Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The One Who Bestowed Teachings (2)
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Clang! Clang! Clatter-clang!
“Ugh! Ack!”
Azel hammered away at Boer in rapid succession. Each time, Boer groaned and staggered from the pain that seeped into his very bones.
It wasn’t just the shield. The shock transmitted through even when their swords clashed.
Azel’s movements were deviously precise. Boer tried to read his intentions and avoid clashing blades however he could. He utilized the shield’s round shape to deflect at angles, or aimed strikes that Azel couldn’t parry with his sword and would have to dodge or block instead.
But it was futile. Azel seemed to anticipate every one of his moves in advance. No matter what he tried, he ended up trapped in the exact scenario Azel intended.
It couldn’t be helped. From Boer’s perspective, being unable to block with his shield or clash swords was as good as fighting with his hands and feet bound.
“Huff... huff...”
Less than five minutes into the spar, Boer was on the verge of passing out. Sweat poured down like rain, and his breath came in ragged gasps up to his throat.
Impossible. As a Quadruple Master, his stamina far exceeded ordinary human limits. Even clad in full plate armor while channeling Spirit Order, he could fight for hours.
Yet the relentless blows and tension had drained it in an instant.
“Time to end this.”
Azel spoke indifferently as he swung his sword. Boer, on the brink of collapse, still raised his shield.
But Azel’s blade slipped past the shield’s blocking path as if by magic, grazing the tip of Boer’s chin.
“Urk... Don’t mock me—ju, just kill me!”
Boer’s voice trembled as he spoke. He’d meant to sound dignified, but his fear was plain.
Before Azel could respond, Arietta stepped forward.
“Enough! That’s as far as it goes.”
Azel sheathed his sword and bowed. Arietta continued.
“This duel is Azel Zestringer’s victory. Sir Boer, any objections?”
“...None. I acknowledge my defeat.”
Boer trembled with humiliation as he replied.
3
At that moment, Azel spoke up.
“Honestly, I’m impressed. Sir Boer, you’ve got more grit than you look.”
Boer stared at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected praise.
At a loss for words, he finally managed to speak.
“I... I’m impressed by your skill too. I apologize for my rudeness until now. You’re an exceptional warrior—one worthy of the princess’s recognition.”
His face flushed crimson; even as he said it, he seemed embarrassed. But it rang true as genuine sentiment, not forced.
*What a funny guy.*
Azel had pegged him as the typical arrogant noble who disregarded others’ feelings. And he’d acted the part. Yet surprisingly, he could admit his experiences straightforwardly.
Azel gained new respect for him as a warrior too. He’d assumed he’d reached Quadruple Master young thanks to a good family and ample support. But he showed real tenacity, traces of rigorous self-discipline.
*Worth keeping an eye on.*
With that thought, Azel said,
“Well then, Sir Boer.”
“Hm?”
“Time to do the dishes.”
“......”
Boer made a face like he’d bitten into a bug.
“Grr... Hu, humiliating as it is, accepting the duel’s outcome is a knight’s duty. I’ll do it!”
Anyone watching would think he’d been asked to besmirch his family’s honor rather than wash dishes. Azel couldn’t help but gawk at his grimly heroic attitude.
“No, seriously curious here... Sir Boer, why exactly is dishwashing so humiliating for you?”
“It’s work for lowly servants, isn’t it? Not fit for an honorable knight.”
“But you don’t avoid manual labor entirely, do you? What’s the difference?”
Azel replayed Boer’s actions in his mind before asking. Boer hadn’t handled camp setup, meals, or dishes, but he’d done physical tasks without hesitation—especially those involving Enora.
*Miss Enora, if you’ll allow, I’d be honored to help you mount.*
Assisting the petite Enora onto her horse, or
*Miss Enora, let me handle loading and unloading this baggage.*
Helping with her luggage.
Boer replied as if it were obvious.
“Using one’s strength in place of a delicate lady is a knight’s bounden duty, isn’t it?”
“...Then camp setup and cooking are tough jobs too. Why not help with those?”
“Everyone has their role. Just as a woman shouldn’t wield a knight’s sword, a knight shouldn’t invade a woman’s kitchen. It’s her natural duty—one she can handle.”
“......”
