How much bigger would the gap be now?

Shake, shake.

Ren shook his head.

A soldier of the Kingdom’s Knights shouldn’t be intimidated by a mere sparring match. He decided to pour all his years of swordsmanship into this duel.

Whether she knew it or not, the Princess beyond the center line smiled warmly.

Stretching her limbs and taking deep breaths, as usual. He couldn’t guess her thoughts, but one thing was certain.

She wasn’t going easy on him.

“Prepare for sparring!”

The Princess drew her sword at the Knight Captain’s command. He blinked for a moment at a sudden gust of wind.

A light shone from her eyes.

Ren drew his sword too. Even in that short moment, his thoughts raced.

She would likely close the distance immediately. If he recklessly retreated, the flow of his movements would be disrupted, and he would be instantly defeated. So, the optimal choice was…

The Knight Captain raised his hand high. As soon as his hand fell, his lips moved.

“Begin!”

Whoooosh!

‘I’ll unleash a powerful technique from the start.’

He channeled the mana he’d gathered near his heart through his arm to his sword. The intensely heated fire mana exhaled heat and erupted like lava.

“Haaaaaat!!”

As he swung his sword, as if a phoenix was born and flew from the stroke, a fierce flame tore through the air of the sparring grounds.

Whooooosh!!

The trainee immediately jumped sideways, pushing off the ground. To see how the Princess would respond to his first attack. If he stood in a straight line, he wouldn’t be able to see her because of his own attack.

Let’s see what you’ve got.

His sword hand trembled, his knuckles numb. Swallowing hard, he kept his eyes on the Princess.

She raised her blade at a slant, as if deflecting the flame magic, then smiled slightly.

Then, she spread her arms… wide?

“…What?”

BoOOOoooom!!!!

Ren’s fire engulfed the Princess in a massive explosion.

***

“Cough, cough…”

Ouch… that’s hot, so hot. I almost died.

-The important thing is feeling the mana.

To feel something, wouldn’t spreading your arms to embrace be standard procedure?

And that seemed to be the answer to this round.

『Trait, [One Who Deviates from the Laws of Nature] has activated.』 『The wondrous body absorbed the mana.』 『The player sensed the flow of mana for the first time.』 『Acquiring a new trait: [One Who Studies Mana]』 『Acquiring a new skill: [Mana Sense]』

Countless status windows suddenly filled my vision. Using my memories from my past life to analyze the information…

I probably gained a lot, is all.

“Your Highness!!!”

Yuri’s voice pierced my eardrums. I told her not to worry… did I cause her too much concern?

What my body absorbed was ‘mana,’ not the flame magic. My skin was hot and stinging, like a burn.

But it wasn’t fatal.

“Hey, Ren! There’s a limit, you know… unleashing such powerful magic on Her Highness without warning…”

“Cough… I’m fine, Carmoer!”

No, I felt even stronger.

I immediately swung my sword, scattering the smoke and dust that had settled around me after the explosion. The sparring grounds came back into view.

“…Your Highness!”

The trainees were worried. I gently waved my hand to reassure them.

I’m fine, but…

“That was my favorite outfit.”

Looking down, I saw the relatively unscathed protective gear and the completely burned clothes next to it. Yuri’s going to yell at me again.

“…!!!”

“Ah… I wasn’t talking about you.”

Ren looked shocked, at a loss for words.

“It’s sparring. I’m not going to say anything! It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Even for a trainee, such powerful magic was incredible! Such a massive flame magic, powerful enough to burn several meters around, at the princess, the pillar of a nation. He has guts!

I didn’t block it, though.

Anyway, as the king, I have to reward a knight who’s done something this amazing.

I put all my strength into my back leg.

[Swordsmanship: Muryongbobeop]!

Whoosh!

I dashed to Ren’s side in an instant. Seeing me appear so suddenly, I gave him a mischievous smile.

Then, I smacked him on the back of the head with a spare training sword.

Bang!

“Cuh—”

Watching Ren collapse, the Knight Captain raised his hand.

“The… winner, Princess Narita!”

. . .

“Our great Mother, who embraces the mountain range and looks down upon the earth, heal the injured…”

『’Pai’ has activated [Recovery Lv. 15].』

Closing my eyes, nature unfolds. The fresh air of the forest enveloped me. Inhaling, I felt invigorated.

