Episode 11: Mob Prince Learns the Sword from an S-Rank Adventurer and Becomes a Master at Breakneck Speed
[From the Perspective of Gaine, the S-Rank Adventurer]
“Use my position as a swordsmanship instructor to kill Prince Luke for 300 gold coins, you say? Sorry, but look elsewhere. I’m an adventurer, not an assassin.”
“You find that insufficient? Then, I shall offer double the reward. How about 300 gold coins as an advance? Lord Gaine of the S-Rank Adventurers, 【Dandelion】?”
“Hey, that’s not the issue…”
Empress Camilla, gaudily dressed, rang the bell.
A maid carried in a heavy treasure chest.
This was Empress Camilla’s private chamber in the Imperial Court.
Luxurious furnishings were arranged throughout, and the sofa I sat on was dreamily soft.
Someone like me, a rootless wanderer, would normally never be allowed to enter such a noble place.
The name 【Dandelion】 came from my habit of flitting about the countries as I pleased.
I hate being tied down by anyone.
…But right now, I needed the money, so I couldn’t afford to say that. That’s why I accepted the Emperor’s request to be a swordsmanship instructor.
I never expected to be dragged into a power struggle within the Imperial Court so suddenly. Crap, this is the worst.
“This is quite a sight.”
When the treasure chest was opened, the tightly packed gold coins emitted a dazzling brilliance.
It was a fortune I’d never see in my life doing monster extermination.
“But killing a child would leave a bad taste in my mouth. More than that, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to my daughter, Rena.”
I stood up to leave.
Aside from being unpleasant, avoiding these kinds of people was the key to a long life.
“Hold on. I have your daughter in my custody.”
“What…?”
I was stunned by the unexpected statement.
Empress Camilla announced triumphantly,
“If you refuse my request and become Luke’s swordsmanship instructor, it’s the same as opposing me. Too bad, you won’t be able to see your daughter again, will you?”
This bitch…
For a moment, I almost lost myself to anger, but I desperately restrained myself.
“If you succeed in assassinating Luke, I’ll add to the reward and have my personal magician treat your daughter. How does that sound? Not a bad deal, is it?”
“…Hah, it seems you’ve been investigating me.”
I sat back down on the sofa.
About two months ago, a village I stopped by had been turned into a testing ground for a nasty magician, and all the villagers had fallen into a coma.
That included my seven-year-old daughter, Rena.
Some magicians are complete scumbags who repeat human experiments to develop new magic.
Rena and the villagers had been sleeping like the dead ever since.
Rena had started learning to make 【Potions】 because she wanted to help me. She wanted to become an apothecary in the future and be of assistance to me.
The thought that Rena might never wake up again was ridiculous.
But hiring a skilled magician who could use 【Dispel】 to undo the magic would cost a fortune.
That’s why I took on the job of being Prince Luke’s swordsmanship instructor.
“…You’ll keep your promise, right?”
“Yes, of course. In return, you must torment Luke as much as possible and kill him painfully. Send the corpse to his mother and sister.”
Empress Camilla wore a malicious smile.
“Understood. I’ll try to fulfill your requests as much as possible. In return, let me see Rena before the job. Right now!”
I glared at Empress Camilla menacingly.
Many members of the royalty and nobility don’t feel that commoners’ lives are worth even a hair. Empress Camilla was almost certainly one of them.
Once I completed the job, she would probably have Rena and me eliminated.
That’s why the best course of action was to see Rena before the job and forcibly take her back from these guys.
“…Very well. Then, take a good look.”
With that, the maid who had carried the gold coins took out a crystal ball. Rena’s sleeping face was reflected in the crystal ball.
This was 【Clairvoyance】 magic, which displayed images from afar.
“Rena!? Hey, where is this? Let me see my daughter directly!”
I grabbed the maid by the collar and threatened her.
But the maid didn’t seem intimidated at all; instead, she wore a sneer.
“…That’s out of the question. Your daughter is a valuable test subject for 【Thanatos】 magic. I’d like to observe her progress closely, if possible.”
“What!? Y-you’re, could it be…!”
“That’s right. I’m the one who turned that village into a magical testing ground. So, I’m the only one who can undo the magic, wouldn’t you say?”
To think I’d run into the bastard who put Rena in a coma in a place like this…
My head was swimming with anger, but I carefully observed the maid.
She looked to be in her teens, but she spoke like an old man—a man, at that. She didn’t seem to be a young girl as she appeared.
A transformation magic…?
Even so, what was with this composure, even though she was being hit with my killing intent?
“You’d better just accept the money and do as you’re told. This Xylas is a magician in the service of my family, House Ludwig. She even studied under the renowned grand alchemist, Count Saint-Germain.”
“Saint-Germain, you say?”
If that was the case, was she a magician who had been granted the Secret Art of Immortality…?
