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Chapter 1: Life in the Galarc Kingdom

Meanwhile, in the mansion Rio was given by King Francois as Haruto Amakawa, honorary knight...

Ten days had passed since Rio started living with the members of the stone house. It was past noon, and Charlotte was once again visiting the estate. Satsuki, Liselotte, Christina, and Flora accompanied her.

Charlotte wet her throat with the tea that was served, then addressed Rio and Celia seated across from her sofa. “I am here today to give you two a job request.”

“Us?” Rio and Celia exchanged a look before answering together.

“Yes. It’s an official request from the kingdom, so you’ll naturally be compensated for it. The terms of work can be limited to while you’re in the capital. If you could give it your consideration with these details in mind, I would appreciate it,” Charlotte said, prefacing her explanation with emphasis that the job was voluntary.

“What kind of job is it...?”

“I’d like the two of you to become temporary instructors. I’m hoping for Lady Celia to hold a special class on sorcery at the Galarc Royal Academy, while Sir Haruto teaches close combat to a class prepared by us.”

“I understand Celia with her lecturer experience from the Beltrum Royal Academy, but I’ve never taught a class before.”

“Hee hee, that is a needless fear. I’m positive teaching won’t be a problem for someone of your abilities.” Rio was unsure of himself, but Charlotte gave her approval with full confidence.

“It’s a great honor to hear that, but I am unfamiliar with the sword styles and martial arts of the Galarc Kingdom.”

“That isn’t a problem either. What I’m requesting isn’t for you to teach technical basics to beginners, but to give more practical instruction to people with combat experience. There’ll be people specializing in various weapons and styles of fighting.”

“I see...” Rio muttered in thought.

He had previously taught Masato, who was completely new to combat, as well as the warriors of the spirit folk village, who had no experience in hand-to-hand combat due to their lack of infighting. But teaching the career soldiers of Galarc and the Restoration who already possessed all the required knowledge would be a different matter. Of course, there’d probably be people of nobility among them, so he wasn’t sure how much he’d be able to teach them.

“I know you have a strong sense of responsibility, so I understand if you won’t agree without careful consideration. But you don’t have to think so hard about it—you can treat it like a mock battle or a light sparring match. The reason why this job came up this time is because many have expressed a desire to spar with the Honorary Knight Sir Haruto.”

“While I wouldn’t refuse a light sparring match...do you know roughly how many people will be in attendance at this class?”

“I’m thinking of limiting it to a maximum of twenty people at first. I imagine whoever is free at the time will be in attendance, but I will take responsibility for the selection of attendees, so you don’t need to worry in that regard.”

Charlotte grinned boldly, as though to say she wouldn’t allow anyone to pull anything funny. As one would expect, she had considered all the points Rio could possibly find concerning. Rio was impressed by her prudence, and his expression softened in amusement.

“It may be better to reduce that number if I’m to face everyone myself, but if the attendees don’t mind sparring with each other, then that works too.”

“Whether it’s one-on-one, or an all-out brawl, I’ll leave it to you to decide based on the number of attendees at the class at the time.”

“I see. In that case...”

It may be possible to maintain a proper lecture format that way. Whether the attendees will be satisfied with that is a different matter, though...

“For now, the attendees of the first class are pretty much decided already, so how about you give it a try? You can decide if you want to continue with future classes after that,” Charlotte suggested.

Apparently, she had arranged everything regarding the first class in preparation for Rio’s agreement. Since she had gone through so much trouble before approaching with the request, Rio found it hard to refuse. Or rather, he found himself wanting to repay her for her consideration.

“I understand... I’ll give it a try,” Rio said, accepting the request.

“Thank you. I believed you would say that, Sir Haruto. In that case, the first class will be held—I’m so pleased. I can’t wait to see your gallant figure again,” Charlotte smiled in delight. Charlotte replied gleefully, smiling in delight.

“You’re in high spirits, Char.”

“Hee hee. You said it’d be interesting yourself, Lady Satsuki.”

Satsuki had been sitting in silence as they talked but joined the conversation with a giggle. Charlotte had also given her reply in a cheery mood.

“Incidentally, who’ll be attending the first class?” Rio asked, looking at Satsuki.

“First, Lady Satsuki will be there. Attending from Galarc will be several of my knights and Liselotte’s attendants. Some of Princess Christina and Princess Flora’s female knights will also be attending from the Restoration side,” Charlotte answered with a look at Christina and Liselotte.

“Princess Charlotte approached us with the offer. The Restoration will attend through Vanessa and some of her subordinates. They may cause you trouble, but please guide them well, Sir Amakawa,” Christina said with a nod.

“A few of my attendants who accompanied me to the capital will also be in attendance. Please teach them as well,” Liselotte continued with a bow.

“Which means there’ll be some familiar faces...” Rio was a little bothered by how they were all women. “I understand. I don’t know how well I’ll be able to teach them, but I’ll do my best,” he replied, straightening himself and nodding.

“As long as it’s okay with you, I’d like the first class to be held in a few days. Would that suit your circumstances? I’m thinking of holding it in the morning, after breakfast and before the afternoon...”

“I’ll be free as early as tomorrow at that time.”

“Really? Then let’s hold it tomorrow! If the others in your mansion would like to watch or participate, we can hold it in the square in the rear garden. I’ll drop by around nine o’clock in the morning.” Charlotte looked around at Latifa and everyone present.

“Yes! I’d love to go and watch!” Latifa raised her hand energetically.

“If Haruto’s teaching, I’d like to attend as a student.”

“I’m also interested.”

Sara raised her hand shyly, followed closely by Alma.

“The two of you are most welcome to join. That is fine, right?” Charlotte agreed readily, checking with Rio for confirmation.

“Yes, of course. In that case, you can take the class for most of the time, but could you act as my assistants when I need help?”

“Sure!” Sara agreed.

“Leave it to us,” Alma added.

“Aishia, you too.”

“Yup.” Aishia nodded without hesitation.

“That settles the matter of Sir Haruto’s special instruction. Lady Celia, what will you do about yours?” Charlotte summarized in satisfaction, then turned to Celia.

“There are a few things I’d like to confirm, but the fact that Princess Christina is here means you’ve cleared this with her, right?”

“Yes. Or rather, you’ve been temporarily transferred to Sir Amakawa right now, so the decision is up to you two,” Christina answered.

“Thank you. What kind of subjects are you expecting me to cover?” Celia asked Charlotte.

“Any subject is fine, but your students will range from upper elementary- to middle school-aged. Each class can be a complete course, or you can take several classes to cover a topic if you prefer. We can discuss that after taking into consideration the duration of Sir Haruto’s stay in Galarc.”

“I plan on staying for another month. If Celia agrees to teaching, please plan around that schedule,” Rio explained.

