Chapter 15
“It’s a relief we made it here before sunset.”
Following Theo’s directions, we arrived at House Fridel’s empty training ground.
“There’s no one here?”
It was surprising, if anything. Though it was late, I had thought there would be one or two people training.
“That’s only natural. This is my private training ground, after all.”
“Huh…?”
I was dumbfounded by Theo’s words.
‘He’s rich enough to build a private training ground for a single knight, yet he’s been hounding me to repay my debt?’
He could have lent me the money interest-free for several years, at least.
‘Well, maybe he’s rich precisely because he acts like that.’
Besides, Belphegor seemed to be after me rather than the money from the start.
“Isn’t this fortunate for you, young man? You can boast all you like without having to let anyone see you lose.”
Eventually, after warming up, Theo lightly provoked Heter, but—
“I don’t mind if others see, but if you’re using me as an excuse because you don’t want to be seen, I’ll let it slide.”
“You little….”
‘As expected.’
His provocation had no effect on Heter.
Shing.
“Draw your sword. I’ll teach you what manners are.”
Apparently deciding words wouldn’t get him anywhere, Theo immediately drew his sword.
Now, it seemed as though the spar would begin as soon as Heter drew his sword.
“Hmm, before that.”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Heter turned and approached me.
What was he doing? Did he want me to say some sort of victory incantation?
“Are you all right?”
While I was wondering what I should say to encourage him, he abruptly asked about my condition.
“Your hand.”
“My hand… Ah.”
I now saw that his gaze was fixed on the hand I had slammed against the table.
“Of course I’m fine. It’s just a little scraped.”
In truth, I wasn’t fine.
It still throbbed, perhaps because I had been pricked by a thorn when I slammed my hand against the table.
‘Damn… I hadn’t intended to draw blood.’
But if I showed any sign of it, he would surely take me to a physician, spar or no spar.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Remembering the insult Theo had hurled at me moments earlier, my hand was still trembling.
Leave now as though I were fleeing?
My pride would never allow that.
“So don’t worry about me, and make sure you win.”
“How could I not worry? That hand will be mine one day, after all.”
“Oh~ Is that so?”
This bastard… If he had kept quiet, I could have passed it off as innocent concern, but he had to add that unnecessary remark.
“It’s still mine for now, so there’s no need for you to worry about it. Did you come here just to worry about my hand?”
“Ah, no.”
Heter held up his index finger to me.
“If I win the spar, would you grant me one request?”
“A request?”
“Yes. I think I could fight better if you gave me your word, my lady.”
Hmm… A request he might make.
“Are you planning to ask me to sign the next part of my body if you win this spar?”
If that was it, I had to refuse.
If I started handing out signatures already, I might fill every square within a few months.
“Ah, no, it’s not that.”
However, Heter shook his head after hearing my question.
“That is tempting, but something I want even more desperately has come up.”
“What?”
The next in line after fingers would have been a hand.
He had once enjoyed holding my hand all day, and now there was something he wanted even more desperately?
I was starting to feel afraid without even hearing what the request was.
“May I hear what the request is before deciding?”
“Well, you see….”
“?”
Heter, uncharacteristically hesitant, finally opened his mouth.
“If I win the spar, I would like you to speak to me informally, my lady.”
“…What?”
If I hadn’t recently had my ears examined by the territory’s physician, I would have thought my hearing was wrong again.
‘I must have heard him correctly.’
What kind of request was this?
“You mean you want me to speak informally?”
“The way you speak to Ruby.”
Right, Heter wanted me to speak casually to him.
But still.
“Why do you want to hear me speak informally?”
“To be honest, your manner of speech has been so awkward since we made our contract.”
Heter listed his complaints as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.
“You speak politely to Sir Gold, who is another retainer, and informally to Ruby, so why do you use that strange way of speaking only with me?”
“Sir Gold is much older, and Ruby is a commoner.”
Besides, I was half-convinced Heter was a noble.
Wouldn’t it be prudent to show respect in advance, considering what might happen later?
It was like continuing to use honorifics with a sergeant even when he said it was fine to speak casually because he would be discharged soon.
Yet Heter didn’t seem convinced by my explanation.
“But you spoke informally to the noble over there as well.”
“Who… him?”
“Yes.”
The person Heter indicated was Lyo, who was frowning and looking anxiously in our direction.
