Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

188 – Why Me, Again?

Her wrist throbbed, a persistent, dull ache.

The joints, battered by the wooden sword,

began to creak and protest in every direction.

And her legs, they trembled uncontrollably, a furious, involuntary dance.

It was then, at that precise moment,

that the sensation of defeat took root within her mind for the first time.

She, who had never once yielded

in the succession battles against more than ten others,

a woman who possessed a formidable strength.

‘…Me, defeated? Right here? Just like this?’

Of course, she had never harbored any intention of

assuming the mantle of successor,

and so she’d never dedicated herself to honing her martial prowess.

But if pressed to name

something in which she truly excelled,

she would undoubtedly, and confidently, choose swordsmanship.

Whether it was a curse or a blessing to be

born into the Valentine family, she couldn’t say.

But her father was among the most remarkably strong individuals in the Empire,

and she, inheriting his blood,

had always displayed a skill that far surpassed

that of her peers.

When was it that she’d overwhelmed one of the family knights with a wooden sword?

The knight had faced her in the spar without

bearing any handicaps,

and he hadn’t shown any mercy

simply because she was a member of the family.

‘Haa… haa…’

‘…Haha, I yield. Milady.’

‘It’s just a spar, Uncle?

Why are you so serious?!’

‘…I was worried about you, Milady.’

‘Me?’

‘Milady, you may not

have any interest in the position of heir, but…’

‘…’

‘Your siblings

are not all of the same mind.’

‘…And?’

‘Especially the eldest lady and…’

“The young master, he is overflowing with ambition.”

“…”

“To the point that he eliminates all those

who might become obstacles to him, in advance.”

“…”

“I thought that if you couldn’t even overcome the likes of me,

it would be better for the young lady’s safety to just live quietly…”

“…Heh, but I won?”

“Yes, you’ve completely won… hahaha!!”

At that time, she was

merely thirteen years of age,

so whether she liked it or not, her position within the clan could only grow stronger, and

despite the fact that her own will

was not reflected in the least,

before she knew it, she had been

chosen as one of the leading candidates for successor.

“…If I become the head, then

maybe I can change their perceptions…”

Of course, there was a time when she

lived with that thought in her heart,

but now, not even a single grain

of desire to become the head remained within her.

Even if she were to become the head,

it would only further restrict her freedom.

She had realized that it wasn’t a

fundamental solution.

“That’s why… I’ve come this far…!!”

Forcing herself to grip her trembling wrist,

she raised her sword, and

she stared directly into the eyes

of the man who had made her this way.

A gaze in which not a single ray of light could be found.

A chillingly dark and

deep pupil sent a shiver down her spine for a moment, but

that space was soon filled with frigid

rage and irritation.

No one had ever

treated her like this before.

No, they couldn’t even dare to!!

A monumental humiliation, the first she’d ever truly known, bloomed across her entire being.

Inwardly, she embraced it – the indignity, the sense of defeat, the gnawing inferiority.

It stung, the realization that, as things stood,

victory over him was beyond her grasp.

And so, for the first time in her life,

she poured everything into the sword.

Soon, even that very inferiority

became a force she could wield.

Wuuung –

The sword’s cry, dyed a vibrant blue, rang out beautifully.

When a blindingly radiant

beam of light erupted from its blade,

she felt a sense of accomplishment

that defied description.

It was a precious fruit, harvested from her first real exertion.

Of course, considering it was her maiden effort, the outcome was considerable,

but that wasn’t what mattered

most to her at that precise moment.

What she craved was the certainty that this would suffice to conquer the man before her.

Still, in a way, she owed this newfound strength to him;

thus, she decided to grant him one last chance.

Out of respect for her senior’s pride,

an opportunity to walk out of the training grounds intact.

Gratitude, surely, was stirring within her,

but still, deep down,

a certain arrogance lingered.

Unseen, even by herself.

‘…I was trying to be considerate… Forget it!’

And with that, he rejected her offer.

Perhaps a touch of bitterness was in order,

she thought, and swung her sword without further ado.

She had no desire to prolong this any further.

This attack,

would decide everything.

Moonlit Ninth Sword, the Third Form.

Eyebrow Moon Slash

“..Huh?”

And not long after,

her world was turned upside down in an instant.

*

Clang─!!

The sparring ended with the sound of metal meeting metal and breaking,

and I noticed the professor

rushing over from the distance, panting.

Most likely because she had suddenly

fainted.

“Hmm, fortunately, she seems

fine on the surface…”

“….”

“Just in case, let’s

send her with the infirmary once they arrive.”

For some reason, I felt the professor’s

gaze flicker across me,

but since I was the one who

actually knocked her out, I couldn’t say anything.

And frankly, including Sylvia and

Isabella, I was the first person to

knock an opponent unconscious.

‘..Sylvia might have been

better off knocking her opponent out, come to think of it.’

I stare at her face, which seems

as though she’s just sleeping soundly,

with no apparent problems.

Her whole body was soaked in sweat,

and strands of hair were

stuck thickly to her face,

completely drenched in sweat.

Her wrist was swollen red,

as if she needed emergency treatment

right away,

and besides that, her torn clothes

seemed to show how grueling

the sparring had been for her,

and so I gently brushed the hair away

that threatened to poke her eye.

This was an action I would never have taken under normal circumstances.

