Knightly Resolve (2)
The days that followed didn't change much. I would greet Eila in the morning, leave the house, attend various lessons at the Ribein family mansion, and head into the forest around sunset with Selena seeing me off. That was my daily routine. There had been all sorts of incidents, but my everyday life remained the same. After all, my desperate struggle to become a knight was no different now than it had been before.
"Rui. Should I come with you?"
"No, Lady Selena. That would render Sir Ruines' efforts meaningless."
"What if something happens while he's alone?"
"Sir Ruines is not so weak that he needs constant protection."
Grind.Selena clenched her teeth and glared at Melissa.
"What would you know about Rui?"
"I have considered Sir Ruines' talent and the path he should take with just as much seriousness as you have, Lady Selena. He is a precious talent, after all."
"So your idea of helping is to make him swing a wooden sword alone in the middle of the night? A boy, no less?"
"Everything requires time. For now, this is the best approach."
"Um… Both of you, please stop."
The air between them grew so cold it felt like frost was forming. Selena was the same as always, and Melissa remained our swordsmanship instructor. The only difference was that, for the time being, I would be completing my assignments alone. Even Iselina seemed surprised by this; she kept giving me pitying looks and trying to comfort me.
'If Rui wants, I can find you another tutor. How does that sound?'
'No, it's alright. I'm already receiving far more help than I deserve from everyone. The rest is something I have to do myself.'
'…….'
After that conversation, the pity in her eyes only grew deeper. I later learned she had genuinely tried to find me a dedicated one-on-one tutor. But that would have defeated the purpose. I could understand where Melissa was coming from. The desperate longing and frantic effort from my previous life were clearly affecting me in negative ways in this one as well.
That was why I had come to the forest again today, wooden sword in hand, to test myself.
"Hoo..."
Swinging a wooden sword was familiar to me. It was something I had done without much difficulty in both my first and second lives. But truly walking the path of a knight was something I had never achieved in either lifetime.
Whoosh!
That was why swinging my sword felt like the best thing I could do right now. Perhaps Melissa had made her suggestion with that in mind—to reflect on myself and cool my head. Indeed, throwing myself toward death in the name of becoming a knight was not the right thing to do. As Melissa had said, it was not knightly behavior at all.
"Still..."
The last thing Melissa had said that day. She had told me to swing my sword in the forest while waiting for someone. That person would teach me the true sword of a knight. But even after several days, no one showed any sign of appearing.
'…Was she just testing me?'
Maybe she had simply wanted to get rid of a troublesome student. But would Melissa do something so petty? She struck me as nothing but a stubborn, straightforward knight who knew nothing of shortcuts. That was precisely why her words had resonated so strongly with me.
Of course, this incident seemed to have made Selena openly hostile toward Melissa.
Whoosh—!!
"Five hundred."
Halfway there. Without even feeling bored, I finished half my quota for the day. If a hundred wasn't enough, I'd do a thousand. If a thousand wasn't enough, two thousand. That was the only kind of brute-force effort I knew, so I wasn't sure if there was a better way. For now, I could only do what I was capable of.
The next day. And the day after that. And the day after that.
As time passed, the wooden sword grew lighter in my hands. My swing speed increased, and my daily quota rose to fifteen hundred swings. The only regrettable thing was how deathly silent this forest had become.
"Ah, I see."
It was then that I suddenly realized it. Right now, I was the only one in this forest. Perhaps that had been the meaning all along—there was never anyone coming. After all, there was nothing better than one's own realization when it came to changing oneself.
"……."
Then I might as well just swing my sword.
I had already finished today's quota long ago, so I began training while picturing Melissa's heavy sword strikes in my mind. When facing a knight, even a careless attack could lead to a fatal wound. So in our next spar, I needed to be as cautious as possible…
It was then.
Rustle!
"…!"
Was it a small animal? Or a person? The sound came from beyond the bushes. It drew closer like footsteps until it stopped right in front of me.
It might be the person Melissa had mentioned. My mouth went dry with tension. Whoever could teach me the true sword of a knight would surely be an extraordinary person in many ways. If even Melissa spoke so highly of them, it went without saying.
Still, it felt strange to be so self-conscious and tense. I tried to act like I wasn't paying attention and continued swinging my sword while imagining Melissa standing before me.
"……."
How much time had passed like that? I was just thinking it must have been an animal passing by when—
Rustle!
"Rui."
"…Seli?"
Selena emerged from the bushes, carrying a large basket in both hands.
"I brought you lunch. What's with that reaction?"
"W-well, I'm just really happy to see you."
"Are you?"
"Yeah."
