Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Disrupting the Flow
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Damn, this is crazy.
Kind's sword strike closed in faster than I could blink, and I nearly screamed on instinct.
But thankfully, no cry escaped my lips.
Clang!
Cassius's body, far more accustomed to battle than mine, reacted on pure reflex and managed to block the first blow.
But that was just the beginning of my problems.
Boom! Boom!!
Kind's attacks came like a storm, and all I could do was barely fend them off.
This is a Swordmaster!
Facing one in person after only reading about them in novels made their power hit home.
Now I get why Cassius isn't called a Swordmaster.
Being a Swordmaster isn't just about raw strength or having a ton of aura to wield.
You have to be near-perfect in every way.
In that sense, Cassius fell short in a lot of areas.
He was more like a beast with overwhelming brute force than a true Swordmaster.
Years without proper training and inefficient subjugation tactics had shaped his fighting style into something primal, almost animalistic.
Cassius's power was undoubtedly superior to Kind's. If he could land just one solid hit, Kind would take massive damage, no question.
But could he actually land that "one strike"?
It wouldn't be easy. No—in his current state, sticking to his old ways, it was impossible.
"My lord, if you rely solely on your own strength, you'll lose fights you could have won!"
Kind pulled back for a moment and called out to me.
"You've been able to take down powerful monsters so far because they were monsters."
Monsters fought on instinct, too.
So when instinct clashed with instinct, the stronger one—Cassius—came out on top.
But against humans, who used their heads, it was a different story.
"Hoo... I know that much."
"Do you? Then show me!"
With that, Kind lunged at me again, swinging his sword like a gale.
Clang!
I can't find an opening.
The moment I started racking my brain for a chance to counter, my instinctive defense grew sloppy.
Thud!
"Ngh."
But focusing only on defense meant I'd never create an opportunity.
Sunset wasn't far off, just as Kind had warned.
...First, I need to break out of this.
Change this one-sided assault, buy some time to think, and gain an advantage on defense.
I needed just one move.
And with that, I slammed the wooden spear into the ground.
Boom!!
The moment Cassius's eyes shifted from frantic defense to something sharper, Kind noticed and swiftly retreated.
Boom!!
Cassius drove his wooden spear down with crushing force, cracking and shattering the earth around him in an instant.
He'd altered the battlefield with sheer power alone.
"Hah."
Kind let out an exasperated breath at the sight. Such a brute-force approach.
But a smile soon crept onto his face.
In this situation, it was one of the best moves Cassius could make.
Disrupting the flow—that's the start of a counterattack.
Break the rhythm that favored the enemy and introduce change.
To do that, Cassius had used his greatest strength to wreck the terrain.
Now, Kind couldn't press his total dominance as easily as before.
Of course, it was just a minor obstacle. He still had dozens of ways to strike back at Cassius.
As Kind tightened his grip on his sword and moved to advance—
Boom!!
This time, Cassius stomped the ground and began roughly scraping the earth around him with his spear.
Dust clouds billowed up, enveloping him.
Realizing Cassius's intent, Kind couldn't help but admire it.
...Blocking vision!
Limit the enemy's sight while securing a favorable position for himself by kicking up dust.
Kind was stunned that Cassius had pulled off such a tactic.
Of course, against a Swordmaster, it wouldn't have much effect.
But the fact that he'd thought of it and used it was what mattered.
Whoosh!
Kind channeled aura into his wooden sword and swung.
The dust cloud Cassius had raised scattered on the wind, losing its purpose.
"...Didn't think of that."
Cassius grinned bitterly, a hint of regret in his voice.
"Aren't you underestimating a Swordmaster a bit too much, my lord?"
But inwardly, Kind was revising his assessment of Cassius in real time.
"Still, that was a good move."
"No knightly honor? I thought knights were sensitive about that stuff."
"Pardon? Hahaha! If I cared about that, do you think I'd look like this? Honestly, I respect moves like that!"
"Pfft, praise from a Swordmaster. I should feel honored."
"Hahaha!!"
Just this short exchange filled Kind with a joy and camaraderie he'd never felt before.