Nay, it was an action I wouldn’t have done

even for fear of embarrassment,

but it was my own way

of offering her an apology.

Judging by her temperament, even if she awoke she likely wouldn’t outwardly show it,

but even I had to admit, the attack from earlier

seemed a bit too much for her to handle.

Well, of course, I had

held back a degree,

and in the first place, it wasn’t even an attack directly aimed at her,

but the problem was not with my attack,

but with hers.

No matter how much the

sword-threads neared a kind of mastery,

the base was ultimately nothing more than mana.

That is, an attack imbued with mana,

and what’s more, an attack condensed

with pure, high-concentration mana;

I had forcibly twisted

and deflected that flow,

so the rebound of the attack would have returned completely

to her,

and that shock would not be insignificant.

It was only for a moment, but judging by the amount of mana

contained within her blade,

it would have been enough

to break at least a grown man’s arm.

Even as our swords clashed,

her wrist had felt unsteady,

so I could only inwardly hope that

nothing had gone wrong with her arm.

‘Even so, I have no intention

of rendering her unable to wield a sword.’

“For now, all sparring will

end here. No complaints, I trust?”

“””No.”””

Though it ended on a sour note,

I thought it was enough to

knock the puffed-up noses off those wild juniors,

Professor Olliver declared he would

hold no further lessons today, and

everyone present agreed.

Truth be told, I hadn’t wanted

to come here in the first place.

Sylvia, on the other hand, had tagged

along simply to see the juniors’

abilities with her own eyes.

Isabella… I wasn’t quite sure about her,

but at the very least, no one here in

this training ground wished to

continue this lesson any longer.

Well, that’s only if we’re talking about

“those who still retain their consciousness,” anyway.

“Then everyone, let’s call it a day

and return.

I’ll guide the medics when they arrive.”

“He’s being so direct, shall we just go back?”

Sylvia was hurrying me along as if there

was nothing else to see here.

If she wanted to leave so badly,

she could’ve gone alone.

Why she had to bring me along.. truly.

Well, it was true that I had

no reason to linger either, so even if I

was led out by her hand

without a word,

I wouldn’t have much to regret…

However, something felt unsettling about leaving like this.

‘…I’ve gone soft, haven’t I.’

Even if I didn’t beat her up as badly

as I used to, the fact remained I’d left a

girl my own age in that state, and I was

about to just turn around and leave.

‘Is that…right?’

“Wheeze… Wheeze…”

“…..”

…Yeah, it definitely felt a bit off

to just leave like this.

“Hm? What’s that paper?”

“…No, I’m finished. Let’s go.”

*Scritch-scratch*, the pen tip

A rolling sound echoed, lingering for a moment.

*

And so, she and I strolled

out of the training grounds,

greeted by the still-bright, warm embrace of the sun.

The dazzling rays instinctively

made me squint,

and oblivious to my discomfort,

Sylvia, from just moments ago,

kept tugging at my arm.

How bothersome…

I wished she would just tell me plainly

if she had something to say.

Perhaps she harbored some grievance

against me, but

try as I might to recall,

I couldn’t think of a single thing

I’d done wrong today to her…

Unless she was deliberately trying to find fault,

searching for a reason to

needle me,

it could only mean she had

some other business with me.

“Might you have some business with me, perchance?”

“…Huh?”

Perhaps she hadn’t expected

me to ask so directly,

for a rare flash of

discomposure flickered across her face,

but I have no penchant

for taking detours when the solution is right before me.

Besides, I’ve never been one for complications.

“Hmm… you do have some sense, it seems?”

“…So, you’re not even using

formal speech anymore?”

“Even if it’s only for a little while,

there’s no one around right now.”

For a moment, her words reminded me of

Isabella, who had been trailing closely behind us until recently, but

she was still back there,

Engaged in conversation with the professor,

it truly felt as though

no other souls existed in our vicinity.

Frankly, by this point, I’d expected at least one nosy paparazzo lurking about.

After all, a scion of the Empire’s Four Great Houses

and an Elven Princess sharing space –

one might think that was

downplaying the situation considerably.

But seeing her remain silent,

it seemed in truth that

no surveillance, of any kind, was present.

Others might be fooled, but never *her*;

so acutely attuned to the presence of

other races, it was impossible she wouldn’t notice a few lurking humans.

“And in the first place,

there’s no particular reason

for me to speak formally to you, is there?”

“..No, I suppose not.”

“Of course, you are perfectly

deserving of such respect…

If you desire it, I could certainly─”

“No, thank you.”

“..Honestly, you certainly

know how to decline things with speed.”

Was it not obvious?

Even if I were acquainted with her,

a mere count – barely that –

fraternizing with an Elven Princess,

engaged in amiable conversation.

If the powers-that-be knew,

they’d be beside themselves with rage;

and naturally, the reverberations would strike me as well. What a mess.

“Well, the truth is, I do

have a matter to discuss with you.”

“….”

“Actually…”

“Zenisss!”

Just as those words hovered on her lips,

From behind me, a voice

echoed, and it took

a moment for me to realize

just how familiar that voice was to my ears.

“Pardon, borrowing this, yes?”

“Lady Sino? What in the─”

“W-wait, just a moment?!”

“Papa wants you, says come quick!”

Out of nowhere? Again, why?!