『Skill, [Mana Sense] is active.』

This was my first time being healed through magic and my second time sensing the flow of mana.

“Thank you, Pai.”

“You’re welcome. How are you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

I rotated my arms, checking for injuries. My body moved as smoothly as always.

“Then for the next sparring match—”

As I stood up, sword in hand…

Grab.

Yuri grabbed my collar.

“This… this, shouldn’t we stop…?”

“Yuri, what’s wrong?”

Her hand trembled. Only after she raised her head did I realize her eyes were filled with tears.

“No… I don’t want Your Highness to get hurt…!!”

Hug.

Yuri rushed into my arms, burying her face in my chest. The desperate hug brought a moment of thoughtful pause. Should I end it?

I gently patted her head and pulled away.

“Okay. Just one more time. I won’t get hurt.”

“…Really?”

Nod, nod.

With a confident face, I nodded.

“Next… it’s me.”

Next to Ren, kneeling with his hand raised, another trainee stood up. He held a small twig, without a sword, shield, or armor.

This is Luke, the ice magic prodigy.

“Luke, you used to study swordsmanship too, right?”

“I knelt before overwhelming talent, but… Shall we begin?”

Passing the truly kneeling trainee, we returned to the sparring grounds.

“The rules remain the same. Both sides, take your positions. Salutations!”

Nod.

As I looked up, I saw Luke’s lips moving slightly.

‘He’s chanting in advance.’

Grin.

Since he’s not being stopped, it must be within the rules.

Luke probably thought that even if I noticed the chanting, I wouldn’t be able to sense the magic. After what just happened, he wouldn’t choose a direct attack. Also, there is a certain signature magic associated with ice, right?

『Skill, [Mana Sense] is active.』 『[Mana Sense] level has increased based on proficiency.』 『The flow of mana can be perceived more clearly.』

That’s why I specifically asked about him giving up the sword. Knowing that he loved swords more than anyone else. To narrow down the last resort options Luke could choose.

“Ready… Begin—”

“Freeze!!!”

The moment the Knight Captain’s hand fell, Luke extended his wand and cast his spell. The air froze, and glaciers sprouted from the ground, reaching towards me.

Chi-chi-chi-chi-ching!!

If I am hit… I would become an ice statue right there. Enough for a great magic.

But I read it through the flow of mana.

I danced backwards using shifting footwork quickly, and the glacier reached my feet at the very most.

“Haa-a-ap!!”

Yes, I knew you would do this.

Hidden behind the high glacier, Luke charged, wielding an ice sword. His first attack was likely to trap my legs.

I drew my sword, easily blocking his attack.

Clang!!

Their swords clashed, then Luke smiled.

“…As always. I forfeit.”

“Thank you for being considerate.”

We sheathed our swords and briefly shook hands.

“That’s why habits are scary. Even after becoming a magician, resorting to the sword.”

“That’s you.”

“…Thank you.”

Luke smiled sheepishly. Whether a magician or swordsman, I silently wished him only success and effort as he continued on as a knight.

“The winner, Princess Narita!”

“Your Highness~!!”

Yuri ran into the center of the sparring grounds. She checked my body for injuries, like a small puppy, and it was cute.

“See? I’m fine!”

“I was worried…!”

Now, Yuri nuzzled into me without me having to reach out. This… I think I’m addicted to raising her.

“Your skills have improved. Is this enough? Practice against magic.”

“Yes. Thank you too.”

“Not at all… I didn’t do anything.”

The Knight Captain took back my sword, taking one last look at me.

“It seems that you wouldn’t need an escort. I was going to assign one of the Second Knight Order’s best members to you…”

“It’s okay. I’ll protect myself.”

“It’s a shame. A wind mana user, he is in seclusion training at this time only thinking about your highness.”

Ugh… Is he a stalker? And I don’t need a man.

I shook my head.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Come visit again when you have time!”

“Goodbye, Princess!”

I waved to everyone.

As dusk approached, leaving Ren to melt the glaciers in the sparring grounds, with fire…

Yuri and I returned to the castle.

After that, we continued our days studying magic and swordsmanship, literature, and household management.

A few years later, we became adults.