That morning after breakfast, I walked along the back corridor of the palace with Anna and headed toward the training grounds.
"Hey, Anna. Sir Owen is His Majesty's personal bodyguard, right?" I asked while trying to loosen the tight and uncomfortable training outfit I was wearing.
"Yes, Princess," she replied, her usual soft tone laced with concern as we approached the open field.
"So, does that mean the King knows about Shilien—uh, I mean, my mother, who's been training me? How could His Majesty give permission for that?"
Anna shook her head. "I don't know, Princess. I don't understand it either."
I sighed in frustration.
The King must be crazy. No wonder Luna in the original story grew up to be a mad villainess.
As we arrived at the training ground near the palace's backyard, I immediately noticed a man waiting for me. He was tall and muscular, with curly brown hair tied back. His skin shimmered in the sunlight, highlighting each perfect sculpted muscle on his body.
Oh. My. God!
I had suspected that Owen would be a handsome man because almost all the male characters in Twilight's Chronicle were described as having extraordinary physical appearances. But this... this was beyond my expectations!
His long brown hair glistened under the sunlight, his sharp gaze and sharp jawline… and those muscles...
Yes, muscles!
Large biceps, broad chest, and six-pack abs that any woman would dream of!
Hehehe... Maybe this sword training won't be so bad after all.
"Ah. Good morning, Young Princess," Owen greeted us warmly.
Wow, he's a gentleman too? Goddamn, this is almost unfair!
"How's your morning?" His voice was deep yet pleasant.
"My morning is delightful, Sir! Especially since I've been looking forward to this training session!" I responded.
Of course, that was a lie. What kind of seven-year-old girl actually enjoys playing with swords?
"Hahaha! You seem very enthusiastic, Princess!" Owen said as he grabbed a small wooden sword and handed it to me.
"You can leave us, Anna," he said with a smile.
"What? But..." Anna looked at me with a worried expression.
"Just prepare some bandages and ointments for the Princess. She'll likely need them later."
Gulp! I took back my earlier thought that this training would be fun.
"Anna, wait! Don't leave meee!!" I screamed internally as I watched her bid farewell and leave me alone with Owen.
"Well, let's begin the training, Princess!" Owen snapped his fingers and suddenly, a small branch from a tree nearby flew toward him.
"Wait. You're a SKY EMBLEM user?"
"Hoo... Impressive observation," Owen said, looking stunned as I blurted out. "Ordinary people would just refer to it as magic. But you can specifically identify the EMBLEM and the type of element I wield."
Ah, crap! I shouldn't have let that slip. That response definitely wasn't something a normal seven-year-old would say.
"Did Lady Shilien teach you about magic and EMBLEM? Or did you learn it yourself?" Owen asked, spinning the branch in his hand.
"Y-You could say that..." I answered, nodding slightly.
I couldn't exactly tell him that I came from another world where I had already read and studied the magic system of this world, right?
EMBLEM or Enchanted Matrix of Boundless Life and Elemental Magic, is a manifestation of the magical power within those who have the talent or ability as sorcerers in this world. A sorcerer whose magic has awakened will have an EMBLEM in the form of a tattoo that appears on their skin. There are eight main elemental types of EMBLEM, and SKY is one of them.
"Well, let's start our swordsmanship lesson then. For today's first session, I will teach you the basics of swordsmanship, starting with proper stance and how to swing a sword."
Owen held the branch with both hands and gave it a swift flick.
"Like this?" I asked as I matched his form and followed his instructions.
"Exactly!" Owen responded, clearly pleased. "You're a fast learner!"
Pffft. Of course! This is easy!
I repeated the motion Owen had shown me until I became accustomed to it.
"Now, try to attack me," Owen said.
"What?" Did I hear that right?
"Try to attack me with all your strength. I want to test how much potential you have," he said, pointing the tip of the branch at me. "If you can break this small branch in my hand, we'll end today's session."
Huh? Seriously? He's joking, isn't he?
How can such a small branch withstand a bigger wooden sword like this? I mean, I'm still a child, but come on!
"The key to this exercise is concentration and breathing. You must focus all the energy in your body and release it in every strike, all in one breath," Owen explained.
I nodded and prepared myself. I took a deep breath and counted silently to three. One... Two... Three...
"Haaah!!" On the third count, I shouted and slashed at the branch in his hand.
But Owen didn't budge an inch when our weapons collided. It felt like I had hit a brick wall and thrown backward.
"Ow! Y-You cheat...!"
Owen just chuckled as he saw me groan in pain after hitting the ground.
"You used your EMBLEM power just now, didn't you!?"
"Huh? Not at all," he said, mocking me. "What you felt just now was purely my physical strength. Hmm... Maybe about one percent?"
Owen extended his hand and urged me to attack again. His expression was smug.
Ugh...! I take back what I said about him being a gentleman! This man is an adult, a high-ranking knight, and probably one of the strongest in this kingdom. But his attitude is beyond outrageous!
Dude, you're facing a seven-year-old princess! Shouldn't you go a little easy on me?
Oh, right. I forgot. I'm not Chrisola, I'm Luna D'Emeralia, the daughter of the most wicked woman in this kingdom.
I stood up and then attacked Owen again with all my strength. But all my efforts were in vain. Every one of my strikes was blocked effortlessly.
I fell repeatedly until my body was covered in bruises.
After what felt like hours, I was drenched in sweat and panted.
"C-Can't we take a short break?" I wiped my forehead while glancing at the now scorching sun.
Owen shook his head. "I already told you, the training ends when you manage to break the branch in my hand."
He looked at me with a mocking smile. "Or is this the extent of your abilities as the princess of the Argenti clan?"
What did he just say? This man... Is he really underestimating me?
Ugh…! There's no fucking way I will let this slide!
"You bastaard!"
A burning sensation ignited in my chest as I shouted and attacked him with all my might. Then, to my surprise...
When my wooden sword clashed with his branch, sparks flew, and then...
Boom!
I was thrown back again, landing hard on the ground before losing consciousness.
Meanwhile, Owen looked at the branch in his hand which was now ablaze and turning to ash.
"Amazing…" the man murmured before grinning. "Unbelievable…"