“If you could proceed with the arrangement of the classes, I’ll start thinking about my lesson plans.”

Thus, Celia decided to hold her special lectures as well.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning, in order to take Rio’s close combat class, people who crossed organization borders gathered on the mansion grounds.

Galarc Kingdom’s Second Princess Charlotte walked in the lead, guiding them. She was accompanied by her attendants and female knights behind her. Walking beside her were the Restoration’s Christina and Flora. They were similarly followed by their attendants and knights, including Vanessa. A little farther behind the princesses was Liselotte, daughter of Galarc’s Duke Cretia. She was accompanied by her attendants who also acted as her guards—Aria, Cosette, and Natalie.

In front of the gate were two female knights from Galarc. Rio had no retainers, and the hero and princess of the kingdom often visited his mansion, so the area was guarded by the castle’s knights.

Incidentally, since the mansion Rio was given was on the castle grounds, space was limited. Therefore, the mansion was located a stone’s throw away from the front gate. Instead, the rear garden had a bigger private space away from the public eye, and there was more than enough room to hold a sparring match with weapons.

In preparation for the arrival of the guests, a gazebo was set up in the garden towards the front gate for Rio and the others to relax in. (Satsuki had stayed over the night before, so she was at the mansion already.)

“Welcome, everyone.”

“Good morning, Sir Haruto. We’ve arrived as promised.”

“I’ve been waiting.”

Rio approached the group and placed his right hand over his chest, welcoming them.

“Let’s get straight to the point. If the preparations are complete, please begin teaching.”

Since they were limited on time, they got straight to business upon arrival.

“I understand. Please, follow me.”

Rio led the party to the rear garden. There was an even larger gazebo in the back, which he stopped by first. Wooden weapons for the mock battles had been brought over the day before and were lined in front of the gazebo.

“Anyone who wishes to observe, please head under the gazebo. Those participating in the class, please select your best weapon out of those available and come this way.”

Rio then picked up the wooden sword leaning beside him and walked a short distance away. Aishia and Satsuki picked up wooden spears and went after him, followed by Sara, who picked up two wooden daggers, and Alma, who chose a wooden mace.

Then, the rest of the participants, which included Vanessa, Aria, Cosette, Natalie, and the others, each selected their own weapon and followed them.

“Everyone else, please come this way.”

At Celia’s prompting, Charlotte and the others made their way under the gazebo. There was a table and chairs set up underneath where everyone other than the attendants sat down to watch Rio’s class.

In the meantime, the participants had already distanced themselves sufficiently from the gazebo.

“Around here should do.” Rio, who had been walking in the lead, came to a stop and turned around to face the knights and attendants. Aishia, Sara, and Alma stood beside him.

“It’s okay for me to be on this side, right?” Satsuki checked with Rio before lining up among Aria and the others.

“Yes.”

The participants are Satsuki, five knights from Galarc, five knights from the Restoration, and three of Liselotte’s attendants. Then there’s Aishia, Sara, and Alma. A total of seventeen people. And they’re really all women...

After looking around at everyone, Rio felt a little awkward. Being the only man in a group of women was rather wearing on the mind. The observers under the gazebo were also women, so he felt like he had walked into an all-girls school alone.

However, Rio guessed Charlotte had actually limited her selection of participants to women for his sake... Or rather, for the sake of Latifa and the others who were living in the mansion. After telling her they weren’t used to being around nobility, she probably assumed they’d be more comfortable around members of the same sex and acted out of consideration. The people here were also somewhat familiar faces that could usually be seen protecting Charlotte and Christina. That being said...

“My name is Haruto Amakawa. I am honored to be able to instruct you all in close combat at the request of Princess Charlotte.”

There were many he hadn’t spoken to before, so Rio gave a self-introduction. At that, the participants all drew their gazes to him. Some looked at him with curiosity, some looked at him with admiration, and some looked at him in evaluation.

“These three are my friends: Aishia, Sara, and Alma. They’ll be participating in the class as my assistants. We spar with each other on a regular basis, so I can guarantee that the three of them are good opponents. The hero, Lady Satsuki, will also be participating along with everyone.”

At Rio’s introduction, Sara and Alma bowed their heads first.

“I’m Satsuki. I’d appreciate it if you interacted with me without all the stiff hero formalities. Nice to meet you,” Satsuki said. However, the position of those present wouldn’t allow them to accept her words so naively, and they all responded with a respectful bow of their heads.

I guess I’ll have to work on the rest over the course of the sparring matches, Satsuki thought with a strained smile when she saw them react in such a way.

“The purpose of this class is to teach close combat, so I’m thinking of focusing the class on mock battles. To be honest, I don’t have much confidence in my abilities to instruct everyone. But since I’ve agreed to do this already, I will take responsibility and do my best. Now... Our time is limited, so let’s begin.”

Rio declared the start of the lesson. He had thought of the lesson plan yesterday, but he lacked teaching experience. He had no choice but to figure things out as he went along. Now that he felt aware of that all over again, his expression stiffened with slight nervousness.

“I’d like to begin by measuring everyone’s abilities, so I’m going to face each of you one by one. The match will be suspended as soon as I measure your strength, but can also end with an effective blow. So please come at me with the intention of hitting me. Magic and sorcery is allowed in the form of physical ability enhancement. The only necessity is a sign signaling the start, so will you be willing to act as umpire, Sara?”

“Yes. Leave it to me.” Sara stepped forward at Rio’s request. Hearing they would start with sparring made the participants all pull themselves together. They were probably drawn to the opportunity to spar with Rio, who had many military achievements under his belt. They wanted to measure his abilities just as much as—if not more than—he wanted to know theirs.

“Then, my first opponent will be...”

Rio looked around at the participants.

“Please allow me.” One of the knights from the Galarc Kingdom immediately raised her hand. Everyone’s attention gathered on her.

“You’re...”

She seemed to be in her early twenties. She normally accompanied Charlotte around the place and left an impression on Rio for occasionally sending him scrutinizing looks.

“I’m Louise Sharon, knight of the Galarc Kingdom and captain of Princess Charlotte’s personal guards.”

“Then, first will be Dame Sharon. It’s nice to meet you...not for the first time, but I believe this is our first proper greeting. Let’s have a good match.”

“Agreed,” Louise replied to Rio with a light bow.

“This way, please.” Rio led her a short distance away from the rest of the group. Louise gazed at his back while following him—

Say, Louise. I want you to face Sir Haruto before anyone else tomorrow. If you lose to him as the captain, your entire squad will have to accept him, right?

—And recalled the words Charlotte had said to her yesterday. Her words didn’t hold an ounce of doubt for Haruto’s victory, but it didn’t hurt her pride as a soldier. As a knight, Louise Sharon considered her master’s words to be absolute. Whatever Charlotte said, went.

