Crishet and Berry were sipping tea and eating cookies, looking down at the two from the window.
The sun was still high in the sky over the grassy garden.
Bohgan held his sword loosely in his right hand, while Selene took a standard guard with her sword.
Selene’s stance was firmly grounded, far superior to others of her age Crishet had seen.
It could rival that of the former soldiers who had been instructors in the village, but she was still no match for Zarl.
That’s about her level, then, Crishet calmly assessed.
The two faced each other for a while, then a slight tension appeared in Selene’s body—Selene smoothly stepped in.
A sharp blade swung in a downward diagonal slash—but it was a feint.
Utilizing her small frame, she ducked low and unleashed a thrust.
Her supple body extended. The tip of her sword reached surprisingly far.
However, Bohgan dodged it by taking half a step back and launched his own sword.
Selene twisted her body and blocked with her sword. It was a sword with a blunted edge, not a wooden one, so it had weight.
Wincing from the impact of the blow, Selene nevertheless pushed forward.
She knocked aside Bohgan’s one-handed swing and pressed in further—but it was Bohgan’s trap.
He deliberately let his sword be deflected, using the recoil to dodge Selene’s charge by turning half his body.
Having taken her back, he pressed the tip of his sword to the nape of her neck.
“…I yield.”
“Hmm, your initial move was good. However, you are still too eager to win. That’s why your attacks become predictable, and you fall for my feints.”
Despite being a well-built man, Bohgan’s swordsmanship was surprisingly delicate.
He didn’t rely on strength, instead smoothly deflecting his opponent’s sword.
Of course, the fact that his opponent was Selene might have been a factor, but his movements were refined, lacking any crudeness.
It was likely somewhat different from what Zarl called battlefield swordsmanship.
“…Crishet. How about it, you too?”
“!”
Bohgan invited Crishet, who had been watching from the window.
Selene’s face twisted in displeasure.
“I’ve heard about you from your grandfather. If possible, I’d like to see your skills… It would also serve as motivation for Selene.”
“Father!”
Crishet looked at the glaring Selene and thought that if it was Bohgan-sama’s wish, she had no choice.
Especially since Crishet hadn’t fulfilled Bohgan-sama’s request to ‘have a talk with Selene,’ she couldn’t afford to lower his opinion of her any further.
“Yes, Lord Head of the House.”
“…Crishet-sama.”
Berry looked at Crishet anxiously, and Crishet tilted her head.
Then, she nodded as if in understanding. “Ah.”
“Crishet won’t get hurt, and I won’t hurt anyone, so it’s alright.”
“Eh, um… Huh…?”
Berry was bewildered by Crishet’s overly confident words.
Having enjoyed her tea and cookies, Crishet went downstairs with Berry and headed towards the two.
Selene looked even more sullen than before, glaring at Crishet but saying nothing.
Prompted by Bohgan-sama, she handed Crishet a practice sword, then crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
Crishet tested the feel of the longsword in her hand.
It was somewhat heavy, with a long blade, making its center of balance distant.
For Crishet, who controlled her body with mana, muscular strength wasn’t an issue, but the weight balance was indeed a significant problem.
If she swung it through, her small body would be pulled in that direction, and she would lose her balance.
Her usual wooden sword wasn’t that heavy, and the sword she had “borrowed” from the bandits was a small, hatchet-like curved sword.
A real straight sword, merely blunted, was a bit difficult for Crishet to handle.
“It’s the same type soldiers use, so it might be a bit heavy, but we use these for practice. Will you be alright?”
“May I try a few light swings?”
“Ah, of course.”
Crishet swung the blade casually.
She lost her balance and frowned.
She changed her footwork as she stepped, moving in the direction she was losing balance, but still, the sword was heavy.
Bohgan’s eyes widened at the sharpness of her swing, and Selene’s did as well.
However, Crishet’s figure, losing balance each time, was clumsy.
Bohgan considered changing the sword, thinking it might indeed be too heavy, while Selene felt a sense of relief.
But Crishet’s clumsiness was only momentary.
If my body is going to be pulled, then I just have to let it.
Crishet stopped trying to maintain her posture and instead yielded herself to the weight of the blade.