We saw each other every day from morning till afternoon at the mansion. Yet Selena must have been worried about me being alone, because she had gone out of her way to pack lunch and check on me.
"How's training going?"
"I'm doing as much as I can."
"If it's too hard, you can give up."
"…Is that what you want, Seli?"
"Sigh. No, I'm saying you shouldn't obediently listen to what other people tell you. If you want, I'll teach you the sword myself."
"…!"
Selena spoke in her usual calm tone. She didn't seem the least bit intimidated by Melissa, who had once been a Royal Knight. It was typical of her, but I could still see the worry in her moonlit blue eyes.
"I promised to make you a knight, didn't I? I'll do whatever it takes. Except anything that would break you."
"Seli…"
"If you're grateful, open your mouth."
"Huh?"
Without thinking, I opened my mouth. A sandwich was promptly shoved inside. Startled, I flinched, but I obediently ate the sandwich Selena had given me.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Seli."
"……."
"……?"
For a moment, Selena's eyes seemed to go blank. Or perhaps she looked lost in thought…? It was probably just my imagination.
"I brought something to drink too."
"Ah, I'll drink it. Thanks."
"……."
This time, her eyes looked slightly disappointed. I couldn't figure out what principle was at work here. I sipped from the water bottle while carefully watching Selena's expression.
"By the way, Rui."
"Yeah?"
"I 'happened' to see you training just now."
"Ah, yeah. That's embarrassing."
"You were thinking of Lady Melissa, weren't you?"
…Huh?
"Uh, yeah. Pretty much."
"Hmm."
When I answered, Selena's eyes narrowed.
"You haven't even beaten me yet, but you're already training while thinking of Lady Melissa?"
"It's not like that."
"Of course Lady Melissa is strong and knightly, so it's understandable that you'd be distracted by her. Still..."
"Y-yes?"
"Shouldn't beating me come first?"
Gulp.
Bathed in moonlight, Selena's face was incredibly intense. Beneath her languid expression lay her signature sharpness. It poked at me like a blade, driving me into a corner. I silently chewed the rest of my sandwich and washed it down with water.
"Pwah!"
"Your answer?"
"You're right."
"Then what should you do?"
"Spar with you like we used to?"
"Good boy."
I met Selena's gaze. Her eyes looked somewhat dreamy, yet still held that familiar sharpness… In any case, she was impossible to read. But if we were talking purely about the sword, my immediate goal should indeed be to surpass Selena. After all, I had never once beaten her—not in swordsmanship, not in classes, not in anything.
"It's getting late. Aren't you going in, Rui?"
"I want to do a little more."
"…Don't push yourself too hard. I'll head back first."
"Okay. Thanks for the lunch, Seli."
"We'll start sparring again tomorrow— No, just tell me whenever you want."
"Got it."
"You'd better be prepared."
With those words, Selena returned to the mansion. Judging by how quickly she hurried off, she seemed to have snuck out without telling Iselina. She ran down the brightly moonlit path with light, graceful steps.
I watched the spot where Selena had been until the very end, then gripped my sword and took my stance. What I pictured now was Selena's sword. When she fought with her true heart, her swordsmanship reached an entirely different level. I wondered if I could ever wield a blade like that, and it made me realize just how real the Goddesses' blessings must be.
If I crossed swords with that version of Selena again, what were my chances of winning? I wasn't even confident I could beat Angelica, let alone her.
"……."
Then, a sudden thought occurred to me.
Did I really need to beat Selena?
Beating Selena felt nearly impossible. And just harboring such thoughts might end up hurting my precious childhood friend. Selena had kindly told me to surpass her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it so easily…
Rustle!
Just then, a sound came from the grass. Well, it was probably just an animal this time. I paid it little mind and lifted my sword.
It was then.
"And you still dream of becoming a knight?"
"…Huh?"
"To submit so easily—have you no shame?"
The voice came from the darkness. It carried an oddly commanding, dignified tone. For a moment I thought it might be the voice of my own conscience, so I answered honestly.
"Well… yes, it is embarrassing. But there's nothing I can do about it."
"Why?"
"Because I'm weaker than anyone else in the village…?"
"Nonsense!!!"
The voice from the darkness let out a strange roar. It immediately raised its volume as if to lecture me.
"Before you are a man, you are a swordsman! Even if you cannot yet become a knight, as one who holds a sword, you must never yield so easily. That is the proper mindset for one who wields a blade… Am I wrong?"
"N-no, you're not!"
"Finally, a voice worth listening to."
The owner of the satisfied voice soon stepped out from the bushes—an unidentified figure.