However, she did have thoughts about Haruto.

Sir Haruto Amakawa. The person Princess Charlotte loves...

Louise worshipped Charlotte. She was dotingly fond of her. She had been assigned to protect Charlotte since she was young, watching over her growth until now. She had kept her feelings secret to avoid disrespect, but there was no way she didn’t find her adorable. One could say she was in love with Charlotte—that was how much she felt for her. Yet when it came to Charlotte—

Say, Louise. When do you think Sir Haruto will return?

Say, Louise. Sir Haruto is really amazing.

Say, Louise. Sir Haruto mentioned this today...

With the face of an infatuated maiden, she only spoke of a single man to Louise every day. It was as though the one she loved had fallen in love with someone else—there was no way she felt indifferent to that.

Furthermore, Louise’s ardor had spread to her subordinates—all the knights protecting Charlotte had conflicted feelings about Rio.

Thus, Louise stared at Rio as though to say, “Can you really make Princess Charlotte happy? I won’t forgive you if you lay your hands on other women. Or rather, I won’t forgive you if you lay your hands on our adorable Princess Charlotte. Understood?” Her subordinates watched on from afar similarly.

Heh, things are about to get interesting. Charlotte saw through what her guards were thinking and smiled in delight as she watched things unfold.

She’s got a fierce look in her eyes... Rio had no idea what the knights were thinking but felt a little awkward when facing Louise’s gaze.

“Augendae Corporis. Please enhance yourself too, Dame Sharon.” He pulled himself together and recited the spell, activating the magic artifact he wore on his arm to enhance his physical abilities. A spell circle appeared, covering Rio’s body in light. Using spirit arts would put him at a physical advantage, so he didn’t just pretend to activate it before canceling it. He would fight on the same conditions.

“Okay. Augendae Corporis.”

Louise didn’t rely on an artifact like Rio and enhanced herself with magic.

“The rules are as I explained earlier. Feel free to use your weapon and fists to land one hit on me.”

“Understood. I don’t plan on holding back,” she said without hostility, but she stared at Rio sharply as she nodded.

“Good. Please don’t.”

“...” Rio replied with a refreshing smile. That seemed to catch Louise by surprise, as she frowned a bit upon seeing it.

He didn’t stop to think about the faint change in Louise’s expression and addressed Sara instead. “Shall we begin, then? Sara. If you could give the signal to start.”

“Okay. Begin when I count down from five. Are you ready?” Sara checked.

“Yes.”

“At any time.”

The two of them nodded.

“Five, four, three, two, one. Begin!”

Louise silently burst into a run as soon as the signal was given, approaching Rio. The distance between them had been five meters to start, but the gap was closed in an instant. She proceeded to swing her wooden sword in an efficient move, slashing at him. However, Rio had perfectly seen through her trajectory and stepped forward to parry Louise’s sword before she could build up enough momentum. Louise had also shifted her center of gravity in order to step forward, so she was knocked off balance as soon as her sword was deflected, killing her momentum completely.

It was a perfectly timed parry. If it were one moment later, Louise would have enough weight leaning forward to prevent herself from being knocked back.

Guh... This is bad. He’s going to counterattack.

Louise broke out in a cold sweat, sensing her defeat early on in the match. However, Rio didn’t step forward—on the contrary, he stepped back and adjusted his hold on his wooden sword.

“Why didn’t you pursue me with a follow-up attack just now...?” Louise asked dubiously.

It was only for a brief moment, but she had been defenseless in the time it took her to regain balance. She knew Rio wasn’t the kind of opponent who would let such an opening slip by based on his parry just now, which was why she found it questionable.

“This is a sparring match for me to learn your abilities, not to become victorious.”

“Honestly, I felt quite a gap in ability just from that first blow... Though I charged at you with a test strike, my level of skill was shameful,” Louise said with a vexed look. It was precisely because she was an experienced fighter that she could feel the differences in their skill all the more keenly.

“That’s not true. It was a polished move with no movements put to waste. Although that just made the movement easier to predict... And if I had swung any later, I would have missed the timing to make a counterattack,” Rio said matter-of-factly.

If his timing had been off by an instant, he would have lost the chance to counter. It’s hard to believe he saw through the timing and swung his sword while aiming for it... But no matter how I look at it, he aimed for that moment. Just what kind of combat sense does he have? It’s beyond what I imagined.

She had been swinging with her body physically enhanced, so the correct timing would’ve been shorter than a second. With that analysis, Louise fell speechless.

“If there’s nothing else, let’s resume the match. Feel free to come at me whenever.”

“Fine...”

Louise nodded awkwardly, taking a deep breath to focus on the battle again.

◇ ◇ ◇

Rio sparred with the participants one after another. He had already finished matches against eleven of them, and he was yet to let anyone land a hit on him. Roughly half an hour later, he was sparring with Liselotte’s attendant, Natalie, as his twelfth opponent.

He’s fought against ten knights of Galarc and the Restoration in successive matches, yet he hasn’t lost a single one. Duke Cretia’s attendants are as skilled as the rumors said too...

Smiling, Louise had a look of half amazement and half shock as she intently observed Rio winning match after match. The other knights were also watching the battles quietly with serious expressions. Everyone present had diligently trained themselves as soldiers, so they were all vexed that they were no match for him and watched for any moves they could learn from him.

Meanwhile, Cosette and Aria were standing side by side to watch their colleague fight.

“Natalie’s dancing in the palm of his hand.”

“Just like you were moments ago, you mean,” Aria pointed out.

Indeed, in Cosette’s match with Rio, she had exerted all her stamina helplessly until the match ended without her ever making a comeback.

“Well, yeah. Still, I knew he was strong, but I didn’t think he’d be this strong without his enchanted sword... The name he’s made for himself is the real deal. His skills were beyond what I imagined when I fought him too. He’s wonderful, honestly.”

Cosette wasn’t particularly bothered by how helpless she had been—in fact, she gazed at Rio dreamily as she spoke. Aria watched her colleague with a tired sigh.

“Of course he is. It’d be impossible to defeat the King’s Sword with just an enchanted sword if you didn’t have the sword skills to back it up. Talent and effort—you can only reach his level at such a young age when you’re blessed with both these factors.”

“A hardworking genius, huh? Does that mean a genius like you would be able to land a hit on him?”

“I’m not a genius, but there’s also no telling until we actually cross swords.” Aria frowned slightly, not particularly fond of being called a genius.

“It’ll be your turn next. The strongest, demon-like head attendant versus Sir Haruto. I’m looking forward to seeing who can best whom. Look, the match is almost over,” Cosette said as she watched on.

