The Princess Throws Down the Gauntlet
The training grounds near the main building of Reynolds Academy were vast enough to fit several soccer fields stitched together. This enormous arena was one of the academy’s proudest features. It boasted state-of-the-art facilities, outer walls that absorbed mana to dampen impacts, every kind of training equipment imaginable, stockpiles of potions, and even a fully equipped medical station ready to handle any injuries. Everything a trainee could possibly need was prepared here.
In those training grounds, the second-year Raphael Class was currently in session. By the way, the class name “Raphael” was taken from the names of saints in the Bible. You don’t need to pay much attention to that. The religion in this world is so ridiculously complicated that looking into it will only give you a headache.
Anyway, the students of Raphael Class stood in neat rows and columns, perfectly aligned. Of course, I was among them.
Our gazes were fixed on the lean man standing just outside the formation.
“Nice to see all of you again today.”
A green-haired man who looked to be in his late twenties. He was the professor in charge of the Practical Combat course and the homeroom teacher for Raphael Class—Lucas Landranto.
The large and small scars visible on his exposed forearms, along with his well-defined muscles, told the story of how fiercely he had lived. In contrast to those intimidating marks, his gentle demeanor made him seem surprisingly humane.
“As I announced last class, today’s lesson will consist of sparring matches between students.”
He explained the upcoming class in a soft voice.
“Pair up with whoever you want. Then, one pair at a time will come forward to spar, and I’ll give each of you feedback and point out areas for improvement.”
Lucas gave us five minutes to find partners and watched over us with a subtle smile. At first, the students hesitated, shuffling awkwardly. But as time passed, they began moving around to find their own partners.
Meanwhile, I simply stood still.
Since no one would want to pair with me anyway, I planned to just wait until the last person left and spar with them. I crouched down in a corner and stared blankly at the students chatting away with each other.
It was just choosing a sparring partner, yet these kids seemed to find even that enjoyable. Their faces were blooming with smiles.
“......”
…How enviable.
You all get to live your eighteen years like proper eighteen-year-olds. My own eighteenth year was filled with nothing but hellish memories. Not just eighteen—seventeen and nineteen too. Every year before and after that boundary as well.
—Rest? Why the hell would you need that?
—Stop whining and get up. We’re nowhere near done.
The nightmare voices echoed in my ears. I bit my lip hard and turned my gaze away.
The five-minute time limit was almost up, yet not a single person stood beside me.
‘Well… that’s to be expected.’
I swept my bangs back with a bitter smile. I just wanted time to pass quickly. Standing here alone felt incredibly awkward. As I stared pointlessly at the patterns on the training ground floor to escape the discomfort, a voice suddenly called my name.
“Lord Lisite.”
“......?”
Startled by the unexpected call, I looked up to see an unexpected figure approaching me.
Long, flowing, brilliant golden hair. Blue eyes that seemed to have melted the calm of a clear sky. A girl whose beauty could rival Maharet’s, yet radiated an entirely different aura.
I stared at her in a daze. Because she was someone both Raiden and I knew.
“First Princess…?”
It was Lucy von Lietro, the First Princess of the Empire. Raiden’s old best friend, now a connection twisted into a bitter fate. A supporting character who appeared briefly in the original story. She was the older sister of the Second Princess and one of Allen’s heroines.
“......”
The girl I had only seen through the novel and Raiden’s memories now stood before me, looking down at me. I gazed at her with a mixture of fascination and bitterness.
Then Lucy removed the white glove from her hand and tossed it at me.
“Lord Lisite, I challenge you to a duel.”
“......Pardon?”
I let out a dumbfounded sound as I looked at the white cloth that had landed on my shoulder.
A duel. Most people who’ve read a few medieval-themed novels would know this, but in this era, the act of dueling carried significant weight. Simply put, it was like a bet with slightly stronger enforcement.
Each participant would wager something they desired, and the game would proceed. The format varied depending on the situation, but it was usually treated as a spar. The loser of the duel had to fulfill one demand from the winner and could not refuse. However, the winner could not make unjust or morally wrong requests. Only demands based on the realization of good and the elimination of evil were permitted.
Lucy obviously knew all of this. After all, I—Raiden—had taught her this myself.
Yet the fact that she still challenged me to a duel meant…
“If you lose to me… you will drop out of Reynolds Academy.”
In her eyes, I must be the ‘evil’ of this academy.
This is giving me a headache. Seriously.
At Lucy’s bombshell declaration, the students’ gazes began to sneak toward us. Look at these bastards—too scared to say a word to my face, but whispering behind my back. Even Professor Lucas was watching us with a strange look in his eyes.
My head was spinning from this sudden academy event. I pressed a hand to my forehead.
“......”
What the hell am I supposed to do about this?
A duel with a princess? If I lose badly, I might get dragged to the execution grounds for the crime of assassinating royalty.
