“Yoishyo, to. Good morning, everyone,” I said.
“Good morning!”
It’s the day after I showed up to a lecture at the Magician’s Academy for the first time in a while. This time, as usual, I was visiting the training grounds of the Knights’ Order HQ in order to fulfill my main job as a special instructor.
At the moment, the ratio of work is 80% for this special instructor and 20% for the temporary instructor of the Sword Magic Department.
If you say I’m busy, I’m probably busy. However, the Sword Magic Department only takes one lecture, which means it ends in about an hour, and even this job doesn’t always have me at the training ground. In terms of my actual working hours, it’s probably around four hours or so.
It may be physically tough, but it’s not that long in terms of locked-in time. Rather, it is quite short compared to general labor.
It was unthinkable since I was teaching swordsmanship side by side with agriculture in the remote countryside. Well, it’s certainly better to have money, and I don’t want to spend every day working from early morning until late at night.
In conclusion, I feel that I was thrown into a very blessed environment. Perhaps we should thank Alexia for this.
Alexia seems to be so busy every day that I can’t compare. It would be great if I could reduce her burden even a little.
“Well then, let’s do our best again today.”
These are not words directed at anyone. It’s something I whispered to myself.
Since I was able to beat Pops in a duel, I’m already the strongest, so I don’t need to work hard. Unfortunately, such an auspicious idea is not possible.
It’s hard to say that I’ve climbed to the top of swordsmanship with a narrow victory over my elderly father. There must be a lot of strong people in the world that I don’t know at all. I don’t think I’m selfish enough to think I can beat them unconditionally.
However, when I thought about where to set my goals from now on:
It was also true that nothing immediately come to mind.
For many years, I thought that Pops was the best swordsman. I still don’t think it’s wrong, and I think it holds true.
However, I won against that old man.
Well, if you ask me if I’ve gained confidence with that, it’s still doubtful, but a win is a win. Of course, Pops is still my goal personally, but as a swordsman, I am a bit troubled as to who I should set as my goal now.
I don’t think Pops is the strongest in this world. However, I don’t know the existence of a swordsman who is clearly stronger than Pops.
Then, in terms of flow, am I the strongest candidate? When asked, I feel that it is also somewhat different.
In the first place, thinking that Pops is strong is only a swordsman’s domain, and if the range is expanded to all those who have skill in the art of combat, there will be many others.
To give a familiar example, I don’t feel like I can win against Lucy. If you catch her off guard at close range, you might win, but that’s the same for anyone. Surprise is the strongest tactic.
For example, if my opponent was Miu, I would lose if Miu stabbed me with a knife while I was completely off guard. That’s how powerful a surprise attack is.
This is a bit off-topic, but although I haven’t given up on aiming for the top of the sword, the guidepost to that end suddenly disappeared.
As a side note.
Mastering the way of the sword and being the strongest swordsman are not necessarily the same thing. This is a bit difficult to explain, but I think Lucy is probably the same type. She’s trying to master magic, but she doesn’t seem fixated on being the strongest mage.
In that sense, I want to reach the end of the path of the sword. On the other hand, I don’t want to become the strongest swordsman in the world. I would like to do it if I can, but it’s just an extension of my interest, not my purpose.
But the trouble here is that going the way of the sword means you have to be strong. It would be nice if this was just an academic subject. It will be an area where skill and knowledge depth and strength are irrelevant.
“Fuuhn…”
While watching the fierce mock battle between knights unfolding in front of me, I lost myself in thought.
By the way, where exactly is the end of the path of the sword? What kind of scenery is the top of the path? Who knows? Probably because no one has reached it in the past.
Until now, there should have been Pops at the end of the road, but before I knew it, I had overtaken him. From here on, I have to find a new signpost or pave the way on my own.
It’s a bumpy and tough road.
It is very difficult and lonely for an old man who has already passed the halfway point of his life and is only declining to walk alone.
It might have been a different story if I had a companion to walk with, but I can’t do it right now, so let’s put that aside for now.
However, I didn’t feel like I was going to stop walking or turn around.
I’ve come this far, so I want to climb as far as I can. I’m not sitting at the top, but I’m clearly in a high position. Until now, my perception was that it wasn’t even low, but it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that this is already high.
