Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Princess's Test
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"What brings Your Highness the Imperial Princess to the commoners' faculty?"
Since the princess was looking directly at him, Beonald had no choice but to greet her with proper etiquette.
What Beonald found peculiar was that today, not a single one of the many, many white-uniformed noble faculty followers he had seen before was in sight.
'...Still, I should be on guard.'
Her crimson eyes, shimmering as if aflame, were still fixed sharply on Beonald as if she found him disagreeable.
Then, her lips parted.
"I came to see you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Do you have a moment?"
"If Your Highness commands it, how could I refuse? However, the location..."
"Follow me."
As she turned boldly and began walking first, Beonald and his companions followed behind her.
He didn't know where she intended to take him, but since the look she gave him was far from friendly, Beonald grew tense.
However, her silver hair, shimmering with a silky sheen in the sunlight, was so dazzlingly beautiful it shook his gaze.
'...It strikes me anew, but she truly is beautiful. There must be countless nobles trying to woo her... and that too is part of the Imperial Family's power, I suppose.'
Even to Beonald, who had experienced all sorts of beauties in his past life, the breathtaking beauty of Princess Zelcy was overwhelming. Just those crimson eyes, mysteriously burning like jewels, were enough to captivate anyone.
'Thanks to that, she has many followers in this academy, and there are probably idiots who challenge others to duels to win her favor.'
"We're here."
"This is... the training grounds? Surely Your Highness doesn't intend to duel me as well?"
The place they arrived at was one he had visited before—the location where Heidi had fought on his behalf during the duel forced upon him by that strange noble.
Feeling an ominous premonition, Beonald asked in advance. She looked back at him without any change in expression and answered.
"No. A sparring match."
"That's an excessive jest, Your Highness."
"It is no jest, Beonald. I believe that to know a person, one must cross swords. I wish to know the reason Sir Rephart recommended you."
'...What kind of muscle-brained method is that? Heidi! Why are you nodding your head with a look of understanding? This is why hardcore warriors are like this!'
"If you intend to refuse, that is fine. However, if so, I will officially raise the matter of your status with the student council, believing that despite entering through Sir Rephart's recommendation, your insincere attitude has tarnished the honor of him, an Imperial Knight, and by extension, the honor of the Imperial Knight Order, while also failing to fulfill your duty as an Imperial Academy student."
It was essentially a threat to make him spar.
Logically, it was half-forced, but the honor of the Imperial Knight Order was connected to the honor of the Imperial Family, and since the other party was a member of the Imperial Family, it was more than enough grounds to find fault.
Moreover, this Princess Zelcy was the central figure of the Imperial faction within the academy. If she raised the issue, not only the noble faction students who were her followers but also the teachers would respond.
"...I have no choice. Very well."
"Then I shall provide you with protective gear and a wooden sword. Please equip them."
"Yes."
In the end, Beonald took the protective gear and wooden sword.
Since this was explicitly a 'sparring match' and not a 'duel,' he couldn't entrust it to Heidi this time and had no choice but to step forward himself.
Anyway, having to engage in a sparring match he neither wanted nor stood to gain from, Beonald stood on the training grounds facing Princess Zelcy.
"So, how long must we fight? One minute? Three? Five? And it will end with just one match, correct?"
"I merely wish to confirm. How you received Sir Rephart's recommendation."
'...Just how many things have gotten tangled because of that damned Imperial Knight? Sigh~ Since it's come to this...'
"Then let us begin."
'I'll have to play along for about three minutes.'
Thwak!
And so, a sparring match for which Beonald felt no motivation whatsoever began.
He had considered setting conditions beforehand, but that would cause problems whether he won or lost, and since the opponent was the princess, it was best to let it pass quietly.
However, the sparring situation didn't flow so easily, because Princess Zelcy's skill far exceeded expectations.
'...Well, I did sense an Aura presence, and she was dressed in a fashion that openly emphasized being a warrior... Keh!'
"Even if it's a sparring match, it is a contest of martial prowess. I will not go easy. If you happen to get injured enough to be bedridden for months... you would automatically be expelled from the academy, would you not?"
'...Her thoughts are very transparent. And she's even using Aura?'
Thwak!
The princess's wooden sword flew toward him, tracing a faint violet trajectory. Beonald had no choice but to raise his own Aura to meet the attack.
Judging by the strength and trajectory of the attacks, which clearly contained the intent to knock him down, Beonald could no longer simply think of holding out for three minutes, and the intensity of his defense gradually began to rise.
'Damn it!'
"Still, it seems Sir Rephart wasn't entirely mistaken after all."
"Then could you... a little! Could you perhaps go a bit easier?"
"No. Since we've started, we should see it through to the bottom."
