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The Royal Military Academy—a complex of buildings located in a small town of Haveldam near Cölln.
It was a prestigious institution aimed to train aspiring military officers from the early age of 16 to 20 in rigorous academic education, as well as practical military combat-readiness. It included training in tactics, weapons, and physical fitness. Graduates of the academy were typically commissioned as officers in the military and went on to serve in various branches of the army.
The complex of buildings inside was designed to house and educate the future generations of the Weissen military. The main building of the academy was a large, imposing structure with a symmetrical facade, flanked by a couple of towers. This building contained classrooms, administrative offices, and living quarters for the cadets.
The cadets were housed in several large dormitories located near the periphery of the nearby woodlands. Each dorm had several floors of rooms for the cadets, as well as communal areas such as the canteen and gardens for eating and socialising.
The academy also had a large library, which contained books on military history, strategy, and tactics, as well as other subjects such as mathematics and science. The study of military doctrines involving magic, in particular, had been increasingly relevant in the recent decades.
To the rear of the main building was a large schoolyard where the cadets would drill and practice marching. On one side of the schoolyard was a chapel where religious services were held. Behind it, a large sports field where the cadets could practise fencing and duelling. There were also stables for the cadets to practise horsemanship.
Several figures stood on the field, intently watching an intriguing view unfolding in the centre. Apparently, two of their fellow cadets were currently engaged in an entertaining match.
"Don't you dare get back from this!"
One of the two, a grey-haired young man in a blue cadet uniform, shouted.
The uniform consisted of a distinctive blue jacket with its collar, lapels, and contrasting white lines. The jacket was worn with matching blue trousers, which were tucked into tall, black leather boots.The uniform was designed to be both practical and stylish, reflecting the military tradition of Weiss and the high standards of discipline and professionalism expected of cadets.
"Hmph…"
The young man then unsheathed his blunt sabre from its scabbard.
"I see. It cannot be helped."
In reaction, the young woman in a similar uniform unsheathed her sabre as well.
Her white hair shone, reflecting the brightness of the sunlight. The female uniform was a tailored blue jacket fitting the proportions of a female's body with the more or less the same features as the male version. The uniform's skirt reached the height of her thighs, sewed with box pleats for ease of movement. As with the male uniform, the female cadets wore a black leather belt with a silver buckle, which would hold their practice swords and bayonets.
Steel swords, long and brightly reflecting the sunlight, were gripped on both of their hands.
They were designed to be blunt enough to prevent penetration and laceration to the skin. It was more likely that a direct impact from the sabres would only cause bruising or superficial cuts. The students of the academy were disciplined enough to take the proper precautions and code of conduct in their bouts and duels, regardless of the risk of serious injury or death.
The scene was that of two military cadets, facing each other, each with their own stances.
Other students were watching on the sidelines, scattered around the field.
"Here he goes again. How many times is that now?"
A female student whispered.
"You're just asking for trouble, Fritz,"
A male student called out the young man, Friedrich, with his nickname.
"To be honest, I can sympathise with him for a little. After losing to Clausemeyer for so many times, no Weissen man could hold his head high,"
Another student commented.
"Well, he was at the top of the academy scores before she arrived, after all. Ah, just in case, does anyone here happen to be from the medical faculty?"
"I am, senior student, second year."
"Oh great, did you happen to bring a first aid kit?"
"Purely by coincidence."
"Lucky for us, considering today is a day off. Last time we had to carry his bloody leg all the way to the school clinic."
"Bloody?"
"Oh, no, no. It was an expression."
"Yeah Fritz, don't even think about it. Lady Clausemeyer would win the duel every time~"
"We're all rooting for you, Lady Clausemeyer!!"
A group of female students cheered.
"G-guuh…"
The boy, who was hearing them talking all along, felt rather upset. In his anger, he lashed out at them.
"Silence! Silence!! I won't accept her, do you hear? Just because some unknown girl showed up out of nowhere… She's supposedly the 'most talented in the entire history of the academy and whatnot—she just soared to the top of the scores and defeated everyone in duels… in just a mere few months!"