Also, refusing a challenge would leave me with a dishonorable label. My social standing would take a massive hit.
In that case…
“I decline.”
“Eh…?”
I had to decline. I was already socially buried—what difference would a little more dirt make? Besides, a duel with the princess of all people. There probably wasn’t a single sane noble in high society who would accept such a challenge without hesitation.
It wasn’t even a simple spar. Who in their right mind would duel a princess? If I refused here, everyone would probably just say, “That makes sense,” and let it slide.
…Or so I thought.
“Y-you coward…! Trying to avoid a duel!!”
“I am truly sorry. Unfortunately, I have been weak-hearted since childhood and am unfit for such grand affairs.”
“......”
“I trust Your Highness will understand.”
At my sly response, I saw Lucy’s hand tremble. I had deliberately spoken in a slightly irritating way to provoke her, and it seemed to have worked.
More importantly, did she really think I would accept the duel? I had assumed she was just picking a fight because the sight of her old trashy friend annoyed her, but judging by her reaction, she had been serious…?
She takes after her father in being good at studying and quick-witted, but sometimes she can be surprisingly dense. Ah, by the way, that evaluation came from Raiden, not me.
“Then I’ll go find another partner.”
I couldn’t exactly tell the Empire’s beloved First Princess to get lost, so I tried to leave. However, Professor Lucas, who had been watching us, stopped me in my tracks.
“Raiden, my student. Regrettably, even if it’s not a duel, it seems you’ll have to spar with Her Highness.”
“Pardon…?”
“Look around you.”
I frowned at the cryptic remark and scanned the area. The time to find partners had ended, and every student had already paired up. The only ones left were me and Lucy.
“Damn it…”
I swallowed the curse and rubbed my forehead.
. . .
Lucy and I sat side by side, waiting for our turn. We were fifth in line—the match right after the fourth spar currently underway.
Even while watching the other matches, Lucy kept glancing at me. The way she fidgeted with her fingers and couldn’t sit still suggested that my refusal of the duel had shocked her quite a bit. Well, whatever.
I simply took in the impressive scene unfolding before me. This match was between two mages, and watching magic I had never seen in my previous life explode across the field was fascinating.
Of course, after synchronizing with Raiden, I had absorbed most of the knowledge regarding magic. But hearing about it and seeing it in person were on completely different levels. Watching flames, torrents of water, flashes of light, and shadows clash made that feeling come naturally.
Beautiful…
‘Maybe I should start practicing magic tomorrow.’
As I mulled that thought over, a clear bell rang out.
-Ding!
It signaled the end of the match. A victor had been decided.
“Students in the next pair, please prepare.”
Lucas’s voice followed soon after. Without needing to be told who should go first, Lucy and I stood up at the same time and walked toward the sparring area.
As we approached, Lucas pointed to one side and said,
“Choose whatever weapon you prefer.”
A rack filled with various weapons and equipment had been prepared where he pointed.
“I’ll use a spear.”
Lucy reached out without hesitation and picked up a spear. She swung it a few times to test it, then nodded in satisfaction.
“Then I’ll take this sword.”
I didn’t hesitate either and grabbed a sword that had been placed in the corner of the rack. It was a single-edged blade in the style of a Japanese sword. Since it was for training, the edge wasn’t sharpened.
Lucas’s eyes sparkled slightly when he saw my choice.
“Oh? An Eastern blade? You picked quite an unusual weapon.”
I’m used to this one. On the contrary, the double-edged swords you people use feel foreign to me…
As I gripped and released the sword I had chosen, checking its balance, Lucas quietly stepped closer and spoke.
“Are you alright, Raiden?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean sparring with Her Highness. You seemed reluctant.”
“Ah, yes… well…”
“If it really bothers you, just say so. I can switch the pairings around.”
Lucas lightly patted my shoulder a couple of times before returning to his original spot. I watched him for a moment, then shook myself out of it and stepped forward.
For a second I had been tempted by the offer, but I shook it off. Since it wasn’t a duel but a simple spar, there was no need to go that far. Besides… accepting help from that man felt a little uncomfortable.
I tightened my grip on the sword and stepped onto the sparring platform. In the center of the large circular arena, Lucy was already standing, fully prepared. I stood before her with an expressionless face.
Lucas lightly shook the bell he was holding and said,
“The match begins when the bell rings. Both of you, get ready.”
At those words, I took a deep breath and widened my eyes. Lucy also assumed a proper stance, pointing the tip of her spear at me.
“......”
“......”
A brief silence stretched between us as we faced off. And the one who broke that silence was—
-Ding!
The clear ring of the bell.
. . .
People say that modern kendo lacks practicality. That it’s a sport focused on quick strikes and precise hits. That it falls short when it comes to facing other weapons or engaging in weapon-based wrestling in real combat.