Natalie was closing in on Rio resolutely, dual wooden daggers wielded in her hands. Rio was holding back his counterattacks to observe her movements better, so the attacks were being dealt one-sidedly from Natalie’s side.

However, Rio continuously evaded her attacks with minimal movement, making him less out of breath than her despite being the one fighting one opponent after another. It was only a matter of time until their match would conclude.

“She’s getting worked up by the lack of opportunities to attack. She’s always hated losing.”

A regular bystander wouldn’t be able to tell Natalie was getting frustrated, as she was still swinging her dagger with a serious expression. But being that she was her colleague, Cosette could see through her.

“Let’s stop here.”

Rio lowered his sword, calling for the end of the match.

Natalie looked like she wanted to fight more, but her obedient personality made her lower her daggers without protest. She nodded after a pause. “All right.”

“I’m sure there’ll be more chances to spar in the future, so until then.” Rio seemed to sense some kind of emotion from Natalie’s expression, making him smile.

“R-Right.” Natalie nodded in embarrassment, noting the fact that she’d been seen through.

“Aria is last, then. Please come forward,” Rio shouted, calling Aria over from a fair distance away.

Shortly after, Aria took Natalie’s place in front of Rio, and they stood five meters apart from one another.

“Let’s have a good match.”

“Yes, let’s indeed.” Rio returned the polite bow Aria sent his way.

“Once you’re ready, we’ll begin at the count of five. Please enhance your physical abilities with magic or sorcery.”

“I’m ready whenever. Augendae Corporis.”

“I’m ready too. Augendae Corporis.”

“I’ll start the countdown then. Five, four, three, two, one. Begin!”

At Sara’s signal, the match began.

Aria immediately ran at Rio. The moment she did, she swung her wooden sword at him, catching him at just the right timing. Even an experienced warrior would have found such a movement difficult to react to, much less an amateur, but Rio deflected the attack with a swing of his blade. But blocking just the first attack wasn’t enough to stop Aria’s movements; with a swift and graceful arm, she swung her sword in another attempt to hit Rio. That movement even made Sara’s eyes widen in awe.

As I expected, Aria really is the strongest of all the participants.

At the same time, Rio felt a keen sense of Aria’s abilities firsthand. Liselotte’s other attendants, Cosette and Natalie, had been at an even level with Vanessa and Louise, but Aria’s swordsmanship was closer to Alfred’s, the King’s Sword. She had more than enough talent to be working as the head attendant of a duke’s daughter.

Aria would need to face Aishia for a worthwhile match. Though Sara and Alma may put up a good fight if they team up together, Rio thought as he fended off Aria’s attacks. It’d be a different matter if spirit arts were allowed, but Sara and Alma wouldn’t be able to win under the same conditions alone. If he were to hold a series of battles to rank the participants with the exception of Aishia and himself, Aria would come out as the decisive winner, followed by Sara and Alma. Below them would be Natalie, Cosette, Vanessa, and Louise. After that would be the other knights.

Incidentally, when Satsuki tried to enhance her physical abilities, she found the enhancements of her Divine Arms were activated even without manifesting the weapon. This meant she couldn’t fight under the same conditions as the other participants, so she couldn’t be ranked, but if Rio were to rank them with Divine Arms, spirit arts, and enchanted swords allowed, she’d probably rank near the top.

He’d sparred with her multiple times since living in the castle mansion, and she had shown impressive growth in a short time. However...

She really is formidable...

Even then, Satsuki would have a hard time against Aria. That was how superior Aria’s abilities were. Not only was every one of her movements clean and efficient, she had a good sense of technique to make her actions hard to predict.

The skirt she’s wearing makes it hard to measure the distance. It may be a little unusual to see an attendant fighting in her work uniform, but considering how she was going to use a weapon, it was probably a reasonable combat outfit. Though it’s easier to grab at when one is fighting with their fists...

For example, a trained knight would be able to see through their opponents based on their body’s movements, but what was most vital was the visual information received from watching the feet, such as the timing of steps and kicks. That’s why it was normal to purposefully use the body’s movements as feints or learn techniques to hide them as much as possible, but hiding the feet with a long skirt was another clever method. Rio also used a long coat when he usually fought to make his feet harder to see, but a skirt could cover a greater area.

That being said, Cosette and Natalie were similarly wearing skirts. The reason why Rio found Aria harder to fight than them was simply because she had better skills. She had perfectly mastered techniques to conceal her movements on top of hiding her feet with her skirt, so even though her physical abilities weren’t any different from the others, it gave the illusion that her speed was greater. On top of that, she was constantly making the best move with the fastest speed.

However, Rio was keeping up with her movements perfectly, so their match was turning out to be much more advanced than the others. Rio had only moved a few meters while fighting the others, but now he was being forced to move much farther to deal with Aria’s attacks. The observers of their match all had their eyes opened wide.

Those who were the most surprised were the ones seeing Aria fight for the first time—in particular, the knights. They looked on, dumbfounded.

“How intense...” Vanessa muttered, watching Aria.

“I’ve heard rumors that Lady Liselotte’s head attendant is skilled, but this is something else,” Louise replied.

A short distance away, Cosette overheard their conversation and mumbled, “Sir Haruto is also amazing for being able to keep up with her fierce attacks so perfectly. I wouldn’t last more than a few seconds...”

Liselotte’s attendants all trained every day, and the one that oversaw them was Aria. Their menu included regularly facing her in a one-on-one match, which the attendants all feared as the training from hell.

“Hey, you guys. Who is she?” Vanessa asked Natalie and Cosette.

“She’s our head attendant. Her name’s Aria,” Cosette answered with a shrug.

“I heard that during her self-introduction... But what kind of history does she have? It seems like she’s learned the sword style of the Beltrum Kingdom,” Vanessa continued.

Since she also used the Beltrum style of swordsmanship, she had noticed that similarity.

“Hmm... Well, it’s not like it’s a secret, so I guess it should be fine to say. She was born to a viscount family of Beltrum.”

Aria had mentioned it herself last time she met a knight of the Beltrum Kingdom.

“So she’s a viscount’s daughter from our kingdom? Why is she serving a duke’s daughter in Galarc...?”

Did that mean she was employed as a servant? Anyone born to a viscount family with sword skills like that would normally join the knights—and there was no doubt she’d achieve great success there. It wouldn’t be strange for her to be assigned to royalty like Christina or Flora. Vanessa looked like she wanted to recruit her.

“I’m afraid that’s a more private question, so please ask Aria herself. She’s not that bothered by it, so I doubt she’ll refuse to answer, but it’s her own matter to discuss.”

“Hmm, I see... No, I’m sorry for troubling you.” Vanessa sensed the change in the atmosphere and refrained from pressing the issue. However, she still felt regretful that their kingdom had lost such a talented person and bit down on her lip in frustration.