“…This is…”
Bohgan muttered with a groan.
Lowering her stance, she swept the blade sideways, then pivoted on her lead foot, turning half her body.
As if dancing, as if drawing a circle, Crishet swung the blade.
Sometimes a sharp thrust, an upward diagonal slash, a downward cut.
With her right hand, her left hand, in a reverse grip.
Crishet’s swordsmanship, pursuing only acrobatic-like efficiency, was perfected at astonishing speed.
The moment Crishet’s dance, which could be called a storm of blades, stopped, Bohgan frowned with a serious expression, and Selene was dumbfounded in astonishment.
Only Berry smiled immediately and clapped, seemingly relieved.
“That was amazing, Crishet-sama! It was like a martial artist’s sword dance!”
Grasping the essentials of the weapon, constructing a theory of movement, and sublimating it into a technique.
Shaving off inefficiency, pursuing only efficient movements.
For Crishet, who had already perfected her philosophy of combat, the problems of a weapon were trivial.
For me, this is only natural—this is nothing more than a warm-up.
“…? Thank you very much…”
Crishet tilted her head at being praised, offering thanks without really understanding why.
Crishet had a tendency to downplay what was ‘natural for her,’ not recognizing great value in it.
Always returning more than she received—this distortion, which could also be called her virtue, stemmed from such aspects of her personality.
Crishet decided not to dwell on it and checked the condition of her limbs and body.
Perhaps because it had been a while since she had moved her body like this, she felt aches in her joints.
Crishet never strained herself, but moving her body still put a burden on it.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her breathing was a little ragged.
“…My, my, so this is genius. I understand well what the Captain said… Crishet, may I request a spar?”
“Yes, I’ve kept you waiting.”
Crishet twirled the sword to get used to it in her hand and took a natural stance.
Outside of engagement range. Crishet always adopted the most effective stance for the situation.
Realizing that her seemingly defenseless posture had absolutely no openings, Bohgan put his left hand forward, taking a half-body stance.
It involved parrying the opponent’s blade with a shield in the left hand, breaking their stance, and delivering the finishing blow with the sword in the right. It was one of the battlefield sword styles called the Rohlka style, and this swordsmanship did not lose its effectiveness even when shieldless, with an empty left hand. This was because the left hand was used to grab the opponent’s hand or body if an opening appeared, as bait to draw out their sword, or to disrupt their sense of distance.
Crishet observed the stance she was seeing for the first time with her inorganic eyes.
She considered its advantages and disadvantages, thinking about how to overcome it.
If I aim for his outstretched left hand, Bohgan-sama will pull it back and parry my sword with his own. On the other hand, if I close the distance and aim for his torso, his free left hand will grab me.
A faint, wavering aura—Crishet could see that Bohgan-sama was clad in what was called mana. And if that was the case, there wouldn’t be much difference in their sword speeds.
Unless Bohgan-sama moves first, I probably can’t break his stance in a single move.
Reaching that conclusion, she began to formulate her strategy while waiting for Bohgan-sama to make a move.
Bohgan also sensed that approaching carelessly would be dangerous.
Crishet’s eyes were as clear as the calm surface of a lake.
Her eyes told him she wouldn’t miss even the slightest of his movements, and he could see a calmness in them that even suggested veteran experience.
Bohgan had the overwhelming advantage in reach.
For Crishet to land an effective blow on Bohgan-sama, she naturally needed to step in deeper than he did.
Considering that this would be her biggest opening, Bohgan couldn’t bring himself to move first.
If Bohgan stepped in, it would make it easier for Crishet to bring him into her blade’s range.
“…Hm.”
Crishet began to walk briskly, seemingly defenseless.
Clockwise around Bohgan-sama, as if drawing an arc.
Is she trying to disrupt my stance?
Bohgan tried to discern her intent, keeping Crishet in front of him without breaking his stance.
Crishet made a clear move after approaching the wall of the mansion.
She stepped in and swung her sword horizontally with her left hand.
Her target was Bohgan-sama’s left arm.
Her body displayed an agility and reach unimaginable from her physique.
