「Things have gone in a weird direction, but are you really fine with the outcome?」(Touya)
On the way to the training field of the Knight Order of Paluf, I enquired Duke Rembrandt who was walking in front of me.
I would like to hear what the girl's father thinks of something like a battle training with his ten-year-old daughter.
「It's not a problem. This girl is certainly strong, even if I am to say it as a father would of his child in a favorable light. However, she has grown to be a bit arrogant because of that. I would be grateful if Your Majesty The Dukedom King could beat and break that aggressive spirit of hers. It's better this way for her own sake as well, don't you agree?」(Donovan)
I thought that the other knights couldn't raise their hands against her due to the different positions they have — with her being a fiancee to His Majesty The King — but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Any world apparently has people called prodigies. However, their attitude is no good for their education if they become conceited when they are still kids.
There are cases where their self-confidence born of their excessive power turns into arrogance and contempt towards other people. One might say that having no confidence, like the boy king over here, is a problem as well.
The duke has no complaints with the sham battle itself, but… looking at it the other way, won't I become resented for it afterward? Even if I don't, I wouldn't want to have a bad image for winning against a child. On the other hand, I also cannot allow myself to lose on purpose.
Once we arrive at the training field, Rachel is already doing warm-up exercises. She has already changed into a jersey-like training uniform that's easy to move in and is now swinging the wooden sword in a practiced manner. She's brimming with enthusiasm.
Can't be helped. I guess I should resolute myself to be hated afterward and act as a strict opponent. I've received her parent's authorization, after all.
Though even if I say so, she's still a girl so I plan not to injure her as much as possible.
The training field seems to be covered with a barrier that doesn't allow damage to leak outside if it's done with magic up to advanced level.
After I've confirmed this matter, I go towards where Rachel has been waiting on the training field and pick up a thin branch that was lying on the ground.
「Your Majesty The Dukedom King… what's this?」(Rachel)
「It's a weapon. It should be plenty for an opponent of your level」(Touya)
「…! Please don't tell any excuses after this is over!」(Rachel)
Ohya, she's now angry. Of well, it's fine. Since we are doing the actual fighting now, it will turn into a disadvantage if she gets angry with this much. This noble princess seems to be easily drawn in by provocations.
A young knight stands up between us, acting as a referee.
「Are both sides ready? Well then, start!」(Knight)
Rachel immediately comes thrusting at me the moment a signal is given by the knight. She's quite fast. I then agilely evade the swung wooden sword to the side and lightly strike the girl's head with a twig.
「?!」(Rachel)
「Do not recklessly jump at your opponent without understanding how he moves first. And when it's time to leap in, make sure to do that only after you prepared a different move」(Touya)
BAN! This time Rachel makes some distance by stepping backward. She then raises her left hand and starts to chant magic.
「Oh fire, come forth, a crimson lance of flame, Fire Spear!」(Rachel)
A flame lance is shot at me from the girl's left hand. It's amazing to be able to use that kind of magic when you're ten, but… Hmm, this a bit much.
I step to the right from the incoming spear, thus easily avoiding it. The magic then disperses after hitting the barrier behind me.
「It's easy to predict the trajectory of a magic from the Spear category. Unless you're using it while pursuing someone, I believe you will have a better use of this spell as part of a scheme of sorts, like casting it after your opponent's movements are sealed with a magic from the Bind category」(Touya)
「Kuu…!」(Rachel)
Knitting her brows, Rachel once again tries to rush me and prepares her sword. I then fire a magic the moment she starts to run.
「Slip」(Touya)
「Ugyaa!?」(Rachel)
I get closer to Rachel who has fallen quite heavily and strike the top of her head with a wooden branch again.
「I-I have fallen just now only by accident! It doesn't count!」(Rachel)
「Sorry to disappoint you, but the reason you fell is because of my magic. The one which "makes one fall down". This magic alone can be counted as one of the strongest magics. Though that depends on how it's used 」(Touya)
Amazing magic is not limited by those that have high destructive power. I would like to think about this way.
「N-noooa!」(Rachel)
Now standing up, the girl comes striking to both my sides. Her attacks are quite sharp. She incorporates faints into them as well. For a girl of ten years, her talent might indeed be unfathomable.
However, I dodge those attacks and land a few strikes on where it hurts. I am not being worked to the bone every day by a goddess of swords just for show. I know how to pick up where it's bad to receive an attack.