He fumed with resentment.
"No! I won't yield! Not until I prove that I am superior!"
Yeah, his jealousy is seeping through…
The students shared a collective understanding.
"Ready yourself, Clausemeyer!" Said Friedrich while pointing the tip of his sabre to the young woman.
The white-haired young woman slightly nodded at his warning.
"I am already different than before. Don't cry when I beat you after this…"
The young man replaced his senses with a renewed confidence, positioning his form into the offensive. After he had finished steeling himself, he cried out,
"En garde!!"
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In an instant, the white-haired young woman disappeared.
From her passing after-images, the young man knew where she was going to arrive.
In the span of a millisecond he revolved he shifted his stance mid-air onto the right, where a shining arc was slicing through the air towards his position.
Then, he swiftly moved his sabre in order to parry the arc in its trajectory.
As both of their blades clashed, a loud clatter was heard all around the field.
As expected, he can keep up.
They then rushed to deflect each of their blades away from the other.
The young man stepped his front leg to the back from the recoil, balancing his footing so as to regain his chance to attack.
So the experiences he had from our bouts up until now have started to keep himself up.
They both understood the nature of their weapon.
A sabre is a sword that delivers wide and powerful strikes in the fastest manner possible. Long and curved, the blade is used to slash through the opponent's body. It is capable of producing faster and more manoeuvrable cutting arcs than heavier swords such as the longsword.
This is why the weapon is well-suited to be used in various cavalry ambushes. A successfully executed flanking cavalry manoeuvre with waves of sabres aimed at the enemy lines would quickly and efficiently mow down enemy troops by cutting through them like a scythe through the gentle wheat.
However, due to its curved shape, the sabre has its own inherent faults.
As if to balance its offensive advantage, the curved blade is less-effective to block attacks.
The blade of the sabre could only extend insofar as its distance and shape allowed it to. So it is quite vulnerable to other weapons with longer reach, such as the spears or the pikes.
For this reason, attacks done by sabres must be dealt as close, as fast, and as precise as possible.
But, what if the opponent was to be another wielder of a sabre?
As the sabre is less effective for blocking, when two of them were to clash directly against each other, they would most likely not be able to put a halt to the enemy's deadly blow.
It is very difficult to precisely control the point of contact of the curve shaped blades during the clash. In the end, the outcome of the engagement can be easily affected by a single minor blunder:
That the sabres would potentially slide off each other, leaving one open to the opponent's attack.
As such, the best way to respond in this case is to parry an incoming attack with a more precise and swifter motion while looking for one's chance to strike.
I wonder if he would be able to respond faster. How would he approach me?
In accordance with her thoughts, the young woman nimbly moved.
Friedrich lunged and launched a horizontal slash. The blunted blade flowed fast to the young woman's side.
It's the left abdomen.
Faster than a blink of the eyes, she aimed her sabre on her side, meeting Friedrich's blade with enough force to break its course.
She then immediately lunged forward to launch a counterattack onto Friedrich's exposed chest.
Not losing to her pace, Friedrich quickly parried the attack and back to counter with a swift diagonal arc towards the young woman's head.
Now, head, lower right.
The young woman easily deflected his move with a blow to the other direction.
They continued on with their moves at lighting speed. One after another, the blades were clashing after the other in a blur of silver metal. They were so fast and so indiscernible that to the untrained eye, it appeared like a graceful dance of blades.
"A battle between two of the most powerful students of the academy is surely always a spectacle to behold…"
The medical student commented.
"Fritz certainly was the most skilled swordsman in the academy when it comes to sword fighting. But when we put Clausemeyer into the picture, we can see that she is more skilled than the two."
"Have you heard the rumours? That Lady Clausemeyer served in the military before she enrolled into the academy."
Asked a female student.
"Well, it is quite the appealing theory, but who can say?"
The young woman was taking her time out of curiosity. She was testing him with small feints and probes, seeing how he would react. Unlike any of the previous battles with him, this time, Friedrich came better prepared.
He was capable of holding out the young woman on his own.
He is good.