I’d heard that Saint-Germain shared his great wisdom with some of his disciples.
Tch, so that’s where her composure came from.
Even if it was a bluff, I had no chance of winning with Rena being held hostage. I had no choice but to accept their demands for now.
“…Alright, I’ll take the job.”
“That’s right. If you kill Prince Luke, you’ll be able to see your healthy daughter again. Rest assured and work hard.”
Xylas laughed in a muffled voice.
And so, gnashing my teeth in frustration, I ended up taking on the assassination of Prince Luke.
The next day—
“…You’re Prince Luke?”
I met Luke in the Imperial Court’s courtyard, feeling utterly unenthusiastic.
Luke had white skin that didn’t seem to indicate he was of Dark Elf descent at first glance.
No, his extraordinary beauty was truly demonic…
I could understand the rumors that his mother was an unparalleled beauty.
“Yes. It’s an honor to be taught the sword by an S-Rank adventurer. I want to become strong as soon as possible, so please be strict with me.”
“Hmph.”
Luke bowed politely.
I liked that he didn’t have the condescending attitude typical of royalty and nobility.
Intrigued, I decided to talk to him a bit.
“…Why do you want to become strong? I heard you asked the Emperor yourself to learn swordsmanship?”
“Because I want to protect my mother and sister. We’re persecuted in the Imperial Court because we have Mazoku blood.”
…Tch, I shouldn’t have asked.
“I’ll say this first, address me as Master Gaine and show me respect. My orders are absolute. While you’re studying under me, forget that you’re a prince.”
I ordered him in a domineering tone.
In order to trap and kill this kid eventually, I needed to make him absolutely obedient.
“I’ll call you Luke without any honorifics. I won’t use polite language either. Got it?”
“Yes, of course. Otherwise, it would be impossible to teach me the sword, wouldn’t it?”
He gave a sensible reply that didn’t seem like it came from a seven-year-old kid.
More than that, his whole body was overflowing with strong determination.
My resolve was starting to waver, but I decided to harden my heart.
“…Then we’ll start with practical training from day one, Luke. It’s the quickest way to become strong.”
“Yes, I’m in your care, Master Gaine!”
Master Gaine, huh? Come to think of it, I never thought I’d ever take on a disciple.
Even though I’d gained fame as a swordsman, I’d become strong through my own self-taught style, so I didn’t even know how to train a disciple in the first place.
That’s why I started with the method I believed would make me the strongest—a sparring match using wooden swords right from the start.
There’s no better training than fighting a stronger opponent in a real battle.
Formal practice, which orthodox swordsmanship emphasizes, was secondary, or even tertiary.
But even with a wooden sword, a hit would cause considerable pain, and bones could be broken if you weren’t careful.
As Empress Camilla had requested, I mercilessly beat Luke from day one.
But Luke didn’t flinch at all and clung to me.
I was amazed; this guy was used to fighting.
Despite being a prince, his movements and decisiveness made it seem like he had already experienced many real battles.
The next day, and the day after that, I inflicted painful counterattacks on Luke every time he attacked.
But Luke didn’t even think about giving up on his training.
“…Looks like you weren’t lying about what you said on the first day.”
“Of course not.”
Moreover, his movements were becoming increasingly refined.
Luke possessed an agility that was hard to believe for a child, but at first, he still had many unnecessary movements, making it easy to counter him.
However, Luke immediately imitated and incorporated my movements and techniques.
Now, after a week, he even mixes in feints, toying with me.
I guess it’s still just imitation of me… but mixing truth and lies in a battle of wits is already the realm of a master.
To reach that level in about a week is an abnormal growth rate.
Not only does he have talent, but his strong desire to become stronger is making Luke grow at an explosive speed.
“Still too naive, Luke. Deceive your opponent even with your eye movements. Swordsmanship is about reading ahead.”
“Yes, Master!”
Before I knew it, I was enjoying teaching Luke swordsmanship.
I want to see how far this guy can go as a swordsman. I want to raise him to be the strongest with my own hands. I was suddenly captivated by such thoughts.
Is this the joy of raising a disciple…?
If possible, I didn’t want to meet him in this way.
That slight conflict dulled my sword.
Our swords struck each other’s flanks simultaneously.
“I did it! It’s a mutual hit, Master Gaine!”
“To think you’d risk everything to take a point…”
While holding my aching side, I was deeply impressed.
Seriously, this guy is something else… He steps in fearlessly, not afraid of the pain.
In actual combat, fear and hesitation create fatal openings.
I taught him various tricks, but the most important thing is courage after all.
If you’re determined to fight, the courage to jump into the enemy’s embrace without hesitation is the most important thing for a swordsman.
He has that, because he is determined to protect his mother and sister.
I see, that’s why he’s so strong…
“Ah!? Don’t bully my brother!”
“Whoa!?”
Suddenly, a small girl in a dress came flying in with a jumping kick.