Meanwhile, Rio switched from defense to offense. He pursued the trajectory of Aria’s sword, swinging his sword across in the same direction to counterstrike. Aria used the force of her swing to leap to the side, evading Rio’s counter by a hair’s breadth.


Rio proceeded to pursue her by closing in. Until now, he’d avoided aggressively attacking the other sparring partners, so the observers started buzzing with noise.

“Guh...”

Aria noticed this as well. Since the other participants hadn’t been actively attacked, she was surprised enough to widen her eyes faintly. But it still wasn’t enough to shake her up—she was able to react to his attacks. With a backstep, she handled his attack, making Rio move forward like he was dancing with his sword.

Rio’s attacks were also splendid, making the observers hold their breath. However, they proceeded to meet swords another ten times.

“Let’s leave it at that.” Rio stopped, calling for an end to the match.

“...Right.” Aria replied with a small breath, lowering her sword.

“Now, let’s return to everyone else.”

“Understood.”

Aria followed Rio as he started walking, watching his back.

What an unbelievable boy... His sword skills are perfect and he fights like a veteran master warrior. It’s terrifying to think he’s only sixteen years old.

She was supposed to be the older one, yet she felt like her sword had more of the passion that could be found in youth. That was the half-exasperated thought that entered Aria’s mind.

An opportunity to face opponents like this doesn’t come by often. I should enjoy it to my fullest while I can.

She smiled happily. After that, Rio, Aria, and Sara, who had been acting as the umpire, returned to where the knights and the others were.

“I’ve gained a good idea of everyone’s abilities after facing all of you. There are a few things I’ve noticed, so I’m going to proceed with the lesson while taking those points into consideration. The goal of today is for everyone here to get stronger, so we’ll hold mock battles in varying numbers to provide a useful learning experience for everyone. I may end up instructing on the spur of the moment, but please bear with me.” Rio explained the direction of the lesson and looked around at everyone. When he bowed his head, the participants all blinked in surprise for a moment.

“Yes, sir!” they all replied energetically.

“Does anyone have any questions?”

“Yes!” Someone’s hand shot into the air.

“What is it, Satsuki?”

“Won’t you spar with me?”

“I’ve been sparring with you ever since I came to this mansion, haven’t I? That’s why I know yours, Sara’s, Alma’s, and Aishia’s abilities already.”

“Hmph...” Satsuki pouted. She had been looking forward to it.

“I can spar with you anytime outside of the lesson, so let’s fight then.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes.” Although he shrugged, Rio nodded with a smile.

“Yay! I can’t wait,” Satsuki replied cheerfully.

The knights and attendants watching on sensed how close the two of them were based on that exchange.

“Now, we’ve got no time to waste. Let’s move on to the next menu item.”

The lesson continued for another two hours until lunch, and the participants enjoyed a very fulfilling training session.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, roughly one hour before the special lesson ended, the girls who had been observing the class, which included Miharu, Celia, Latifa, Orphia, Charlotte, Liselotte, Christina, and Flora, entered the mansion ahead of the others; their goal was to prepare lunch and ready the baths that were just completed yesterday for their guests. The mansion was constructed with royalty in mind, so it was built rather spaciously. Of course, there were baths in the mansion to begin with, but Rio decided to remodel them so that Satsuki could still enjoy herself while he was away from the castle.

The residents of the house (including Satsuki, who practically lived there, and Charlotte) had used the baths yesterday, but Christina, Flora, and Liselotte had yet to give them a try. The three of them expressed their interest in bathing, so it was agreed in advance that they would be brought there once they observed enough of the lesson.

Miharu, Orphia, and Latifa were to prepare lunch while Celia, Charlotte, Liselotte, Christina, and Flora would bathe first. They undressed themselves in the changing room with the help of the attendants, then opened the door connecting to the bathroom.

“Oh my goodness...”

“It’s wonderful...”

Flora was the first to react with sparkling eyes, followed by Christina. The two had experienced the bath in the stone house on their return from Paladia to Galarc, so they were filled with more awe than surprise.

However, unlike the stone bath of the other house, this mansion’s bath was made of wood. The walls, floor, and bathtub were all made of wooden materials, creating a room that was overflowing with traditional Japanese taste.

“What a well-made bathtub...”

Liselotte’s eyes were first drawn to the bathtub. Most bathtubs in the Strahl region were of a shallow style that allowed just enough water to wash the body.

However, the new bathtubs Rio and the others had built were deep enough to soak in. On top of that, they were large enough to fit ten people with room to spare. It was filled to the brim with water and covered in a layer of steam. The wall, floor, and bathtub were entirely covered in wooden tiles that gave the bathroom a bright look. The window opened to a balcony that overlooked the back garden, allowing a half open-air bathing experience.

Unable to forget the feeling of a Japanese bath, Liselotte had also built a bathroom in her mansion back in Amande, but hers could only fit three people at most.

“Sir Haruto and Lady Alma remodeled the existing bathroom together. They recreated the bathrooms that could be found in Lady Satsuki and Lady Miharu’s previous world,” Charlotte explained, having enjoyed the bath yesterday.

“It’s truly wonderful...” Liselotte sighed dreamily. Maybe it was because she recalled her memories as a Japanese person, or perhaps she was plainly impressed by the brilliant bath before her.

Wait, hold on a minute... This mansion was given to him ten days ago, right? They built such a wonderful bath in just ten days? With only the two of them...?

Liselotte snapped back to her senses, tilted her head, and looked around at the bathroom once again, surprised by the degree of perfection. There was no sign of poor construction—everything was cleanly refined past the level of an amateur job. It certainly looked like the work of a carpentry company.

A top-notch swordsman with splendid cooking skills, and he makes his own fine wine as a hobby. He has knowledge of powerful sorcery and can also do carpentry work. Just how many talents do you have, Sir Haruto?

He had so much knowledge, Liselotte’s feelings surpassed mere awe and reached into the half-exasperated territory. But as a merchant, that made him all the more attractive to her. Each one of his areas of knowledge was packed with charm—if they were cleverly applied to business, they could lead to a huge fortune.

Thus, the correct thing to do as a profit-seeking merchant was to actively negotiate with him, and she was filled with the impulse to do exactly that, but...

For some reason, I find myself holding back. I don’t want to bring up business every time and make him think I only care about making money...

At present, she hadn’t been able to actively pursue such discussions. She might have failed as a merchant, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty about creating a self-interested relationship like that. Liselotte herself couldn’t really explain the reason why, so it was a source of concern for her.

“Is something the matter, Liselotte?”

Just then, Celia tilted her head at Liselotte, wondering why she had stopped at the entrance of the bathroom.