“Luxurious worries, I suppose,” I murmured to myself.
It disappeared as soon as it got caught up in the hustle and bustle of the training ground.
I work through it in a corner of my head.
Despite being late, I continued to hone my swordsmanship, and it was worth it that I left Bidden Village, a remote countryside, and obtained a position as a special instructor for the Rebelio Knights. I scored a blow against Pops, who had been my target for many years.
It’s an unexpected result. I couldn’t ask for more. If you seriously want more than this, you’ll end up traveling all over the continent in search of a strong man you haven’t met yet.
As expected, it’s too unrealistic, so even if I don’t want it, I want an achievement that makes me feel like I’ve climbed to the top of swordsmanship arts.
Iyaah, the more I think about it, the more luxurious it is. If I was asked to decide for myself, it would be a discussion until then, but I never thought I would be in that position until now, so when it comes to that, I can’t find a place to settle down.
“Ah, there you are, Mr. Beryl!”
“Yeah?” I asked.
When I was thinking about such a thing, I was called out from behind.
I don’t know, it’s not good to lose yourself in thought when you’re watching the battle of the knights. I tilt my head lightly, turned around, and there was Sir Evans.
“Sir Evans. What’s wrong?”
“Umm, Commander Alexia is asking for you. She wants you to come to the office.”
“… Fumu. Understood.”
There was no panic on his face when he told me what he had to do. Apparently, rather than an urgent matter, it’s a discussion that can’t be heard anywhere else. In any case, if the Knight Commander herself calls for me, I have no choice but to hurry up and meet her.
However, a call from Alexia is really rare.
Maybe because she cares about me, when she has something to do, she usually goes over here from her office. She’s the head of this organization, so I think it would be nice if I could be summoned casually, but there must be something like her consideration there.
“… Wait? An office, not a reception room?”
“Yes, that’s what she said,” Evans said.
“I see… Thank you.”
Just as I got up thinking I should go, I suddenly noticed it: the destination is not the reception room that I know, but the knight commander’s office.
I wonder what’s going on. Finally, the scent of an important matter that could not be heard anywhere else drifted in the air. And this is often trouble. What’s more, she’s calling me instead of the vice commander, Henblitz, or a veteran knight. I’m a little nervous.
For the time being, I know the location of the office where Alexia usually stays. When I was first guided to this government building, I was told about the general structure and room allocation.
Even so, I have never stepped into the office directly. It’s because I haven’t had much to do before.
“Now then……”
After thanking Evans, I left the training ground.
Well, it’s been like that for all the incidents and business matters up until now, but in the end, even if I turn the gears of my head round and round, I can’t find an answer at all.
After coming to Baltrain from Bidden Village, he interacted with various people. The way I put it may be a bit strange, but I’ve been getting involved in situations I don’t know about.
I guess it can’t be helped all this, but when I was withdrawn from the world in the countryside, there weren’t many things like that, so I’m still a little unfamiliar with it. Moreover, the way this usually goes means something unpleasant. It would be unreasonable to say not to be cautious.
Well, the warning itself is almost meaningless. After all, that event just popped up on its own without my knowledge.
“Huh, is it here?”
After walking for a while in the corridor inside the government building that was all uniformly white. I arrive in front of her office where Alexia usually works.
She should be waiting ahead, but this heavy door that gives a particularly luxurious impression even among the Knights, which emphasizes simplicity and strength, it makes me a little nervous.
“… Yoshi.”
I don’t have a shirt collar to fix up, but somehow I straighten out my feelings and knock on the door.
Kon, Kon, and so on. A hard sound resounded quietly along with my movements.
“Come in.”
Shortly after the sound echoed, a quiet but dignified voice returned from the room.
It was definitely Alexia’s voice. Since she came to Baltrain, I have heard her voice on a daily basis, but I think her voice quality hasn’t changed since she was in the dojo. Well, even if she was praised by such an old man, she would just feel uncomfortable.
“Pardon me,” I said.
By the way, what does Alexia want to talk about, having gone out of her way to call me specifically?
I’m interested, but I only have a premonition of trouble. Sometimes I want to shut off this intuition.