But does that mean medieval swordsmanship is overwhelmingly superior to modern kendo? Not at all. Compared to kendo’s clean, refined movements, medieval sword arts are riddled with unnecessary flourishes. Because they’re trapped in rigid forms, they lack fluidity and naturalness.
In short, they’re about the same. One is suited for fighting but outdated. The other is modern but ill-suited for actual combat.
Of course, if an average trained athlete faced off against a medieval knight, the knight would probably win more often. Modern kendo practitioners are unfamiliar with real combat, after all.
But that only applies to ‘average’ athletes.
-Shwaaaaaack!
The spear blade tore through the air, rushing toward me at terrifying speed. Just before it could smash into my face, I tilted my head slightly and let it slide past. Then, with a light flick of my sword, I deflected the follow-up attack that came immediately after.
-Ting!!!
For the sound of a spear and sword clashing, it was far too light a noise. That was only possible because my sword had struck the exact tip of Lucy’s spear with perfect precision.
The weight I felt through the vibrating grip made the corner of my mouth twist slightly.
‘It’s been a while.’
Back when I was Kim Naru, I spent every single day training. Around the age of seventeen, I hit a wall. My technique had already reached its absolute peak—there was nowhere left to climb. My physical strength and flexibility had also risen to a level incomparable to ordinary people.
In other words, I had reached the limit of growth.
No matter how much I trained, my skills refused to improve any further. Seeing this, my father introduced a new training method.
—From today on, you will spar with these people.
—Not one at a time. All of them. At once.
It was sparring. Not just against other kendo practitioners, but against all kinds of cold weapons—spears, double-edged swords, one-handed swords, rapiers, and more. My father gathered masters of every weapon and placed them before me.
Once my technique had reached its zenith, he decided to carve the very instincts and reflexes of combat into my body.
At first it was two or three at a time, but later it became five or six opponents simultaneously.
“......”
…No matter how I think about it, my father was a complete lunatic with a few screws loose. That wasn’t training—it was closer to torture.
In the beginning, I couldn’t adapt to the raw, rule-breaking fights and spent the entire session getting beaten. The beatings continued. One year passed. Two years. When the third year came…
I had completely adapted to kendo as a form of combat. I could even hold my own reasonably well in one-versus-six matches that happened five times a week. By the time I was twenty-two and competing in the world championships, I had a win rate of over ninety percent.
One of the masters who had been knocked unconscious by me even looked at me in fear and called me a “monster.”
How ridiculous. The ones who turned me into a monster were none other than all of you.
And so, I was no longer an ordinary kendo athlete. I rose to the pinnacle once again as a single monster.
-Thud!!!
I knocked away another sharp incoming attack. The blue eyes glaring at me as she swung her spear were now filled with shock. The surrounding students began to stir as well.
—He blocked it again…!!
—Is that really Lord Lisite?
—I thought he had no talent for martial arts…
—How can he handle Her Highness’s attacks so easily…? She’s one of the top five in Raphael Class…
I tilted my head as I deflected a descending spear strike with the flat of my blade. Top five?
She certainly had strength and her techniques were somewhat sharp, but that was about it. Her gaze management was a mess, her footwork wasn’t crisp. Each individual form was passable, but she couldn’t connect them smoothly, so the flow kept breaking.
“......”
Well, she is fifth in the class, so maybe that’s why. After only watching world championship matches, dropping down to high-school level might make it feel that way.
‘…The opponents I faced in the world championship preliminaries were much better than this.’
In short, she was trash.
-Scraaaape…! Clang!!!
I lightly scraped my sword down the shaft of her spear and attacked her hand. She let go with one hand as if she had anticipated it, but sorry—I had predicted that too.
“Hup…!!”
The moment the hand holding the spear dropped from two to one, I swung my right foot and kicked the shaft hard. The recoil sent Lucy’s hand flying sideways, completely exposing her torso.
“Ugh…!!”
Lucy tried to assume a defensive stance with a look of dismay, but I had no intention of letting the opportunity slip. Using the acceleration and rotational force from my body, I spun once and drove a clean spinning back kick into her abdomen.
“Kuhk…!!”
With a choked groan, Lucy was sent flying backward. Uh… maybe I kicked her a bit too hard?
My strength, physique, and speed were all so different from my previous life that controlling them wasn’t easy. Since my Physical Endurance stat was pathetically low, I thought just putting my full power into the kick would be enough. But because proper technique had gone into it, the destructive force had become far greater than expected.
“Y-Your Highness? A-are you alright…?”
“......!!”
A question mixed with panic and concern. I had asked out of genuine remorse, but Lucy seemed to interpret it in a completely different way.
“Ugh… mocking me, as always… How utterly frivolous of you.”
No, no. That’s not it. I really am sorry…?
Lucy’s deep blue eyes were blazing. I tried to explain, but she refused to listen. She gripped her spear again and shouted,
“Today, no matter what…! I will make you kneel…!!”
This is seriously driving me insane.