Her body, pliant as a whip, channeled all its power into the sword tip—producing tremendous sword speed.
However, Bohgan calmly perceived it.
Having seen her sword speed and the quickness of her advance earlier, it remained within the scope of his expectations.
Did she get impatient? Bohgan thought, pulling back his left hand to seize the counter-initiative.
He swung his sword to parry Crishet’s—and in that instant, he realized, No, that’s not it!
Her sword was parried without any resistance, and with that momentum, she turned her back to Baughan.
Crishet leaped onto the mansion wall, then kicked off it, performing a cat-like backward high jump to soar over Baughan’s head.
“Kuh…!”
However, Baughan was a seasoned veteran.
Instantly realizing his disadvantage, he deliberately broke his stance and rolled onto his back.
“Ah…”
It was a training spar. She couldn’t possibly cut him down.
Crishet, who had slowed her sword to stop the blade just short, saw it pass before Baughan’s eyes, and then the tip of Baughan’s blade was thrust at Crishet’s neck.
“Ugh… I concede.”
Crishet, who had fully intended to win, reluctantly announced her defeat, her cheeks flushing.
Hearing Crishet’s voice, devoid of any tension, the two onlookers resumed breathing, and Baughan also let out a breath and lowered his sword.
Crishet helped Baughan to his feet.
“I thought I could win with that move… but it wasn’t enough.”
“…No, that’s not true.”
If she had a sword more suited to her.
Or if this hadn’t been a mere spar, but a real battle.
—He would likely have been killed by this girl.
Baughan felt a chill run down his spine.
Baughan, who had risen from a minor noble family through his swordsmanship to the rank of general, naturally had considerable pride in his own strength.
He hadn’t intended to hold back, and had even used Body Augmentation when facing Crishet.
And yet, she had calculated she could still win and made her move.
Crishet’s uncanniness, which couldn’t be dismissed merely as “natural talent,” made him understand anew why she had been ostracized from her village.
Crishet, on the other hand, didn’t think of such excuses.
The swords were the same, and the condition of stopping short was also the same. It was a match on equal terms.
She simply believed she had lost due to her own immaturity, and her cheeks reddened.
Crishet frowned slightly, rubbing her wrist and elbow as she handed the sword to Baughan.
“Did you hurt yourself?”
“…No, I just haven’t moved like this in a while, so it’s a little… It’s not really an injury.”
“…Berry, sorry, but could you take a look at her? The sword was probably too heavy for her.”
“Y-yes. …Crishet-sama, to your room.”
Crishet was led back into the mansion by Berry.
Selene watched Crishet go, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
Baughan scratched his head, wondering if this had been too intense a stimulus for her, rather than just a spur.
For Selene to be spurred by her, Crishet was far too aberrant.
“There are exceptionally gifted people like that in the world. Don’t let it bother you too much.”
At those words, Selene relaxed her shoulders, regulated her breathing, and snatched the sword Crishet had been holding from Baughan.
“…Father, once more, if you please.”
Selene’s swordsmanship became rougher, fiercer, as if laying bare her inner emotions.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Crishet is ready anytime.”
Crishet faced Selene under the moonlight.
After returning to her room, a worried Berry bandaged Crishet, and then she prepared dinner.
Berry had told her she could rest, but Crishet insisted on cooking, so Berry relented, and they made dinner together as usual.
Selene didn’t come for dinner; Berry brought food to her room, so three people ate.
Baughan peppered Crishet with questions about her life in the village, such as where she had learned such sword techniques. They finished their meal amicably, with Berry occasionally chiding Baughan for his rapid-fire questioning.
After dinner was bath time.
Baths weren’t common, but public bathhouses existed, and upper-class families like the Chrishtands, who owned mansions, had them.
It wasn’t large enough to fill a room, but it was big enough for two or three people to soak in at once, and Crishet had been impressed by its luxury when she first saw it.
Crishet loved cleanliness so much that she would bathe in the river every day, even in winter.
The bath, where she could cleanse her body with warm water and soak leisurely, was Crishet’s favorite.
Unless he was out for work, Baughan bathed first, followed by Selene.
Crishet’s turn was next, but she bathed together with Berry.