She thought as she moved her blade out of Friedrich's blade and countered.
But he seemed to be on his limits by now.
The young woman was in the middle of repelling Friedrich's sabre when suddenly, Friedrich retracted his sabre back to his chest.
Friedrich composedly grasped the hilt in both of his hands. He then charged forward recklessly, dropping all of his weight onto his blade. The young woman, caught off guard by his bold move, stumbled backwards.
"—!"
To think he would risk his own body to overpower me and bare me from the chance to redirect his attack elsewhere…
As the sun rose higher and shone brighter, amplified by the intensity of their physical duel, the field became increasingly brimming with heat.
She felt it. From every muscle, every inch of skin, every fibre of her being was attuned to the moment that was cast in the sun that day.
What came next was instinctive.
If blocking was out of the question and parrying would be made impossible…
Then I just have to let it pass by.
Feigning a block, she raised her blade to meet Friedrich's attack before deliberately folding her left leg and shoving her way onto his left.
Then, riding the swing of the sabre's torsion, she exploited the resulting momentum and rotated her body. With the additional force of rebounding her leg, she circled behind the young man's vulnerable back.
This move was an unconventional comeback forged by countless real battle experiences. It may have seemed simple at a glance, but normally, it would have been unthinkable in the midst of a friendly match. The difficulty lies in the combination of timing, sense, and mastery.
When Friedrich regained his composure from the heat of the duel and realised what had happened, it was already too late.
Friedrich was leaning forward to the ground while the young woman's figure stood upright behind. The blunt edge of her sabre stopped at the back of his neck's outer skin.
The duel was over.
"I- it's my loss…"
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A metallic 'clack' resounded as her blade locked against the metal of the scabbard.
"Lady Clausemeyer, you were simply magnificent!!"
"I knew you could do it, Lady Clausemeyer!"
Female students swarmed around the young woman, their admiration for her evident in their expressions and tone. She was definitely a little overwhelmed by the attention, but the young woman managed to maintain her composure.
"That was a good match, Fritz."
A male student consoled the now sitting Fritz from over.
"Yeah, it could have been worse. You did well on your own."
The medical student added, raising a box of first-aid equipment in his hand to make his point across.
"But I lost. Again. It would never be a good match without me coming on top…"
A disappointed sigh blew out of his mouth.
Friedrich had been defeated. But this round had undoubtedly fortified the young woman's interest in him as a person. She knew how much he had improved so far. He did not waver in the face of his previous defeats and was not afraid of hard work to strive for victory. Furthermore, he had taken a significant risk on his final move.
Friedrich's bravery and determination had certainly impressed her.
But she knew she could not have stayed in the academy for long. The train would not wait for her to depart.
She raised her hand to the female students with a faint smile on her face, before quietly going away.
"...Clausemeyer, where are you going?"
Fritz, who had noticed by now, called out to her.
"Fritz, did you forget that we have already been on summer break since last week? Surely, it is only reasonable for Lady Clausemeyer to leave the academy at this time for her personal affairs…"
The male student informed him.
'Surely, unlike a certain someone who has nothing to do other than pestering a lady to duel with him, only to lose a dime for time and time again…'
"I request one more bout. This time, I shall emerge victorious without a doubt!"
A sudden summer breeze slightly blew her white hair as she was picking up her wooden luggage from a bench at the field's edge. Without turning, she addressed him, her voice measured and cool.
"...Practice makes perfect, Mr. Harding. Given your current condition, however—I believe acknowledging the result for now would be most prudent."
Friedrich was left speechless at her statement.
He just silently stood there. With a frustrated expression etched on his face, he proceeded to fix his gaze at his sabre.
After a sidelong glance, the young woman strode away, leaving the students on their own devices.
"Well… Looks like it's time for me to continue on my way to the library…"
Said a male student as the group started to disperse from the field.
Another male student, apparently a friend of Friedrich's, tried to lighten the mood.
"Cheer up, Fritz. Say, old chap, how about we continue at Liesellote's place? I heard they've got a delightful new menu recently."
"...I guess."