Chapter 2
“...It's been a long time. You've changed so much.”
“You don't seem to have changed, Sensei.”
A sudden boy-meets-girl at a backwater swordsmanship dojo.
How easy it would have been if that one line summed it all up.
For one thing, I was far too old to be called a boy, and Allucia wasn't exactly a girl anymore, either. Not that she wasn't beautiful.
And just as I'd happened to think of her, there she was.
To call this fate, though, I was a little too old.
I wasn't at an age where I could live for romance anymore. Sadly.
The Kingdom of Reberis, in the northern part of the continent of Galea.
Baltrain, the capital of the Kingdom of Reberis.
The Leberio Knights, a kingdom-controlled order based in the capital.
And the woman standing before me was none other than Allucia Citrus, the current commander of the Leberio Knights.
Even when she was training at my dojo, she was serious, capable, and gentle. She was talented enough to watch me swing my sword and reproduce my techniques by imitation.
I also remembered how considerate she was, always looking out for her fellow students. She was truly a fine young woman, so thoroughly unsuited to a humble swordsmanship dojo in the middle of nowhere.
Allucia trained at my dojo for about four years.
She was around twelve to sixteen years old.
She absorbed just about everything I could teach her during that time, then set out from this backwater—Bidden Village—for the capital, Baltrain, in search of further training.
“It's been a long time since I last came to this dojo. And Bidden Village, too...”
“It has. How many years has it been now...?”
Allucia looked inside from the dojo entrance and murmured softly.
There was a clear note of nostalgia in her voice.
She hadn't been born in this village.
It all began when she'd heard about my dojo somewhere and arrived here with her parents.
Her parents were well-dressed, and from what I heard, they were merchants. It seemed they'd wanted their beloved daughter to learn at least the basics of self-defense.
One thing led to another, their stay was extended, and she ended up training at my dojo for about four years.
Well, I mean, it's strange enough that a merchant's daughter would become a knight commander.
I have no idea how things turned out that way.
For the record, I tend not to pry into my students' backgrounds.
I would make the necessary checks if they were minors, but in general, I welcomed anyone who came. As long as they paid their tuition, I had no complaints.
“By the way, did you read my letters?”
“Yes, I did. It sounds like you've been doing well.”
After she left the dojo, I would read the letters she sent every few months and learn little snippets about her life.
But I never imagined Allucia herself would suddenly show up. I mean, if she was coming, she could've told me in a letter. An old man gets a shock when a big shot like you suddenly appears on his doorstep.
She seemed to have grown considerably since the last time I saw her.
By my best guess, she was in her mid-twenties, surely at the peak of her physical and mental maturity. The girlish appearance she'd had when we first met was entirely gone, replaced by an almost serene air.
Her features had grown more dignified, and her figure more womanly, proof that she'd continued to thrive even after leaving the dojo.
“...You're still using that sword.”
“Yes. It's a precious sword you gave me, Sensei.”
I took in her appearance and made a brief comment.
Allucia wasn't dressed in the imposing armor one might expect of a knight commander. She wore an outfit centered around a leather jacket, closer to everyday wear.
Even so, it looked like she carried a sword as part of her duties as a knight, and I recognized the one she had with her.
It was the sword I'd given her as a parting gift when she left the dojo.
“As the commander of the Knights, you could easily get your hands on a much better sword.”
“What makes a sword good differs from person to person. This one is good enough for me. This is my sword.”
“...I see.”
I'm happy, but this is a little much, huh?
It seemed my former student had stronger feelings about it than I'd expected, and I was a little taken aback. Still, I couldn't say I minded that she treasured the parting gift.
I gave swords to the students who had learned everything they could at my dojo.
I wish I'd been able to give them something better, but unfortunately, you couldn't find swords of that quality in a backwater like this. There were limits to both the quantity and the quality available.
There was a blacksmith in the village, but he was an ordinary village smith with middling equipment and skill. I couldn't expect him to make a fine blade.
I don't remember exactly how many people I'd given swords to. I handed them out pretty casually as parting gifts.
I could probably recognize the recipient by face, but if a lot of years had passed, like they had with Allucia, it might take me a while to remember.
I had enough students to order swords and hand them out, and my income was decent, after all.
“S-so, what brings you here today? I don't recall you mentioning anything like this in your letter.”
I pushed aside my idle thoughts and turned to Allucia.
As I spoke, I tried to recall the contents of the letter she'd sent recently, but I was sure it hadn't said anything about her coming to the village.
Wait, she'd written something like, 'I've had more opportunities to speak with people at the heart of the kingdom, nobles and the like, which has been difficult, but something good came of it, so look forward to it.'
I'd assumed she'd send me more details in her next letter. I never expected her to come all the way out to this backwater. It was completely beyond anything I'd imagined.
“Ah, that's right. There's something I'd very much like to tell you, Sensei.”
“O-oh? And what might that be?”
Her smile didn't falter.
If anything, it seemed even broader than before.
It was a truly radiant smile, without a cloud in sight. But after glimpsing those rather intense feelings earlier, was it just me, or did it seem a little ominous?
And what was this good news she wanted to tell me in person?
Hmm. I couldn't begin to guess.
If she'd been promoted again, she could have told me in a letter. And if she wanted to tell me in person, it probably had something to do with me. But what could possibly happen to a forty-year-old man living in some remote backwater?
“As it happens, in addition to my duties as commander of the Knights, I've also been appointed as the order's swordsmanship instructor.”
“Hmm, that's quite an accomplishment.”
Allucia's really something.
She must have continued training and attained impressive skill. Though, if she'd become a knight commander, she was clearly already an exceptional swordswoman.
“I recommended you for the post of special swordsmanship instructor attached to the Knights, and your appointment has now been approved.”
“...Hmm?”
What did you just say?