At first, it was to explain how to use the bath, but Crishet had taken a great liking to Berry washing her, so it became a natural routine.
The two of them would get out of the bath, then have a little tea in their room, and after that, Crishet would head to Selene’s room.
“Talking with Selene” was Baughan’s request. It was a duty Crishet had to fulfill.
Crishet believed it was only natural to fulfill the requests of Baughan, who, as her guardian, provided this environment for her, and she felt no doubt about it.
For Crishet, who strongly demanded excellence from herself, fulfilling requests was a matter of course, and she even felt a sense of inadequacy for not yet being able to fully meet them.
Both Baughan and Berry were deeply grateful to Crishet for not giving up, even though she was showered with cold words and driven away by Selene each time, but Crishet’s judgment was fundamentally based on her own standards.
Heedless of their words telling her not to push herself, she went to Selene’s room again today, undeterred.
Selene seemed to have anticipated Crishet’s visit, but today she was wearing training clothes instead of sleepwear.
Selene, sitting in a chair with her arms crossed, looked at Crishet and said, first thing,
“Would you mind sparring with me?”
she asked.
Crishet, who sought an opportunity to “talk,” had no words to refuse, and so it had come to this.
Berry watched them nervously, while Selene was gripping her sword too tightly.
Like Baughan, Selene had learned the art of Body Augmentation, and Crishet observed the wasteful movements of her mana.
Crishet wondered why Selene, who was far inferior to Baughan, would want to spar with her. Concluding that Selene essentially wanted her to train her, Crishet frankly stated what she thought.
“Ojou-sama, you’re concentrating too much mana in your right hand and left foot.”
From the way the mana was gathering, it would be a diagonal downward slash, kicking off the ground with her left foot.
Her next move was easily discernible.
“…Huh?”
Selene’s reaction was to openly contort her face, which flushed red.
Thinking Selene found it hard to understand, Crishet used the simpler terms she had used before.
“Um… you have too little ‘fuyo-fuyo‘ when you try to retreat. That way, you can only use it when stepping forward… Yes, like this.”
Crishet stepped forward fluidly and swung her sword towards Selene’s neck.
Berry shrieked, but the blade stopped just short of Selene’s neck. Selene leaped backward a moment too late.
A seigan stance, with the right foot forward.
The left foot, the trailing foot, could be used when stepping forward, but it was difficult to use when leaping back to dodge.
“If you do that, you’ll be checkmated in one move, like just now. But—”
Sensing the ‘fuyo-fuyo‘ shift to Selene’s right foot, Crishet stepped forward in the same way.
This time, before Crishet’s blade could reach, Selene leaped back and dodged.
“If you shift the ‘fuyo-fuyo‘ to your front foot, you can dodge the first move.”
“Y-you…! Who do you think you are?!”
Selene charged forward in return.
Crishet, without moving, saw through her attack, let it whiff, then pointed the tip of her sword at Selene’s neck and smiled.
“This time it’s the opposite. You don’t have enough ‘fuyo-fuyo‘ in your stepping foot. Also, you’re tensing up unnecessarily, which is killing the power of the ‘fuyo-fuyo‘.”
Selene leaped far back.
After a brief exchange, Selene already had beads of sweat on her forehead.
“‘Fuyo-fuyo‘ is like very strong muscles, so you have to relax your body. If you try to use your actual muscles unnecessarily, it will interfere with the ‘fuyo-fuyo‘s’ movement. That’s why Crishet always relaxes her body completely from the start.”
“What in the world are you…?”
Constructing virtual muscles.
Body Augmentation through mana was like that: by manipulating semi-material mana that clung to the body, muscle contraction and extension were replaced by mana.
No physical tension was needed there; in fact, actual muscles often became an obstacle, hindering the movement of the virtual muscles.
However, sudden muscle stiffness or tension occurs unconsciously.
It’s impossible to eliminate it completely, and all masters train throughout their lives to get as close as possible to that state.
But the girl before her, of similar age, was effortlessly demonstrating what could be called the perfected form of Body Augmentation, something Selene only knew in theory.