“Ah, no, it’s just such a lovely bathroom... I was wondering if it was difficult to make use of facilities like this. I’m sure water can be produced with magic, but preparing it each time must take some work, and then the water needs to be heated...”

“I shouldn’t be surprised you noticed that—how about I explain how this works?”

“Yes, please do.” Liselotte nodded.

“Then let’s do it while we wash up. Please, come this way. I’ll explain how to use the soap as well.”

With that, Celia led Liselotte over to the washing area. She explained how to use the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

“Umm... Celia? Where was this soap supplied from?” Liselotte asked after one sniff of the liquid soap that came out of the bottle. The Ricca Guild also stocked liquid body wash, but she was unfamiliar with the scent from this bottle.

She was also curious about the sorcery that cleansed and heated the water, but she left that topic aside for now. For the moment, her merchant side was far too interested in the soap right now.

“It’s all made by Haruto. He’s really knowledgeable about things like this.”

“Doesn’t he have too much knowledge?” In her shock, Liselotte accidentally spilled her inner thoughts from earlier.

“Hee hee, I know how you feel. Perhaps it’s because he’s lived a life without relying on others, but he tends to do everything by himself. I think that’s why he’s learned all kinds of things. He also seems fond of learning things he doesn’t know, and since he has a high level of expectation from himself...” Celia said with a strained smile.

Though that’s also what leads to his low self-esteem, she thought quietly.

“I see. He has the temperament of an artisan,” Liselotte said with a hum.

“Yeah, that’s probably true,” Celia nodded. That evaluation of him made sense.

“Are you talking about Sir Haruto?” Charlotte immediately joined the conversation. Naturally, Christina and Flora were right beside her, and they had all stopped in the middle of washing themselves to look on curiously.

“Yes. We were talking about how Haruto made this soap and how talented he is,” Celia summarized briefly.

“Indeed, Sir Haruto is a truly admirable person,” Charlotte agreed strongly.

“That’s not quite what I meant...”

“Ah ha ha...”

Celia and Liselotte both had strained smiles on their faces.

“That aside... This is my opinion one night after using Sir Haruto’s soap, but the quality is much better than the Ricca Guild’s soap,” Charlotte said cheerfully, looking at Liselotte.

“My interest has been piqued. Could you explain the difference for my research?” Liselotte asked, expressing her strong interest in the conversation as a merchant. Since Charlotte wasn’t the type of person to lie about things like this, she was extremely curious as to how it was better than her guild’s products.

“Scent is subjective, so there’s little that can be mentioned there. The biggest difference is in the cosmetic effect, I’d say. For example, for the shampoo, the difference is really evident in how smoothly I can comb my fingers through my hair the morning after. It may just suit my hair type in particular, but it feels so nice to touch even after I’ve slept. The body soap has also had a notable impact on my skin. It moisturizes for a much longer time than the Ricca Guild’s soap.”

“Those are all points we’ve been trying to correct in our products. We were still in the testing stage for an improved product, though...”

“Sir Haruto seems willing to explain how to create the soaps stocked here, so why don’t you use that knowledge for your store? If you’re satisfied with the result after trying it, of course.” Charlotte grinned boldly, as though she was confident in the answer. That wouldn’t be an issue, though—Liselotte trusted Charlotte’s opinion on items.

“That’s more than I could hope to ask for, but...is that really okay?”

“Yes, I’ve received Sir Haruto’s agreement last night, so I can mediate the deal. But there are some conditions: a portion of the sales must go to Sir Haruto, Lady Satsuki and I are to receive stock for our own use, and...Princess Christina and Princess Flora are to receive stock priority.”

Charlotte certainly worked fast—she hadn’t even forgotten to add a favor for Christina and Flora.

“Understood. Leave it to me.” Liselotte nodded smoothly.

“Thank you so much...” It was her first time hearing about the soap being prioritized for her, so Christina blinked in shock before giving her thanks. Her mouth was upturned in a happy smile.

She had enjoyed the soap in the stone house bath during her travels with Rio. It had changed her impression of baths, which she believed to be for cleaning purposes rather than enjoyment until then.

She had yearned to use that soap again after returning to Rodania and taking baths there, but she couldn’t say that to Rio out of modesty. To be able to have a safe supply of stock and enjoy this bath once again was most pleasing to her.

“Thank you very much!” Flora echoed in a cheery voice.

“Then it’s decided. Also, I’ve decided to try these soaking-style baths in the main castle. Sir Haruto and Lady Celia will be explaining the technology for that, but can I leave the remodeling to your guild as well?”

“Of course... But when you say ‘technology,’ do you mean this bathroom uses some kind of unique engineering after all?” Liselotte asked.

“There are magic artifacts to store water and keep it clean, which use unpublished spells that Haruto and I developed. We’ve decided to officially register the spell in Galarc and the Restoration in the near future, but...” Celia explained. Spell registration worked like patents on modern Earth. Whenever someone released a newly developed spell, they obtained the right to monopolize use of that spell. The kingdom closely managed published spells, ensuring that the developer received a fee every time it was used by someone else.

“They’ve agreed to teach the spells before doing so. Soaking-style baths can be combined with soaps as negotiation material, so I believe this could be the new trend,” Charlotte said, finishing Celia’s words. She didn’t clarify what kind of negotiation it was being used for but smiled with a meaningful look.

“I see...” Christina said.

“Noblewomen will swarm for it, I’m sure,” Liselotte guessed.

At present, the Ricca Guild handled the highest-quality soaps circulating in Galarc and Beltrum. The birth of a much better quality soap would certainly enthrall the customer base of royalty, nobility, and wealthy merchant women—especially if it had a remarkable effect on beauty. Once they experienced its effects, they would certainly want to continue using it. In which case, there were many ways to take advantage as the developer and supplier. It was the equivalent of obtaining a powerful weapon against the female half of the noble class.

While there haven’t been any movements yet, there are definitely people who dislike Sir Haruto’s rise in fame. It wouldn’t hurt to have as many options as possible.

Liselotte needed to prepare a counterattack in case something happened, increase her allies, and lay the foundations.

This was part of the reason why she requested Rio to give combat training and Celia to hold a lecture this time. Rio wasn’t affiliated with any particular faction, but he was clearly under the protection of King Francois and the Second Princess. Thus, the first people who needed to be on his side were the royal knights. This was why she had asked him to give the knights combat training—to give the participants a favorable impression of Rio. That plan had certainly turned out well.

On top of that, the fact that Celia—the famous genius sorcerer of Beltrum—was holding a lecture in Galarc especially out of her friendly relationship with Haruto Amakawa also gave the public a good impression of his connections.

Of course, that wouldn’t erase all of the animosity directed Haruto’s way.

But that works out anyway, since it just means things will get interesting. I can’t wait, Charlotte thought with a pleased smile.