“That’s because he’s a childhood friend I’ve known since we were little… Mmph.”
After saying that, I involuntarily clamped my mouth shut.
Heter already made his displeasure clear whenever I merely spoke to a man, and if he heard that Lyo was my childhood friend….
“….”
‘As expected.’
He was practically radiating displeasure.
“Ugh….”
This had become a little troublesome.
The reason I didn’t speak informally to Heter was simply that it felt awkward.
One might wonder why speaking informally was awkward, but for nobles, it was only natural.
Even when we happened to meet a young master or lady of the same age, we always had to speak politely, while we generally used a less formal deferential style with maids and attendants.
I wasn’t much different from them, so aside from Ruby and Lyo, whom I had known since childhood, there were almost no people I spoke informally to.
“Are you done yet?”
While I was deciding whether to scold him for making such a ridiculous request or grant it, Theo, who had been waiting in the center of the training ground, called out to Heter.
“…I’ll go.”
Just as Heter turned away, apparently having decided I wouldn’t grant his request—
‘To hell with it.’
Grab.
I reached out and grabbed his hand.
“!”
I beckoned to Heter, who was staring at me in surprise, to come closer.
When our faces were only a fist’s width apart, I whispered softly.
“I’ll only speak informally when it’s just the two of us. Got it?”
After all, I didn’t speak casually to Ruby when other people were watching, either.
“…Understood.”
The corners of Heter’s mouth curled upward.
“And if you lose, it’s off. You can’t get seriously hurt, either! Got it?”
“That goes without saying.”
Heter, seemingly in an excellent mood, walked toward Theo with more spring in his step than before.
***
Theo was bewildered.
What on earth had those two said to make him look like this—and Alice, long known as the Ice Princess, look like that?
Shing.
Heter, who had reached him by then, drew the sword from his waist.
“Hmm….”
It was a low-quality sword, plainly made of scrap iron.
“Did you kill the Snow Wyrm with that sword?”
If so, I could see how he might become so full of himself, but—
“No. The sword I used was rendered unusable inside the Snow Wyrm’s stomach.”
“Ah….”
Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
‘What? Then does he intend to face me with a sword like that?’
The thought that Heter was looking down on him only made Theo feel worse.
“Would you like to borrow the practice sword I use? It isn’t especially high-quality, but it’s at least better than that one.”
“I’m fine.”
Heter declined Theo’s offer and took up a stance.
“This sword is quite sufficient.”
“…Is that so?”
I’d gone out of my way to be considerate, and he was being sarcastic.
Theo clenched his teeth and beckoned Heter forward.
“Come at me first. I’ll let you have the first move.”
“Really? Then I’ll gladly accept.”
Heter smirked and took a middle stance, but the tip of his sword pointed downward rather than up.
‘If that’s a low stance, it should be a stance for defense.’
Theo had yielded the first move, yet Heter had deliberately taken that stance. As expected, he was an unusual one.
‘An attack that begins from a low stance. I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere before….’
At that moment.
“Here I come.”
“!”
With those words, Heter’s figure disappeared in an instant.
Clang!
At the same time, an impact that felt as though it would tear his grip apart, along with a spine-chilling metallic clang, rang out across the training ground.
“…Huh?”
What had just happened?
Theo lowered his head and looked at his hand.
The sword that should have been in his trembling hand was gone.
In confusion, he looked around and saw the sword he should have been holding lying far away on the ground.
‘Could it be that he took a low stance specifically to send my sword flying?’
While Theo was still unable to gather his wits, Heter lowered his sword again and spoke to him.
“Pick it up again.”
“….”
“I’ll give you a few more chances. I’m in a good mood right now.”
“Ha ha….”
Theo let out a hollow laugh, staggered over, and picked up the fallen sword.
Then he charged at Heter like an arrow and swung his sword.
His pride as a knight had been abandoned the moment he let go of his sword.
He felt that if he didn’t at least do this, he wouldn’t be able to land even a single blow on Heter.
However.
Ting!
“Guh!”
Once again, the sword flew from his hand and landed far away.
‘My judgment was wrong.’
He had thought House Fortune had simply gotten hold of an excellent sword and, carried away, was swinging it recklessly.
He had planned to warn them before an accident occurred, but that had been a misjudgment.
“One more time.”
House Fortune had acquired a monster.
A monster that had no business being in the North.