“Hoo-wee…”
Returning to my room, I let out a big sigh and collapsed onto the sofa.
After being mistaken for having awakened to NTR, I brazenly and impulsively rattled off whatever came to mind, and somehow managed to secure the right to laze around at my family’s estate.
It seems they were strangely worried that something terrible had happened to me, but thanks to that, my request was granted, so I don’t mind.
And I really intend to work hard on improving my relationship with the Maids. After all, this is what I have to do for my future.
In that first Loop, I really did spend three years carefree, and every day was just fun. I can’t move forward to the future if I remain disliked by the Maids who shared those fun days with me.
Until now, I couldn’t bring myself to improve our relationship because I thought, “It’ll just Loop again and it’ll all be for nothing anyway.”
But this time is different. I’m betting that the probability of this Loop ending this time is quite high. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to do it.
I’ve been distant from the Maids ever since I became friends with them in the first Loop, and I can’t remember their personalities or hobbies in much detail anymore, but I haven’t forgotten the initial hook.
First, I opened the door to my room and peeked into the hallway… as expected, she was there. If Shino isn’t around, you’re the one who gets stuck standing here, huh?
“Hey, can I bother you for a bit?”
“…Yes, what is it?”
Emi, with a casual gesture, took an exaggerated distance that wasn’t casual at all, and replied demurely. That’s right, the hook is you.
“At the Royal Capital’s academy, I received this from a friend… but I don’t know anyone who knows much about it.”
Saying that, I took out a stack of cards. You won’t be able to resist this temptation…!
“Then my draw is the Wolf Magician. I’ll place it here. That’s my win.”
“Nuu…”
Emi, the card fanatic who left such a strong impression on me in the first Loop that I never forgot her. I believed you’d take the bait. And I knew you’d fleece a beginner out of their cards mercilessly. I knew it, but still.
“How merciless… is this the world of Card Battles…!”
“Yes, it is. A heated battle that makes the blood boil. A duel where we wager our pride and our cards.”
What do you mean, “Yes, it is”? I’m glad I earned some money on the way back from the Royal Capital. I’ll have to go to Town to buy some cards next time.
“I see. But it seems we got a little too heated. Let’s call it a day for now.”
“…………Is that so? Then, excuse me. I’ll be waiting outside the room.”
“Ah.”
Emi, with a disappointed look on her face, said that and demurely left the room. For the sake of Card Battles, she’s willing to be alone in a room with a perverted nobleman who she usually keeps her distance from. She’s still weird, after all.
“Well… I’m bored now.”
I stopped because I thought I’d run out of cards too quickly at that pace, but I don’t have anything else to do.
So, when I tried to remember what I was doing in the first Loop, I vaguely recalled swinging my Sword around while being watched by the Maids from time to time, besides playing cards.
“Sword, huh?”
I wonder about the Sword now. It might have been good to practice swinging when I was a noob back then, but now that I’ve probably become the strongest swordsman in the kingdom, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to just swing a stick in the garden.
“But I don’t have anything else to do.”
Then I’ll show the Maids how cool I am moving around with a schwing schwing. And someday I want to be fawned over again. Ah, there was a point.
I realized it had a very important meaning, so I cheerfully took the Cursed Sword and went outside the room. I think I was practicing in the courtyard.
“L, Lord Geld, what is that?”
“Huh?”
Emi, who was waiting outside the room, was making a face and keeping an extreme distance. Did something happen?
“Such a Sword… P, please be careful!”
“Huh? …Oh, is that what it is?”
Come to think of it, that’s right. Geld was a noob who had never swung a Sword properly. If such a guy suddenly came out of his room with a fancy Sword that he got from somewhere, combined with his usual bad behavior, it would be simply scary. Especially since Emi had just mercilessly fleeced me out of my cards.
“I’m going to practice swinging from now on. I learned it in the Royal Capital.”
“I see. Practice swinging, is it?”
The idiot son of a noble who went to a magic school came back having learned how to use a Sword. Emi doesn’t seem to be able to grasp the situation.
But it’s faster to show her than to explain it. I took Emi with me and immediately moved to the courtyard.
Now, I want to show off a cool technique here, but first of all, ‘Spinning Slash’ and ‘Spinning Slash Modified’ are lame, so no. ‘Thousand Sword Dance’ is a flashy technique, but if there’s nothing to cut, the Swords will just float and it’ll be surreal.
Then it’s ‘Sword Aura Release’ into ‘Dragon Flight Slash’. This technique is not suitable for actual combat and I’ve never used it, but the dragon effect is just a cool demonstration technique.
“Hah! Hah!”
With ‘Sword Aura Release’, a purple aura rises from my body, and with ‘Dragon Flight Slash’, a translucent dragon soars high into the sky. It’s still cool.
After that, I’ll make movements assuming actual combat… but the Maids probably won’t be able to see anything, so I’ll stop and slowly practice swinging.