◇ ◇ ◇

Once Rio’s combat training class ended, the participants were shown inside the mansion to mingle and have some lunch before they all returned to their posts.

However, the group was first led to the baths to wash up after all of the exercising they’d done. There were large baths in the mansion for men and women that were built by dividing the work between Alma and Rio, but the men’s bathroom was allocated to half of the group for them to wash up in. In the meantime, Rio used the small bathroom attached to his bedroom to clean himself.

Once that was done, he helped Miharu and the others with preparing lunch. The participants who had been washing up eventually returned to gather in the large dining room.

“Shall we begin soon, then?”

Charlotte took charge of the lunch party that commenced. There were multiple tables placed in the room, and there were no assigned seats to allow the attendees to interact with each other freely.

They could choose whether to stand and move around to talk as they ate, or to sit down and eat instead. The food was lined on the table in the center of the room for people to serve what they wished to eat onto their plates themselves.

“Lady Miharu and Lady Orphia prepared all of the dishes themselves. Sir Haruto prepared some as well, but please eat up before it gets cold—there’s no need to show any consideration for others. Enjoy yourselves without being too formal, yes? Now, let us begin.” Charlotte clapped her hands and wrapped up her short greeting. The knights seemed a little nervous to be in attendance among princesses.

“Let’s take Her Highness up on her offer.”

“It’s food made by Lady Miharu, Lady Orphia, and Sir Amakawa. It’d be rude to allow it to cool.”

The two captains of Galarc’s and the Restoration’s knights—Louise and Vanessa—led the way to the food. Their subordinates followed behind them.

“It feels a little strange being on the receiving side. And from those directly above me...”

Liselotte’s attendant, Natalie, looked a little uncomfortable as she spoke. Part of the reason was probably because she was the most serious out of the attendants, but she was also usually the one serving people, so she wasn’t used to this.

“You heard what the princess said: it’d be rude to refuse. Anyways, we’ve had Sir Haruto and Lady Miharu’s homemade cooking before and it was amazing, remember? It’d be a waste not to have some. Come on, let’s go.”

“Cosette, wait—”

Cosette started dragging Natalie over to the food table by the arm. Watching their backs was Aria, who called out to them with a sigh.

“Make sure not to go over the top, please. Goodness.”

Celia giggled and turned to Aria. “Hee hee, you’re a guest as well today. Forget about work and make sure you have lots to eat as well.”

“I’ve received more than enough of a welcome already. I was able to enjoy a splendid bath after the training, and now I’m attending this extravagant lunch. Honestly, it almost makes me wish I could work here,” Aria replied with a smile on her face.

Elsewhere in the room, Latifa was tugging Rio by the arm. “Onii-chan, we should get food too!”

“Sorry, I’m going to excuse myself and take a bath. I only washed myself briefly earlier.”

“Huh? Oh, should I come and help wash your back, then?” Latifa puffed up her cheeks when she heard Rio was leaving, but immediately smiled playfully to tease him.

“Of course not. I don’t want to concern people by being the only man in the room, so please enjoy yourselves without me for a while. The goal of this is for the attendees to interact with each other, after all.”

Rio gave a faint sigh of fond exasperation but patted Latifa’s head gently. Latifa squeezed her eyes shut at that, her expression softening in happiness.

“I’ll be back later.”

With those words, Rio quietly left the dining hall without drawing attention to himself. That being said, some people immediately noticed he was gone.

“Oh? Where is Sir Haruto going?” Charlotte, who had been talking to Christina and Liselotte, cocked her head and looked around at the others. This prompted everyone around her to look as well.

“He left to take a proper bath. He said we should enjoy things without him,” Latifa answered unhappily.

“Sir Haruto’s the owner of this mansion, so he shouldn’t have to show such reserve...” Charlotte looked somewhat sullen, pouting slightly.

“But it is a little awkward to be the only man in this room. This mansion’s like an all-girls high school right now—though it’s normally like this anyway,” Satsuki said sympathetically and looked around. There were dozens of people in the dining hall right now, including the waitstaff, and they were all women.

“Still, I didn’t expect him to disappear as soon as it began. I believe any gentleman of Sir Haruto’s age... No, any young and healthy gentleman would be delighted to remain in this room.”

The room was filled with beautiful women in the prime of their youth. Any noble in the prime of their manhood would have been proactively conversing with them.

“No, no. It’s because he’s a gentleman that he left to make us more comfortable.”

“That’s being too much of a gentleman.”

He’s probably what they’d call a “herbivore man” back home in Japan, Satsuki thought about Rio. Charlotte apparently found that displeasing and appeared to look sad.

“Hmm... I get what you’re trying to say, Char, but I think Rio’s lack of arrogance is a good thing.”

“I completely agree with that, but...I wish he would see his own charms in a more objective manner. Because everyone wants to talk to him.”

“Yeah,” Satsuki agreed.

After all, Haruto was the finest gentleman one could wish for. He was good-looking, had a good personality, was strong, high in status, and had a long list of achievements—it’d be hard to find any fault with him. On top of that, he was still sixteen years old and single. Even without the purpose of marriage, anyone would want to approach him. This was Satsuki’s line of thinking.

“I’m starting to understand everyone’s hardships. I expected more development in our relationship by spending time every day together, yet...” Charlotte sighed uneasily. She visited the mansion nearly every day to make various attempts at seduction, yet Rio was more passive towards romance than she thought. It wasn’t as though he was distancing himself from her, and he showed proper awareness of her as the opposite sex when she clung to him, but he never made a move on her.

“I’m glad you understand.” Latifa joined the conversation with a smug huff after hearing Charlotte’s lamentations. All her years spent with Rio hadn’t been for nothing—she understood those hardships too.

Watching that exchange a short distance away was Celia and her old friend Aria, as well as Natalie and Cosette.

“It seems like Sir Haruto left the room,” Natalie said, looking over at the conversation between Charlotte and the others she had just overheard.

“Aww, I wanted to use this chance to talk to him more... Whoa, this egg dish is amazing.”

“Don’t act disappointed and joyful in the same breath.”

Cosette’s shoulders slumped while she was tasting the food, making Natalie scold her with a fed-up look.

“Haruto will be back soon, I believe,” Celia said with a wry smile.

“Although it seems like there are many others who wish to speak to him, so there won’t be much time to talk to him...” Aria said, looking around the room.

The knights who were digging into the food had also noticed Rio’s absence, and some of them looked rather disappointed. They could be heard discussing how to approach him when he returned.

“If you want to talk to Haruto, do you want me to say something when he returns?” Celia offered thoughtfully.

“Really?” Cosette’s expression brightened as she leaned forward eagerly.

“S-Sure.”