It was like serving a rabid beast that didn't understand words until now—now, he had a stiff but joking human lord.
Naturally, he preferred the latter.
Has something really changed? If he keeps improving...
For the first time, he wondered if he could rethink his desire to leave this place.
"My lord! Now come at me. Use your full power and try to subdue me!!"
"...Alright."
Oh no.
Kind instantly regretted his provocative words.
The air around Cassius had changed.
It sank colder than a northern blizzard as he raised his spear, aiming it straight at Kind.
Crackle. Crack.
His black eyes gleamed faintly blue, and frost began creeping over the spear tip.
This is bad.
Dodging or blocking would be a mistake.
He'd be swept away by the Winterguard's power.
Vmmm!!
Kind surged the aura within him into his wooden sword.
Too late to calm Cassius now. His lord's entire focus was at the spear's tip.
Crackle!!
The spear fully iced over just as aura overflowed from Kind's sword.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
Boom!!!
"Hahaha!! My lord!! I'll take my leave now!!"
After sunset, Kind and I returned to the mansion.
He'd given me several openings, but I couldn't land a hit.
Even the final strike got blocked.
I'd used the Winterguard power to hurl the spear, but it was stopped.
Not that I dealt zero damage.
The shockwave sent Kind flying several meters, cracking his wooden sword.
Yet he kept fighting with that damaged weapon.
I need to train my control over this power, too.
The chill had emerged more unconsciously than on purpose.
It wasn't deeply explored in the original story, and even Cassius didn't fully grasp it.
Training might reveal more.
In the end, I hadn't met Kind's goal, but he left with a satisfied smile anyway.
I must have impressed him somewhere along the way.
"Weapons over there! We depart at dawn tomorrow!"
Outside the mansion, the subjugation team's supplies were being prepped in full swing.
The moment I stepped inside, I handed my coat to the maid waiting with Alf and said,
"Alf, how's the preparation going?"
"Yes, my lord. We can leave at dawn."
"Make sure the porters, servants, and knights heading out tomorrow eat their fill."
Fights are won on full stomachs—better to prep ahead. Plus, it builds goodwill with the staff and porters.
"Understood. Dinner is ready. Allow me to guide you."
Having burned a ton of calories in training, I followed Alf to the dining hall without protest.
The long table groaned under an opulent spread too lavish for one person.
It felt wasteful, but probably tied to noble appearances.
I took the head seat, sipped the wine Alf poured, and dug in.
"Call if you need anything."
Once I started eating, Alf led the maids and cooks out.
I wondered why, but recalled Cassius always did this.
Good—less pressure, no choking on manners.
Now I could eat freely.
Mid-meal, a door from the kitchen creaked open.
Creeeak...
"...?"
Hadn't called for anything. Alf coming back?
But the door cracked open and shut—no Alf.
Instead, light footsteps pattered deeper into the kitchen: tap-tap-tap.
...A thief?
Impossible. Who'd dare invade the Winterguard kitchen?
Especially one with barely any valuables.
"Whoa! A feast!"
A excited voice echoed from inside.
"........."
I knew that voice all too well.
"Potato bread! Wow, this meat is amazing! As expected of a grand duke's house... Eating a little won't be noticed."
...No way.
Steal food like some heroine side character?
I hadn't imprisoned or ignored her—I even told the maids to accommodate her.
Plus, morning reports covered Yelena's status, so it couldn't be her...
"Ah! Ulpi! No! Bad dog! You can't eat that!"
"........."
But only one face came to mind, no matter how I denied it.
I stood slowly and headed to the kitchen.
"These sugar-glazed fruits are new... Oh, no, Ulpi's hungry right now..."
Step. Step.
"Just a tiny bit—no one will notice. So Ulpi, pick one thing you really want."
At the kitchen entrance, I came face-to-face with a girl in white pajamas rummaging through the shelves.
"Ow, Ulpi. Shh. If we're caught, I'm the one in trouble. I'm full already. I came because you're hungry, so why are you...
She turned—and our eyes met.
"...Uh."
Yelena, sweating bullets, mouth stuffed with a hunk of meat bigger than her face.
The original story's heroine was raiding my kitchen.