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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Anya, having accepted her departure to Quaran, clung to me with a desperate fervor. Even as she gasped for breath, she pressed herself against me, as if trying to compensate for the time we would be apart.
If I didn’t possess exceptional stamina, her persistence might have been unsettling. In the end, though, despite my enduring a little longer than usual, it was Anya who collapsed first from exhaustion.
Leaving the weary Anya in Marie’s care, I immediately set out for Quaran.
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The moment I entered the swordsmanship guild, I was greeted by the sharp whistle of wind followed by the clang of a blunted sword.
Clang
As if anticipating my arrival, I drew my sword and parried the blow. Beyond the shower of sparks, I saw Fiore’s scowling face.
“You’re late! Who do you think you are?! Don’t get any ideas! You’re still just a beginner!”
“Don’t make such a fuss over being a little late.”
“Hmph! That complacent attitude is what gets your head chopped off! What? Are you going to ask your enemies to stab you slowly, too?”
Fiore was more irritable than usual. She seemed to haven’t recovered from the shock of our last spar. I glanced down, a message that appeared when our swords clashed caught my attention.
[Experience gained.]
The phrase “opponent’s level is higher” was missing. This meant that the level gap between Fiore and me had narrowed. Likely due to defeating the goblins, the troll, and Roland.
Of course, I would still be soundly defeated if we had a proper spar. The gap that the system couldn’t quantify was still immense.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corner of my lips. This seemed to provoke Fiore even further.
“How dare you laugh?!”
“Stop nagging. What? Are you actually planning to become my wife?”
“W-What nonsense are you talking about?!”
“Didn’t we make a bet about changing your last name? To Tolbatz. I thought you were nagging me as if you were already my wife.”
“Argh!!!”
Fiore’s yell drowned out my voice. Ignoring her outburst, I entered the guild. Andrei was nowhere to be seen. Fiore, who had followed me in, grinned mischievously.
“Father said he’ll be back in the evening. He also said I’m in charge of your training until then! Hehehe, get ready!”
It was obvious she intended to use training as an excuse to torment me. Still, I couldn’t refuse. My life-or-death battle with Roland had reinforced the importance of training.
Moreover, while Fiore’s by-the-book style made her weak in actual combat, she was an unparalleled instructor when it came to training.
“I came to see you today.”
“W-What? Me? M-Me? Why?”
“Let’s start with training.”
Fiore frowned.
“Are you teasing me again? Hmph, it won’t work anymore!”
It seemed Fiore had realized that her sensitive reactions only encouraged my playful jabs.
As a result, the training proceeded with an air of seriousness.
“The sword is a highly versatile weapon. It can be used effectively in most situations. However, there are exceptions. What are those exceptions?”
“When the opponent is heavily armored.”
Recalling my first spar with Fiore, the answer was easy. Despite her relentless attacks, I had only sustained minimal injuries. The thick padded armor combined with chainmail provided considerable protection.
Fiore, who had been twirling her sword, couldn’t hide her disappointment. If I had answered incorrectly, she would have demonstrated it herself, with me as the unfortunate test subject.
“Hmph. Correct. That’s why many people prefer blunt weapons as their primary armament. However, they always carry a sword as a secondary weapon.”
Fiore sheathed her sword and drew a dagger from her hip. Its needle-sharp point caught my eye.
“First, you partially incapacitate them with the blunt weapon, then target the gaps in their armor with a thrusting weapon like this.”
“The opponent isn’t likely to just stand there and take it.”
“That’s where wrestling comes in! Now, try stabbing me with your sword.”
Fiore sheathed her dagger, grabbed her blunted sword in a half-sword grip, and took a stance. Her mischievous grin suggested she had something up her sleeve.
I tensed, ready for anything, and thrust my sword. It seemed my growth wasn’t limited to my level. Even I could see the clean, precise trajectory of my sword aimed at Fiore’s throat.
“Annoying.”
The playful expression vanished from Fiore’s face. Using the flat of her blade, she deflected my thrust outwards. Then, lowering her stance, she hooked the tip of her sword behind my knee and pulled.
The sequence of movements was fluid and seamless. Tensing wouldn’t have helped. I realized this only after losing my balance and falling. That wasn’t all.
Fiore immediately straddled me, pinning my sword to the ground with her foot and pressing her other knee into my stomach, restricting my movement. The tip of her sword was now pointed at my throat.
“The versatility of a sword also means it can be used in a half-sword grip, fulfilling the role of a dagger, like so.”