Body Augmentation, perfectly stripped of all waste, projected the user’s image directly into movement.
Like an automaton manipulated by mana and will.
Crishet was in a completely natural state, with no tension or stiffness anywhere in her body.
“…? Crishet is Crishet.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!”
She lunged.
The being before her was something uncanny and unknown.
Easily dodging Selene’s all-out strike, Crishet would politely explain, “With that last move, this part was no good, and that part too…”
As if pointing out an error in a mathematical formula, Crishet identified Selene’s problems, observing Selene’s every aspect from an overwhelmingly superior vantage point.
—Selene’s parents had wished for a son.
Baughan desired an heir, and her mother felt the same. As a noble house, it was natural to desire a son, and as a martial family, it was even more common to wish for a male heir. Of course, it wasn’t that she wasn’t loved; Selene, who had received more than enough affection, had no complaints.
At first, she took up the sword with the thought that even as a girl, she could be entrusted with the house with peace of mind. She put in a decent amount of effort and became rumored to have good aptitude among her peers—however, what she heard were words like, “if only she were a boy.” Her parents told Selene not to push herself, but she was unbearably frustrated. Her parents still wished for a son, and while consulting a doctor for infertility, they hoped for a second child.
Her mother, who had always been frail, became pregnant with a second child but had a stillbirth and died from childbed fever. If only I had been a boy, this wouldn’t have happened, Selene thought.
She had heard stories about Crishet from Gahlen-san several times. Although he couldn’t perform physical augmentation, her father’s former superior officer, Gahlen-san, was an excellent swordsman and a skilled teacher. Selene had pestered a reluctant Gahlen-san for instruction, and during their breaks, Gahlen-san often spoke about his granddaughter. Not only her peers, but even adult men were no match for her, and at an age not so different from Selene’s, she was feared by the men of the village. Even Gahlen-san himself was unsure if he could win against her, he’d said. The story was that her future was a little worrying, but she remembered Baughan expressing interest, wondering what kind of girl “that captain” called a genius was like.
Selene redoubled her efforts. She didn’t want to admit there was someone better than her, and she wanted to believe she had the strength to not lose even to adults. Therefore, the news that this girl had cut down over a dozen bandits and could no longer stay in her village, and Baughan’s decision to adopt that girl, filled her with a strong sense of unease.
To acknowledge Crishet would be tantamount to admitting that all her efforts up to now had been in vain. She couldn’t possibly accept being made to realize by a girl her own age that she was, after all, just an ordinary girl found anywhere.
However, the girl before her eyes was clearly demonstrating just that.
Selene swung her sword. Crishet dodged. Crishet pointed it out.
Without letting her land a second strike, Crishet created distance, or transitioned into a counterattack to prevent it. While gazing at Selene, who was struggling just to dodge, with her emotionless purple eyes, Crishet smoothly listed her flaws at moments when their blades couldn’t reach each other.
They were words from a far greater height. Crishet clearly pointed out the problems Selene had unconsciously sensed but couldn’t identify the cause of. Even if she tried not to listen, she couldn’t help but hear, and Selene’s body semi-consciously tried to correct them, a mixture of surprise and frustration welling up. Selene simply kept moving her body.
Unable to accept the finishing blows aimed at her repeatedly, Selene kept moving. Dodging, parrying, swinging her sword. However, that too did not last long. Her stamina reached its limit, and she could no longer hold back tears of frustration.
“Um, er… Are you alright?”
“S-sob, sh-shut up…!”
Crishet suddenly crouched down, perplexed by Selene who had burst into tears. She wondered if she had overdone it, but from Crishet’s perspective, she had intended it as very gentle guidance. She couldn’t see any reason to be cried at when she expected gratitude. For the time being, she put down her sword and, as if it were the most natural thing to do, Crishet hugged her. Hugging and soothing a crying child is the best way. Crishet simply applied what she had been taught.
Selene, naturally, struggled, but Crishet didn’t let go. Instead, she merely gently patted the crying Selene’s head.
Berry watched them, flustered but observing. It was because she could see that Crishet was trying to comfort the crying Selene.