Say, I wonder if this is how Moroha-san feels during moments like these.
「Oh earth, entangle, curse of the soil, Earth Bind」(Rachel)
「Oh?」(Touya)
Sand bulges up from the ground and entangles me up to my ankles. Has she been concentrating her magic while swinging the sword?
「Oh thunder, come forth, a thunder lance of white lotus, Thunder Spear!」(Rachel)
Oooh? So she's attacking in accordance with what I've taught her earlier. She's an obedient child despite her behavior. Still, this tactic is not a complete solution.
「Oh water, come forth, a spiral bulwark, Aqua Shell」(Touya)
The lance of thunder gets absorbed by a protective wall of water and gets annihilated. Well, the short story is that I've just used the spell as a lightning rod.
「Yaaa!」(Rachel)
Aiming at the moment when Aqua Shell dissipates, Rachel draws a sharp thrust at me. That would've been dangerous.
I then strike the hand that's holding the sword while avoiding the attack.
「Uguu!」(Rachel)
「I. Have. Already. Told. You. Do not recklessly dive in with an attack. Say, what gives?」(Touya)
「Shut up! You've only been doing light hits, do attack me properly as well! You've only been running away thus far!」(Rachel)
Her tone has changed. Or rather, this is her true character, I am sure of it. She's not going to let it go during the battle.
Oh well, if that's her with, then I suppose I will attack her appropriately.
「Come forth thunder ice, an ice fog of hundred thunders, Vortex Mist 」(Touya)
「Ugyaaa!?」(Rachel)
Rachel is struck with the produced thunder, becomes numb and collapses on the ground. I've held back and used the least amount of power so she shouldn't have received that much of a damage.
「What is this? This magic?」(Rachel)
「It's a composite magic. It's a combination of Water and Wind attribute which produces a fog that can launch an attack via thunder」(Touya)
「A composite magic?! I've never heard of something like that! So sly of you!!」(Rachel)
It's not like I can do anything even if you say that it's sneaky of me. Oh well, I will make do with the usual magic.
「Oh earth, come forth, a pebble of soil, Stone Bullet」(Touya)
「Kuu!」(Rachel)
Rachel twists her body and dodges a stone pebble, a magic of elementary level from of the earth attribute. While she tries to face my way, I spend no time and send the second pebble her way.
「Look out」(Touya)
「Wha!」(Rachel)
「One more」(Touya)
「Wai~!」(Rachel)
「And one more」(Touya)
「Heey!? Why do you continue shooting them?! You aren't even chanting! It's weird, isn't it?!」(Rachel)
Speaking of chants, they are ultimately guidelines that help to fire the required type of magic. As a matter of fact, It's possible to omit any chanting if one keeps connecting the magic power inside the body with the formula of the selected technique. Though it's impossible to shoot magics simultaneously as using a different magic will cause the other magics to be canceled.
Meanwhile, Rachel moves around with a frantic expression on her face, somewhat recklessly dodging the rain of pebbles that are being shot one by one. Fuhaha, it's so amusing.
「Slip」(Touya)
「Ouch?! It hurts~?!」(Rachel)
A pebble hits the girl's forehead which then made her fall over on her backside. Although there was not much power behind the attack, it probably still felt painful. She's now teary-eyed.
「Well, that's how things are. It would be good if we put an end to it soon, but…」(Touya)
「I haven't lost yet!」(Rachel)
「is that so-o-o?」(Touya)
Saying that she hasn't lost, doesn't she understand how many times I've struck her thus far? She would've been dead already if it was by a real sword. Even the magic that I used, she's already in this state after I've increased the output only by this much.
「No-o-o!!」(Rachel)
Rachel tightly grasps the wooden sword and comes at me once again. I then ward off her attacks to left and right while I'm wondering what's up with her. Looks like this lady won't give up to such half-hearted attacks of mine. It has turned out quite troublesome indeed…
「If that's what you're saying, then I guess there is no helping it. Make sure to hold on and steady your mind. The next attack will end it 」(Touya)
「Excellent! I don't know what you're going to do, but I definitely won't lose to…」(Rachel)
「Gate」(Touya)
「Eh?」(Rachel)
While she continued to try and hit me, I opened a transfer gate beneath her feet in which she then fell like a stone. At the same time, I heard a frightening scream coming from above.
「Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!???!?!?!」(Rachel)
Rachel comes falling straight down from a 500 meter up. I am amending her course with the wind magic so that she won't stray off the path, so she should definitely fall here.
「R-Rachel?!」(Ernest)
As expected of the boy king, she has become ghastly pale as he watches his fiancee falling down.
「Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!」(Rachel)
「Oh wind, blow away, a soaring turning draft, Whirlwind. & Levitation 」(Touya)
I slow down the speed of her falling and suddenly stop in about one meter above the ground with the suspension magic. This is the end of the irregular freefall from another world.
「…Ah… …! Fuu…. Haa…」(Rachel)
「Do you give up?」(Touya)
Rachel's body is trembling as she flaps her mouth, opening it and closing it in quick succession, but she still manages to give a cocking nod. So it was effective as I expected it to… which is bad. I've overdone it…
「Oh water, come forth, a cleansing current, waterfall 」(Touya)
「Hiyaa!?」(Rachel)
A large quantity of water suddenly pours down on the head of Rachel. She's soaked to the skin in a moment.
The surrounding gallery tilted their heads to my actions, but only Rachel was hanging her beet red face down in shame once I let her onto the ground.
Uwaaa. Could it be that she's afraid of heights? It must've been quite scary to her… She was then immediately clad in water so the surrounding shouldn't have noticed anything. Has she not gone to the toilet before our battle?
「R-Rachel! Are you okay?!」(Ernest)
「I-I am okay! I am absolutely calm!」(Rachel)
Rachel then vigorously stands up while still soaked, glares at me with teary eyes, and runs off the training field.
Uwa, it's was way too bad… I have a feeling that I've burdened a girl in her tender years with a heavy cross to bear. It's terrible, I wish I would've just disappeared.
「Aah… I've made a mistake…」(Touya)
There should've been a more suitable way to handle this matter besides the one that I took. As I am feeling down, the girl's father Duke Rembrandt comes up to me.
「Looks like I had no reason to worry. That way this girl should've noticed that she's still a novice and has a long way to go, seeing as she has been dealt with so severely」(Donovan)
No-no, it's me who is still a greenhorn… I am reflecting on it now… By how it looked like, it may not be a stretch to say that I was just bullying a girl of ten years old…
As I give a side glance to the audience, I notice the bitter smiles on their faces … I guess they're right.
The dukedom king of Brunhild doesn't forgive even children, he's a tyrant similar to the likes of cold-blooded demons. What am I going to do if such rumors start to spread?
「Please forgive me, Your Majesty The King of Paluf. May I ask you to convey my apologies to Rachel later? She probably doesn't want to see my face for a while…」(Touya)
「Ah, okay. I understand. But I believe that there is probably no way that Rachel is mad at Your Majesty The Dukedom King. She's angry at herself for not being strong enough 」(Ernest)
Is that so? It didn't seem that way to me. However, to be comforted by a small kid… I am feeling more and more downhearted…
「E~to, how do I say it… Thank you very much…」(Cloud)
Expressing a bitter smile, the king of Rynie calls out to me. Well, I should've expected such a reaction. I understand his feelings.
「Still, what for did you use that last magic of water attribute?」(Cloud)
「Aah… Well, that girl was burning hot, so I cooled her head」(Touya)
I leave it with a suitable, misguiding reply. I cannot tell the real reason due to how it would affect the girl's honor. I've really done something bad.
「Your Majesty The Dukedom Kind sure is kind」(Lucienna)
「Eh?」(Touya)
Princess Lucienna smiles at me. Are? Has she been standing next to the King of Rynie? Could it be that she has noticed?
「Ernest, I will take your place for a short while and take care of the hospitality for His Majesty The Dukedom King, so go to Rachel」(Lucienna)
「Eh, but…」(Ernest)
The boy king was a bit hesitant towards his sister's proposal and looked at me. Once I gave him a light nod, he thanked me and ran after Rachel.
Somehow it looked like he wanted to cheer her up.
「Well then, Your Majesty The Dukedom King. Tea has been prepared so come this way, please」(Lucienna)
I am then being guided by princess Lucienna from the training field and into the castle. As we walked, I keenly felt how hard it is to have a child as an opponent. I am hoping that I am somehow handling Suu, the maid Rene, and Brunhild's kids. I am certainly losing more and more confidence in myself…