“Hey now, Cosette. Don’t be rude to Lady Celia. I’m terribly sorry about her, Lady Celia,” Natalie said immediately.

“I’ll also have a strong word with her later,” Aria added, making Cosette stiffen with a groan.

“There’s no need for that. Today is a day for social exchange and there’s no need to be so formal. I’m glad to have the chance to talk to the people Aria normally works with. You’re surrounded by some wonderful colleagues, Aria,” Celia giggled, looking at Aria.

“Yes. It’s all thanks to you.” Aria shrugged as if in exasperation and then nodded, but her expression softened faintly.

“You were classmates with Lady Celia, right?” Natalie asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Aria replied.

“Aria’s always as strict as a demon from hell, but was she this strong in school too?” Cosette asked Celia next.

“There was no one who could beat Aria in swordsmanship. She was better than all the boys too. She was evenly matched against Haruto as well—you really are incredibly strong, Aria.”

“Sir Haruto was focused on defending until the very end, so I wouldn’t call us evenly matched...”

“Really? To be honest, I don’t know much about swords...”

“I was attacking rather seriously, but he parried everything easily. I’m not sure I would have a chance of winning if we fought until the end... At the very least, I wasn’t able to see all of Sir Haruto’s abilities in that match.” Aria looked back on her fight with Rio in contemplation.

“Has Sir Haruto ever struggled with a fight until now?” Cosette asked Celia.

“Hmm, I wonder. It’s hard to measure his true strength, so I can’t imagine him losing... He’s just as strong as Aishia, I think,” Celia answered, looking over at where Aishia was seated with Miharu and Liselotte.

“That’s true. I fought her briefly during the latter half of the lesson, but she was very strong. Lady Sara and Lady Alma too...” Natalie said.

The latter half of the lesson had been a mock battle focused on Rio’s teachings, so Aishia, Sara, and Alma had assisted in conducting the matches, but Aishia had gone undefeated. Only Aria was able to fight until a tie was called. (Sara and Alma lost to Aria, but they won against every other participant.)

“Her strength was one thing, but isn’t Aishia’s cuteness unmatched? When I saw her face close up, I was shocked at how refined it was... Her skin’s so white as well. I lost so quickly while I was staring out of envy.” Cosette let out a dreamy sigh in reverence.

“At least fight properly...” Natalie muttered tiredly under her breath.

“Ah ha ha... Her appearance can even captivate people of the same sex. I’ve gotten used to it while living with her, but sometimes I’m reminded of her beauty and lose confidence in myself,” Celia said listlessly.

“Umm, your beauty is enough to make other women jealous as well, no?” Natalie protested to Celia.

“Indeed. If you’re the same age as Aria, that makes you the same age as us—yet you still look like you’re in your teens. You’re like a fairy, a sweet young girl,” Cosette added.

“I’m often told I have a baby face...” Celia hung her head in disappointment.

“What’s wrong with that? Maintaining your youth and beauty is your ultimate duty as a lady, no? Your appearance is a powerful weapon anyone would envy, Lady Celia. And I believe your senses have been numbed by all the beautiful girls around Sir Haruto, because you’re definitely included as one of them.”

“Th-Thank you very much...” Celia said hesitantly, pressured by Cosette.

“It looks like you’re all having fun.”

Just then, Vanessa came up to them. Beside her was the captain of Charlotte’s guards, Louise.

“Good day to you, Vanessa. I watched a part of your training earlier—I’m glad to see you’re better and back on your feet,” Celia, the one most familiar with Vanessa, said.

“Yes, I’m in my best condition thanks to Sir Amakawa. But that aside... Are the two of you acquainted with each other?” Vanessa looked between Celia and Aria.

“...Yes, we were classmates back at the Royal Academy.” Celia glanced at Aria to check she was allowed to reply before giving her answer.

“I see... That means your grade was a particularly impressive one, since you have a magic genius and a sword genius in the same year.”

“Celia has achieved great success as a sorcerer, but you’re overevaluating me. I dropped out of the academy without ever graduating.”

“No, it’s vexing, but there’s no doubt you were the most skilled out of all the participants today. Our kingdom suffered an immeasurable loss by letting you go so easily. The only consolation is that you went to our alliance kingdom, Galarc...”

“It’s an honor to be told that, but it’s not that big of a deal.” Aria shook her head respectfully.

“The same applies for Sir Amakawa, but it seems true geniuses are humble about themselves. The attendants of Duke Cretia’s daughter are all talented, but the head attendant is on another level—one of the leading swordmasters in the kingdom, for sure. That’s the word in the castle, and I consider the rumors to be true,” Louise said, joining in on the conversation by praising Aria.

“It’s an honor...”

“I’d love to invite someone as skilled as you into the royal guards, but...”

“I’m sorry, I have no intention of serving anyone other than Lady Liselotte.”

“What wonderful loyalty.”

“Aria is both an attendant and a knight...”

Louise gave an approving smile at Aria’s immediate reply, while Vanessa complimented her in admiration, though she seemed a little conflicted about it.

“At any rate, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other at the training sessions. Let’s get along well. As leaders of our own groups, it’d be nice to be close to each other.”

“Of course, it’d be my pleasure.” Aria accepted the hand Vanessa offered to shake.

“Sir Amakawa said he wasn’t confident in his abilities as an instructor, but it’s a rare opportunity to receive coaching from someone of his strength. The participants are all skilled as well. It’ll be a wonderful training experience. Let’s all strengthen our abilities together.”

“Indeed. We should be grateful to Her Highness for providing the opportunity, and to Sir Amakawa for agreeing to teach us.” Louise also shook hands with Aria.

“We were even treated to a wonderful bath experience and a delicious meal afterwards. I would have liked to thank Sir Amakawa for it, but...”

“Unfortunately, it seems like he’s left the room for the moment. I’m sure he’ll show up again later, so please tell him then,” Celia said to Vanessa, who was looking around in search of Rio.

“Right. My subordinates also wanted to speak to him. They’ll be disappointed,” Vanessa said with a wry smile.

“Mine too.” Louise echoed her sentiment with a sigh.

“Was there something they wished to discuss?” Celia asked, tilting her head.

“Our work doesn’t provide much opportunity to meet new people. To be honest, everyone’s starved,” Vanessa explained.

Women were normally used as guards for female royalty, but the constant changing of guards was looked down upon, which made the job rather difficult to quit. Many noblemen disliked how their resignation was restricted, so female knights were known for missing their prime marriage age, which only further spurred the lack of female knights for protecting female royalty.

“The situation is the same in every kingdom, it seems.”

“It’s similar for attendants as well.”

Louise and Aria spoke with self-deprecating smiles. Beside them, Cosette and Natalie nodded firmly in agreement.

“Ah ha ha...” Celia laughed awkwardly in understanding.



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