*This guy’s knightly code is seriously warped.*
Azel shot Zail a look of exasperation; Zail nodded in full agreement.
Azel sighed.
“Fine, whatever on the rest—but camp setup isn’t Miss Enora’s job either, right?”
“W-Well, true. But it’s still servant’s work.”
“When you have squires or attendants, sure. But we don’t right now. Be honest, Sir Boer. Have you ever gone on a mission without your squire or attendants?”
“......”
Boer flushed as if struck at a sore spot—just as Azel had guessed.
Azel sighed again.
“What if you’re on a small elite mission with higher-ranking knights? What then?”
“That’s...”
“You’d divide the tasks, obviously. Camp setup, meals, dishes—all of it. You think a chore fairy’s gonna show up?”
“Mmgh.”
“I’m not asking you to cook. Just share what Zail and I do. Is that so shameful? If you think so, drop it. Let’s ask the princess.”
Turning the question on her, Arietta flinched. Azel asked,
“Princess. Have you ever traveled with only high-ranking knights?”
“Yes. Early on, when I lacked real combat experience and needed speed, I rode through the night with Count Arhin and Sir Gistan, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard.”
“What happened then?”
“They handled camp and meals themselves. I tried to help, but they scolded me not to.”
“Hear that?”
Boer gaped like he’d been slapped, stunned. It was beyond his imagination.
“Th-Those lords did such chores?”
Azel didn’t know, but Count Arhin was a famed swordmaster in his sixties, and Sir Gistan a stern mid-forties knight from a prestigious house.
Arietta recalled fondly.
“Yes. They grumbled about doing apprentice work at their age...”
She omitted that part.
Azel asked,
“Come to think of it, didn’t you have an apprenticeship, Sir Boer? You must’ve done chores then.”
“...No. I didn’t.”
“Hm?”
“I never served as an apprentice knight.”
Boer admitted sheepishly. Azel blinked in confusion.
“How? In a royal order?”
It defied Azel’s common sense. Even nobles underwent the full process to become proper knights.
Arietta explained.
“It’s possible. Enter as a full knight from outside, get endorsed by notables, pass the order’s review...”
“That’s how I joined.”
Boer confirmed. Azel eyed him.
*No wonder he’s so clueless!*
Zail had said Boer’s Zilled Marquis family was renowned. As the third son with prodigious talent to reach Quadruple Master young, they’d pushed him hard.
No surprise his worldview was skewed. Actually, his earnestness now was the real shock.
Boer said,
“The princess’s words have shown me my error. I’ll share duties diligently from now on. And Sir Azel.”
“Hm?”
“I apologize again for my rudeness. It was natural for you to be angry—I insulted your skill out of ignorance. Even if you weren’t a knight, it’s no skill to be dismissed.”
“No need to be so formal...”
“Then I’ll do the dishes.”
Boer disarmed, gathered the scattered dishes, and headed to the stream. Arietta murmured,
“What an unpredictable man.”
Everyone present nodded.
4
After the commotion, they all turned in.
Night watch rotated among Azel, Zail, and Boer. Enora aside, even Arietta was exempted—Zail and Boer insisted a princess shouldn’t lose sleep over it.
Arietta relented with a shrug. She had no qualms pitching in when short-handed, but knew volunteering with subordinates present only made them uneasy.
“Hm.”
On first watch, Azel meditated to pass the time. Ambient mana resonated gradually, generating magical power that permeated his body, filling and flowing through his spirit veins.
*Someone’s watching.*
At the same time, he detected eyes on them.
Meditation didn’t mean slacking vigilance. He’d opened his senses wide, scanning for presences.
Someone observed them from afar—using magic.
*I suspected in the village... This confirms it.*
He’d felt glances in towns and cities too. But their group was conspicuous amid crowds, so it was natural. No hostile intent or magical scrying had registered, leaving it ambiguous.
Now it was certain. Someone far off spied via far-sight magic in the dead of night.
*The gaze vanished briefly after leaving the village... They’ve deployed skilled trackers, or maybe hounds?*
Azel’s group hadn’t hidden their trail. Targeting and following them was child’s play with the right means.
*If it’s Dragon Shadow... They should’ve attacked by now.*
Camped in desolate wilds, it was prime for ambush. Why hold back? Azel found it puzzling.