Fiore, looking down at me with a triumphant grin, looked magnificent. Despite the goosebumps brought on by the winter air, her flushed, tanned skin radiated a summery vibrancy.
With the sun at her back, her unadorned face was even more captivating. Her bright brown eyes, in particular, sparkled with a radiance that surpassed any jewel.
“It seems your emotions are getting the better of you during training.”
The impact of landing on my back was jarring. The pressure of her knee on my stomach was so intense it made it hard to breathe.
“What are you talking about? Haven’t you heard of realistic training?”
That was the beginning. Fiore mercilessly drilled me, demonstrating various offensive and defensive techniques combining wrestling and half-swording.
“Battles against heavily armored opponents often devolve into messy brawls. So, it’s best to learn wrestling properly. Now, it’s your turn. Get ready.”
After what seemed like an eternity, Fiore, seemingly satisfied, ended her demonstration and gave me a chance to practice.
She took a stance, her sword pointed at me, ready to thrust. The moment I assumed my stance, Fiore lunged.
“Die!”
Her battle cry was laced with a generous dose of personal feeling.
I raised my sword horizontally, blocking Fiore’s overhead strike aimed at my head. As her upper body lifted with the deflected sword, I charged forward, shoulder first, into her chest. It was a move similar to a tackle commonly seen in mixed martial arts.
“You, bastard!”
Fiore immediately brought up her knee, aiming for my face. However, her reaction was a fraction too slow. She hadn’t anticipated the unfamiliar tackle. That slight difference was crucial.
My shoulder connected first. I then pushed forward with all my weight. Fiore was far more skilled than I was. However, I had a slight advantage in raw strength. Weighing almost twice as much as her, I easily knocked her off balance.
This time, I straddled Fiore, pressing the flat of my blade against her throat. Fiore’s face crumpled like a piece of paper. I smiled triumphantly.
“I win again.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Can’t you see this?”
Fiore gestured downwards. I finally noticed the sword pointed at my throat. She had recovered her sword as she fell and assumed a half-sword grip to counterattack.
“Ha… Ha…”
“Hmph.”
We stared into each other’s eyes, our swords locked at each other’s throats, close enough to feel each other’s breath. Fiore, with her unadorned beauty, was undeniably attractive.
And a beautiful woman never gets old, no matter how long you look at her. How long did we remain like that? Fiore finally averted her gaze, her flushed cheeks deepening in color.
“I-Isn’t this position a bit… compromising…?”
Fiore mumbled, her voice uncharacteristically subdued. As she said, with our swords locked and our bodies pressed together, it looked as though I was about to take advantage of her, especially without our armor.
“I don’t know. Isn’t this a common position during training?”
I feigned ignorance, maintaining my position. I even deliberately leaned closer, following her gaze to maintain eye contact.
“W-Wait… Everyone’s watching…”
Fiore’s eyes darted nervously around the room.
“Fiore, it seems you’re having some impure thoughts.”
Realizing she had been teased again, Fiore’s face flushed crimson. She hurriedly pushed me away and stammered,
“I-It hurts! It hurts! What do you even have down there? It hurts when you keep poking me!”
The problem was that she had grabbed my groin. She even started fondling it as if it were a toy. Her boldness stunned me into silence.
“Uh… uh…?”
As I froze, Fiore finally realized something was amiss. Her eyes widened as she looked down at what she was holding, trembling like she was experiencing an earthquake. She quickly tightened her grip.
Squish
Startled, she quickly pulled her hand away and scrambled away from me like a startled insect. Standing up abruptly, she pointed at me and yelled, even though I was the one who should have been angry.
“I-I thought it was a dagger!”
“They both serve the purpose of stabbing things, so they are similar.”
“W-What!?”
Fiore’s face turned beet red. I casually got up and approached her.
“S-Stay back!”
Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, she retreated as I advanced. Finally, her back hit the stone wall. She squeezed her eyes shut and pointed her sword at me.
To an outsider, it might look like I was about to force myself on a defenseless lady. Even though Fiore was the stronger one.
I clicked my tongue.
“What lewd fantasies are you having now, Fiore?”
“Uh… uh…?”
I pressed on before she could recover.
“Are you hoping I’ll take advantage of you? Well, if you hadn’t been interested, you would have subdued me already.”
“W-What nonsense are you talking about?!”
Finally snapping out of it, Fiore swung her sword. It was a clumsy, uncharacteristically sloppy swing.
I easily dodged it and grabbed her sword hand, pulling her towards me. Unable to resist my pull, she stumbled forward, burying her face in my chest. Her flustered expression was quite endearing.