With that exchange, the sound of wooden swords clashing, imbued with Aura, echoed through the training grounds.
Before they knew it, the number of watching students had increased, and the noble faculty students began to buzz, seeing that their idol-like Princess Zelcy was fighting evenly with the lazy good-for-nothing from the commoners' faculty.
'Damn!'
He had gone to great lengths to lower his own reputation and avoid attention, but this would render all that effort null and void.
Beonald, who disliked the idea of being unable to focus on his alchemy research and training in peace, blocked Princess Zelcy's fierce attacks while pondering what to do.
'At the very least... this princess seems to have no real combat experience, as her attacks are predictable. Damn!'
She might act tough, but how great could she be? At this age, no matter how much of a genius, one's skill level is still limited.
Especially given her status as a princess, it was unlikely she had any proper real combat experience or sparring where getting hurt was a real possibility.
'Moreover, being a woman, if she gets even a scratch, her value drops, they say. Anyway, why does three minutes feel so long... Hmm?'
"...Hoo~"
While Beonald was desperately defending, Princess Zelcy suddenly sheathed her sword and stepped back.
As she caught her breath, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Beonald had changed slightly.
Beonald felt the three minutes weren't up yet and simply looked at her strangely as she stopped.
'What's this?'
"Your swordsmanship is indeed at knight level. At least in terms of martial prowess, it seems Sir Rephart was not mistaken."
"...I'm glad you see it that way. So?"
"Yes. This concludes it."
Beonald thought it fortunate and sighed in relief.
Fortunately, time-wise it was very brief, so there were few onlookers, and with the princess ending it first like this, there would be no future repercussions from those around them. It was the best scenario.
"Phew~ I am immeasurably grateful to have received Your Highness's acknowledgment."
"Do not misunderstand. I have not acknowledged you yet. You have merely passed in terms of martial prowess."
"Huh?"
"No matter how strong one's martial power is, they are nothing but a ruffian if that's all they have. One cannot be said to possess all the qualities befitting an Imperial Academy student. Sir Rephart surely thinks the same."
'What is she scheming?'
"Therefore, I will visit you tomorrow to confirm other aspects. Until then."
With those words, Princess Zelcy vanished abruptly. Beonald was dumbfounded, but anyway, the situation had ended safely, and since not much time had been spent, he left the training grounds with Sein and Heidi, feeling relieved for now.
"Mmm... What on earth was the princess's goal? Do either of you have any idea?"
"Could it be... some kind of warning?"
"This is my first time experiencing such a situation, so I do not know."
The princess had shown no clear malice, but also no goodwill whatsoever. Beonald couldn't read her true intentions and was at a loss.
He had previously gone against her wishes by siding with her nephew-figure, Cedron, who had helped him. To figure out her true intentions, Beonald pondered deeply.
"...Is she trying to keep me in check? Or, since she knows I'm associating with the young master of the Valderian family, is she trying to get something out of that? Mmmmmm... Right, she must be trying to properly grasp my weaknesses. Sigh~ No sooner did I think that merchant bastard was gone, now this..."
Worried about what might happen tomorrow, Beonald headed home.
And the next day, as forewarned, Princess Zelcy once again visited, timed with Beonald's last lecture.
She had probably obtained his class schedule through her princess privileges at the academy. Anyway, she came alone without her followers, just like yesterday, and Beonald greeted her first with proper etiquette as before.
"You came as scheduled, Your Highness. So, what business brings you today?"
"Follow me for now."
"As you wish."
Following her, who gave instructions in the same blunt tone as yesterday, they headed to the academy library—a place where numerous students from both the commoners' and nobles' faculties borrowed books or studied for their academic research. Beonald himself had visited a few times recently for his map-making work.
"Why did you ask to come here?"
"If we have confirmed martial prowess, now we must confirm other things. Your companions will wait at the entrance. Only you, follow me."
'...What is this?'
Although puzzled, Beonald followed her instructions, leaving Sein and Heidi to wait at the library and walking inside with just her.
As expected, receiving the stares of the surrounding students gave him a headache, but she seemed not to care and continued walking silently. Soon, the two reached the Imperial Family exclusive area prepared within the library.
'...Oh, damn it!'
Seeing the golden nameplate marking the area, Beonald instinctively tensed up.
This was because he thought it indicated her intention to seriously corner (?) him.
In his past life, having been a parasite of the Imperial Court, he was an expert among experts who knew well that one must be especially cautious in such domains.
"Please come in."
The 'Imperial Family exclusive area' meant that if anything happened here, it would unconditionally be his fault, and if things went even slightly wrong, his life could be in danger.
More tense than when going to the battlefield, he followed Princess Zelcy's lead and entered that place.