“S-stop, stop it! Why, by someone like you…”
“Kaa-sama taught Crishet to do this for crying children. Crishet doesn’t really understand why Ojou-sama is crying, though.”
Crishet said so, ignoring the struggling Selene and continuing to pat her. Gradually, Selene gave up struggling and let herself be held.
“Crishet hasn’t been able to talk with Ojou-sama at all, so if possible, I’d like you to stop crying soon and talk with me. We can’t talk if you’re crying, and it would be a shame if I couldn’t talk to you today either, especially since you called out to me.”
“Talk…?”
“Yes, Crishet wanted to talk with Ojou-sama. It’s been a whole week already, and we still haven’t talked at all.”
“Aren’t you an idiot,” Selene said, sniffling.
“Talk, talk, what are we supposed to talk about…”
“Ah.”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” Crishet said, her cheeks flushing red.
At those words, Selene, still crying, was exasperated and asked.
“…You, this past week, you kept coming to my place like an idiot, and after being treated like that, don’t you hate me?”
“…? Crishet doesn’t recall being treated terribly, you know?”
“Just how oblivious are you…”
“Ob-liv-i-ous…?”
Crishet tilted her head, and Selene sniffled and sighed.
“Honestly… this is making me feel ridiculous. Getting all worked up by myself, like an idiot…”
“But Ojou-sama studies a lot, and Crishet thinks you are very smart.”
“That’s not what I mean! Ah, honestly…”
It was chilly outside. Crishet, wanting to go back soon, looked at Berry, wondering what to do. Berry looked blank for a moment, then smiled, collected the fallen swords, and suggested to Crishet that they return to the room for now. Crishet nodded and then lifted Selene up in her arms.
“Wh-what are you doing?! Let me go, I can walk by myself…!”
“Fufu, Crishet-sama, please carry her to the room just like that. I’ll head over after I tidy this up. It’s a bit late, but let’s have some tea.”
“Yes…!”
Crishet smiled, nodded, and returned to the room, still holding the struggling Selene. Berry’s request was more important to her than Selene’s.
Perhaps because she had been seen crying, or perhaps because she had been carried in someone’s arms, Selene remained sullen for a while even after returning to the room, her face bright red as she hid under the sheets. Berry forcibly dragged her out, brought out leftover cookies from lunchtime, poured tea, and prepared for a small evening tea party.
While drinking overly sweet tea, Crishet, who couldn’t think of anything to talk about, reviewed the earlier training session, and Selene reluctantly listened. Regardless, Crishet’s explanations were concise and clear. Since it concerned swordsmanship, something Selene herself was passionate about, she couldn’t remain indifferent to such talk. Gradually, she began to ask questions, and eventually, her questions shifted to how Crishet had acquired her skills and what her life had been like up until then.
Although Selene couldn’t detect any emotion in Crishet’s dispassionate narration, she imagined various emotions from the content, and out of guilt, she spoke about her own past, explained why she had been so harsh to Crishet, and offered a sincere apology. Crishet refused the apology, but Selene, being stubborn herself, wouldn’t back down either, and time passed with neither yielding. Berry, with a wry smile, said, “The rest in bed,” and tossed them both into the same bed.
Having acquired a warm and cuddly body pillow, Crishet quickly fell asleep, and Selene, while watching her with exasperation, also drifted off to sleep before she knew it, likely due to exhaustion.
“…Honestly.”
When Selene woke up the next morning, Crishet was sleeping soundly and happily. Seeing that, Selene felt everything was ridiculous, gave a wry smile, and patted Crishet’s head. Crishet’s eyes fluttered open, and still half-asleep, she rubbed her eyelids and said in a soft, mumbled voice, “Good morning, Ojou-sama.”
“Selene is fine.”
“Se-re-ne…?”
“…That’s right. It’s still early, so go back to sleep for a bit longer.”
“Okay…”
When Selene patted her head again, Crishet hugged her and fell back asleep, looking blissful. Listening to Crishet’s soft breathing, Selene also fell asleep again before she realized it, indulging in a long-missed lazy sleep until Berry woke them with a wry smile.
Selene and Berry.
This was how Crishet’s first encounter with these two, with whom she would have a long association, went.