Before she could recover, I slipped my hand inside her chainmail. Her breasts, too large to cup with one hand, were surprisingly soft.
“I never knew, with you always wearing armor… You’re quite well-endowed.”
“Y-Y-Y-Y-You!!!”
Finally regaining her composure, Fiore swung her sword again. It was a full-powered swing. However, it was all show and no substance. There was no reason I couldn’t dodge it. I had been anticipating it. I quickly retracted my hand and jumped back. Fiore fumed.
“You lecherous scoundrel! You piece of trash!”
“I’m just returning the favor. Haven’t you heard of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?”
“Still, this isn’t right! How can you compare yourself to me?!”
“What’s the difference?”
Fiore, who had been jabbing her finger at me, was rendered speechless by my question. Her eyes darted around, as if searching for a response. Steam practically rose from her overloaded brain.
“I-I’m a virgin!!”
Quite an underwhelming conclusion after such lengthy deliberation.
“Hmm, are you trying to appeal to me?”
“Die!!”
Fiore’s rampage only ended when she was completely exhausted. I sat down next to her as she leaned against the wall, glaring at me. I was also tired from dealing with her outburst.
We were both too exhausted to speak, so silence fell between us. The sky had turned crimson in the meantime. The many trainees who had been present earlier had gradually left, until none remained.
“I’m going to become a Grand Lord.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
Fiore responded sullenly. Our gazes were still fixed on the empty training grounds.
“Help me. Then, I’ll make you a knight.”
I had come to the swordsmanship guild to recruit Fiore, as I didn’t know when the Baron’s men would arrive.
Fiore possessed skills comparable to a knight and, as a veteran of the guild, knew many mercenaries. Her lack of real combat experience was a flaw, but it was something we could overcome together.
Most importantly, she was trustworthy. Fiore pretended otherwise, but she had feelings for me. I was certain of it, as I hadn’t sensed any killing intent in her sword even after I touched her breasts.
“Make me a knight~? Ha, did you think I’d just accept that? You should have aimed higher! Said you were aiming for Earl, or even Baron! Then, I might have pretended to fall for it!”
“We’re both aiming for the impossible.”
I was referring to her dream of becoming a knight as a woman. Fiore’s brow furrowed.
“That’s different! While it’s uncommon for a woman to become a knight, it’s not unheard of! But there’s no precedent for a mere knight’s son to become a Grand Lord! Especially not you, notorious as a Scoundrel! Ha, not a chance!”
“So, you’re saying I should give up because it’s a little more difficult?”
“It’s not just ‘a little’!”
Fiore pounded her chest with her fist. I looked at her with an incredulous expression.
“Your dream is also more than ‘a little’ difficult for the average person.”
Someone who dared to dream the impossible couldn’t tell another person with an impossible dream to give up. I continued, addressing the trembling Fiore,
“If I achieve my dream, you’ll achieve yours as well. We’ll become partners in fate.”
“Don’t try to subtly rope me in! I’ll become a knight with my own strength!”
“Don’t be stubborn. Knighthood is a political act. It’s a ceremony bestowed upon those deemed useful. There’s nothing immoral about accepting my offer.”
Fiore scoffed.
“Hmph, I doubt people would see it that way. The moment factors other than skill come into play, all my efforts to become a knight would be devalued. It’s meaningless if I don’t become a knight through my own merit.”
Fiore insisted on taking the harder path, making it even more difficult for herself. It was frustrating, yet, at the same time, so like her.
“Then just pretend we’re not connected.”
“What…?”
I picked up a helmet and placed it on Fiore’s head.
“When I first saw you in full armor, I didn’t even realize you were a woman.”
Fiore was tall for a woman of this era. Moreover, her broad frame made her look like a slender man in full armor. Even I, who knew her, perceived her that way, so strangers would be easily fooled.
“Why should I go through all that trouble to follow you?”
“Imagine this: you perform feats worthy of a knight, accumulating extraordinary achievements. Then, at the moment everyone is singing your praises, you remove your helmet. All those who said a woman couldn’t become a knight would be silenced. Doesn’t that moment excite you?”
“W-Well, that…”
Fiore’s eyes glazed over as she imagined that moment. She was a simple woman.
The moment was fleeting. She shook her head, snapping out of it.
“Even if I wanted to, Father wouldn’t allow it. He was against me becoming a mercenary, too.”
Just as I was about to respond, someone spoke before me.
“This time, it’s different. I’m the one asking.”
I turned reflexively and saw Andrei standing there.
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Get off sir, let us enjoy fiore’s time😑
Thanks teot!