Early in the morning, close to dawn, I woke up. The first thing I saw was Yuri, who had woken up before me and was looking at me. Seeing her smile right in front of me made the lingering sleepiness vanish instantly.
"Elys, did you sleep well?"
"...Good morning."
I barely managed to greet her, trying to calm my racing heart. Since Yuri didn't seem to notice anything, it appeared that I hadn't given myself away.
"It's not time for morning training yet, right?"
"Yeah, there's still time, so we can prepare slowly. Only a few particularly diligent knights would have gone to the training ground by now."
Still, I didn't want to appear lazy while staying at someone else's home, so I went back to my room, washed up briefly, and changed into comfortable clothes. I chose long sleeves and long pants for good mobility and tied my hair back to prevent it from getting in the way. After grabbing my sword, which was stored in one corner of the room, I stepped out into the hallway, where Yuri was already waiting for me, fully prepared.
"Did you wait long?"
"No, I started getting ready at the same time, so it didn't take long. Shall we head down?"
"Yeah, after eating, playing, and sleeping all day yesterday, I feel stiff. Let's go quickly."
Together with Yuri, I made my way to the training ground. As we got closer, I could hear a few people shouting. However, since the shouts were not synchronized, it seemed that they were still in personal training, just as Yuri had mentioned.
"Young lady, you've arrived."
As soon as we entered the training ground, a knight who was nearby greeted Yuri. He appeared to be a rather elderly man.
"Good morning, Sir Lupin."
After exchanging simple greetings, the knight named Lupin quickly returned to his personal training. Before starting our own training, Yuri and I loosened our muscles by stretching and began running around the perimeter of the training ground. Since this was the Marquess' estate, the training ground was quite large, and after running a few laps, we were just starting to work up a light sweat.
"Gather up!"
At that moment, Lupin, who had just exchanged greetings with Yuri, called out in a loud voice, and the scattered knights quickly formed neat lines with precise movements. Instead of joining the knights, Yuri and I stood slightly off to the side, lined up next to each other.
After a brief wait, Marquess Craig slowly walked into the training ground and stopped in front of Lupin.
"Did you sleep well last night, Lord Marquess?"
Lupin greeted Craig with a simple salutation rather than excessive courtesy. Craig gave a slight nod, accepting his greeting without much thought.
"Looks like Sir Lupin was the first to arrive again today."
"Haha, as I've gotten older, I find I just can't sleep in the mornings anymore."
"In that case, as always, I'll leave today's training in your hands, Sir Lupin."
"Yes, you needn't worry."
With Craig's order, Lupin began commanding the knights in a loud voice, directing them with precision. It appeared to be group tactical training rather than individual exercises.
"You two, come with me."
Having entrusted the knights to Lupin, Craig led us to one side of the training ground. Even though it was a secluded area within the training ground, the space was still vast enough to accommodate the three of us.
"Hm… Having you two spar would be pointless, as you wouldn't show your true abilities, so I'll observe you individually. First, Yuri, draw your sword."
"Yes."
Following Craig's instructions, Yuri drew her sword from her waist. It was the same stance I had seen her take many times throughout the semester.
"Now, swing your sword."
Craig, however, made no move to take a stance or even draw his sword. Nonetheless, Yuri ignored Craig's nonchalant appearance and swung her sword with full force.
Whoosh
As expected, Craig effortlessly deflected Yuri's attack.
Whoosh, whoosh
Despite her best efforts, not a single one of Yuri's strikes came close to grazing Craig's clothes. After several dozen failed attempts, Yuri's breathing began to grow ragged.
"Huff, huff."
In the end, with her stamina depleted, Yuri stopped in place, her sword trembling in her hand. It was only then that Craig spoke.
"Your attacks lack sharpness, your flow is disjointed, and even your feints are clumsy. It seems you haven't learned anything at the academy."
Yuri bit her lip slightly at his harsh criticism, but since everything he said was true, she didn't make any excuses. She simply listened in silence.
"...But your stamina has improved compared to before. Rest now."
With Craig's permission, Yuri sheathed her sword. Her hands were trembling so much that it took her several attempts to do so.
"Now, let's continue. Elysia, draw your sword."