“Huff, huff!”
Is Emi watching properly from behind? Should I show her another technique?
‘Earth-Splitting Smash’ at Sword skill level six is… no, the courtyard will be ruined. Or rather, almost all the other techniques are no good. They’re either plain or dangerous. I might as well just keep practicing swinging.
As I was swinging slowly, feeling like I was back to square one, I noticed someone who had probably been watching me from a short distance approaching. It must be a Maid who was captivated by my coolness… oh, no. This presence is someone who can fight a little, and the build is male. Damn it, who the hell is it?
Thinking that, I turned around and saw a mysterious noble walking straight towards me.
“Hmm?”
He’s a handsome man with an air of nobility. Why is such a disagreeable-looking man at the Waslein Estate…? No, that’s Geld’s Older Brother. I honestly don’t remember him at all, but the only noble in this house is my Older Brother.
“…Hey, Geld.”
“What is it, Older Brother?”
“How did you get such skill… no, when did you…?”
I realized when he got close, but my Older Brother has a slightly pale expression and seems to be deep in thought.
But this is understandable. I am not unaware of my strength.
I have no idea what my Older Brother is aiming for or what he does, but I can tell from his appearance and demeanor that he knows a little about Swords.
If his younger brother, who had been indulging in debauchery, suddenly became like a veteran master, he would be surprised, and he would wonder what all his efforts had been for.
“Older Brother, this is the result of secret efforts.”
“Secret…?”
“Yes. It means I wasn’t just playing around.”
“Is that so… no, but…”
My Older Brother made a dubious face after hearing my random excuse. He doesn’t seem convinced at all.
He probably knows that it’s not a realm you can reach with just a little secret practice.
“Geld, would you be willing to spar with me?”
“Well, I don’t mind, but…”
I was taken aback by my Older Brother’s sudden proposal. He should know the difference in our abilities.
I’m fine with it, but will my Older Brother be okay? If I hold back too much, it’ll be a shock in its own way, but I’m hesitant to beat him up one-sidedly.
While I was wondering how to respond, my Older Brother brought two Wooden Swords from somewhere. It seems he went to get them without me noticing.
“Let’s do it with these. Please stop before you hit me.”
“Stop before I hit you? Understood.”
I was handed something nostalgic, a Wooden Sword. When I was at the Royal Ukyak Academy, I was swinging a Wooden Sword every day, and Gouketu was hitting me with a Wooden Sword every day. Of course, I was never stopped before I was hit.
Especially the first year, when I was shedding blood, tears, sweat, and vomit every day, is etched into my Soul so deeply that even I, who am prone to forgetting things, can’t forget it even if I wanted to.
“Then… here I come!”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Haa!”
My Older Brother took a strong, big step and swung down from above with that momentum. It’s a movement like Japanese Kendo.
I blocked it with my Sword and brought it into a Tsubazeriai, pushing back with my strength. Then, my Older Brother stepped in again and swung down.
“Hmm.”
This is probably his favorite move. It’s too monotonous with just this, so he probably has some small techniques to change things up, but I’ve grasped most of it. His skill is stronger than the first-year students in the Swordsmanship Club, but a little weaker than the second-year students.
“Tseaa!”
“Hoh.”
I gently guided my sword against my older brother’s descending blade, subtly altering its course. As a result, his sword struck the ground, while mine moved towards his neck.
“Ugh, is this… the end…!”
“Yes. So, what will you do?”
“Hmph, one more round!”
This time, instead of deflecting my brother’s sword, I clashed head-on. I deliberately exposed slight openings, and conversely, lightly exploited his. Furthermore, I even incorporated some unconventional movements, and his response to this was—
“Guh. S-such techniques… I’ve lost…!”
“It seemed that Older Brother’s swordsmanship was a bit too polished.”
“Besides, Geld, you were guiding me…”
“Yes, well.”
I guess he noticed that too, huh? They had the same level of skill as my juniors, so I couldn’t help but do it out of nostalgia.
“Far superior to mine… Moreover, this isn’t relying on skills or levels, but genuine swordsmanship backed by solid training and experience…”
“I did my best.”
“Yes. You must have truly worked hard. It would be absolutely impossible otherwise.”
My brother, seemingly deeply moved, praised me for a while before leaving with a refreshed expression.
“…Hmm.”
I’m aware that I was quite rude, but instead of getting angry, my brother was only impressed with me.
He’s undoubtedly a man of character. My brother is more suitable as the next Family Head (patriarch). It’s too much trouble for me, so I’ll pass.
In that case, I should immediately inform Father of this… No, perhaps the issue of bloodline can’t be overturned with just that.
Alright, starting today, I’ll focus on cards and swords while getting closer to the Maids, and from there, I’ll live a life of dissipation. If I do that, Father will be disgusted with me, and I’ll be happily disinherited.