This time, it was my turn to draw my sword. Even though it was a real sword, I wasn't too concerned. Craig, being a swordmaster, wouldn't get injured by my blade, and even if he did, surely he wouldn't hold a grudge against his daughter's friend.
Craig raised an eyebrow as he watched me draw my sword, then finally unsheathed his own, which had remained hidden until now.
Taking his stance, Craig looked the same as I had seen countless times before. It made sense, as his stance was identical to the one Yuri had used throughout the semester. However, while their stances were similar, the difference in presence was striking.
Though the difference in pressure could have made me nervous, I wasn't shaken. If I had to compare, facing a demon earlier had been far more intimidating. Compared to the demonic energy and killing intent I had encountered back then, this felt like standing under the hot summer sun without shade. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
"Hm. Not bad. Begin when you're ready."
Since there wasn't much to prepare for, I charged at him as soon as Craig finished speaking.
Clang!
As expected, my attack was blocked. The impact was strong enough to make my hands tingle, but I gripped my sword even tighter, determined not to let go.
I swung again, but Craig blocked it just as easily as before, simply raising his sword to stop my blow.
Clang
I tried to press forward, keeping my sword close to Craig's, but his strength far exceeded mine. It wasn't just a difference in muscle strength—it was clear that Craig's body had been enhanced with aura, creating an insurmountable gap. Despite using both hands with all my strength, I couldn't overpower Craig, who was holding his sword casually with one hand. It was frustrating to realize just how far I was from the level of a swordmaster.
I attempted to break free, but Craig's sword remained firmly in place, preventing me from retreating. Each time I tried to pull away, Craig would match my movement perfectly, maintaining the distance between us.
No matter how much I twisted and swung my sword, Craig's blade moved freely, rendering all my efforts futile.
In a last-ditch effort, I subtly shifted my gaze toward Craig's feet and attempted to step on his foot. However, just before I could do so, Craig withdrew his foot and lightly kicked mine, throwing me off balance.
Normally, I would have no trouble maintaining my balance on one foot, but the combination of Craig's kick and the pressure of his sword easily disrupted my stance.
I removed one hand from my sword to brace myself as I fell, rolling to the side in an attempt to recover. However, by the time I got back on my feet, Craig's sword was already aimed at me.
"Hm… Not bad. Considering your age… No, even without taking your age into account, you're impressive. Your swordplay, your awareness, your ability to find an opening, and your aura control—all are better than the average knight."
Seeing Craig lower his sword, I dusted off my clothes and stood up.
"However, your swordsmanship lacks form. To put it nicely, it's freeform, but in reality, it means you don't have any fundamental training. You haven't mastered and moved beyond the basics—you never had them to begin with. It's purely practical."
Craig's evaluation pierced through my swordsmanship in just a few exchanges. Truthfully, my sword skills weren't elaborate enough to be called 'swordsmanship'. If they were, the guildmaster would have created a swordsman guild rather than an assassin's guild.
"Fortunately, you have exceptional talent. With your natural abilities, it would be better to continue fighting with your instincts rather than learning formal swordsmanship. I see traces of someone correcting your technique here and there, but they must have realized this as well and didn't interfere too much. Even I wouldn't dare to meddle at this point, as it would do more harm than good."
He was probably referring to Sellen. Could it be that Sellen's insight was equal to that of a swordmaster like Craig?
"Thank you."
"Lupin!"
After receiving Craig's compliment and advice, I quickly expressed my gratitude. Instead of replying, Craig turned his head and called for Lupin, who was instructing the knights in the distance.
"You called for me?"
Lupin swiftly approached at Craig's summons.
"For the remainder of the training, assign the knights to another instructor or switch to individual training. From now on, you will spar with Elysia several times a day. It will be beneficial for both of you."
"Yes, understood."
Without showing any doubt about sparring with someone much younger, Lupin returned to the knights and began giving orders.
"Elysia, from now on, you'll spar with me every morning, followed by continuous sparring with Lupin. Your sword relies on talent, so with a bit of instruction and experience, you'll improve significantly."
"Yes, I understand."
This was the word of a swordmaster. There was no need for questions.
"And Yuri, I'll oversee your training every day from now on. Don't miss a session."
"Yes."
With that, Craig wrapped things up neatly. After finishing my sparring with Craig, I continued sparring with Lupin for the rest of the day, completing my training.