The Hero's Training Session
Abel, today you are my escort knight~♡
Her cheek was swollen as if struck hard, and her expression carried a hint of embarrassment. Today, Estelle was nowhere to be seen.
Those circumstances had already given a rough idea of what had happened yesterday.
“...Elfride, how did your cheek end up like that?”
“Ah, this? It’s embarrassing, but I developed a toothache.”
Of course, it was a lie. It was impossible for something that had been perfectly fine until yesterday to suddenly become swollen enough to cause such severe tooth pain overnight.
“...It was the Duke’s doing?”
“...I guess I really have no talent for lying.”
Elfride answered with a faint smile.
“It’s fine. Compared to the usual, this is fortunate enough.”
“...What exactly did the Duke do?”
“It’s a matter between parent and child. You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”
Elfride drew a line. Seeing her swollen cheek, I didn’t want to simply overlook it as a friend, but once she drew that line, I couldn’t complain further about the matter.
So I brought up a different topic. Originally, I had planned to talk about sword training during our break, but seeing what the Duke had done to Elfride made it impossible for me to hold back.
“...Elfride.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have any intention of inheriting the title?”
“...What?”
Elfride looked at me with a face that seemed to question whether she had heard my words correctly.
“Abel, what are you saying...?”
To Elfride, I told her everything I had seen the day before.
“Do you know that mutation stone trades and slave trades are taking place in Bonaparte City?”
“...What?”
I checked Elfride’s expression after hearing my words. As expected... she had no idea about any of it.
If she had known, she would never have remained silent.
“I know that you wiped out the mutation stone distribution syndicate in Athens?”
“...I do.”
“I found people with the exact same tattoos drawn on their hands as the ones I saw back then. Here in Bonaparte City.”
“Is that true!?”
“Yes. I followed them, and they were indeed distributing mutation stones. But it didn’t end there.”
The syndicate that had brought in the carts loaded with mutation stones and the slaves they had taken along.
“Whether they are slaves or commoners... I can’t be entirely sure, but they chained people and dragged them somewhere.”
“Such things are happening in our territory? But....”
Elfride seemed to think something was amiss. Like Estelle’s reaction, she probably believed her father, Duke Bathory, could not have been unaware of it.
“Probably the Duke knows. Things happening in Bonaparte City, which the Bathory family directly manages, would not fail to reach the Duke’s ears.”
“Right now... are you saying that my father is turning a blind eye to these matters?”
“Whether he merely turned a blind eye or was directly involved is something we’ll need to investigate further.”
Elfride’s face showed clear shock.
Of course she would. Hearing that her father might not only have turned a blind eye but possibly have been directly involved in such unsavory matters, who wouldn’t feel confused?
No matter how strained the relationship between the couple, it was impossible to ignore the confusion.
“If Elfride wishes to drive out the current Duke, we will not dig any deeper. We will roughly handle the discovered individuals and save the people we can. But if Elfride wants to change this situation....”
I looked at her swollen cheek and said.
“...If you want to change it even a little, I will help you do so.”
“......I... if my father was doing such things, I could not tolerate it. How could a daughter of a hero commit such acts. Slaves are one thing, but mutation stones. Even knowing what dangerous uses they could be put to....”
Elfride clenched her fists and gnashed her teeth.
“If there is anything I can help with, I will do it. So please reveal my father’s crimes.”
It must have been a difficult decision, but Elfride was still an upright person. Even if it was her own parent, she believed those who committed wrongs deserved punishment.
That was Elfride.
I smiled, grateful for her decision.
“...I wanted that answer, Elfride.”
#
I had received Elfride’s permission. Now, after a proper investigation, we would eject the Duke and have one of the three siblings ascend to the Duchess position to inherit the Dukedom.
First, while wiping out the syndicate, we would need to find connections with the Duke. While pondering how to proceed, Elfride tapped my shoulder with a wooden stick.
“Abel, your shoulder is slouched.”
“Ah... sorry.”
I had been lost in thought. Feeling apologetic, I looked at Elfride. She sensed my gaze and slightly raised her head.
“Why?”
“Ah, no. Are you correcting your posture again today?”
“Even if it’s boring, endure it. Correcting posture is the beginning of sword training.”
“Yes.”
I straightened my posture and swung the sword down. Elfride, watching quietly, softly opened her mouth.
“That wasn’t it.”
“Huh?”
This time I had done it properly?
But Elfride naturally came up behind me, took hold of my arm and shoulder with her hands, and said.
“Pull your shoulder a bit more back. Extend your arm straight forward.”
“...Eh, Elfride?”
This... because she had grabbed my arm from behind, there was an odd sensation on my back. Since we were wearing comfortable clothes for training, the sensation was vivid.
But Elfride said it as if she didn’t care at all.
“Why?”
“Um....”
Was I the only one thinking about it?
Suddenly, Elfride’s words from yesterday came to mind. She had said she would not give up on what she wanted to have, telling me to prepare.
...Is this what she meant?
Seeing my reaction as if I had noticed her intention, Elfride gave a light laugh. Then, quietly whispering so it wouldn’t reach Estelle who was watching from afar.
“Abel, what are you thinking about? Focus on the sword.”
The tone was slightly higher than her usual serious voice. Like someone excited. With that reaction, I was certain.
This woman is seducing me right now. But would I fall for it so easily!!
“...Ahem!”
I chanted the national anthem in my mind: “The East Sea is dry and Baekdu Mountain is withered, the gods bless us...”
And focused on the sword. But I couldn’t help but be startled by Elfride’s next action.
“Here, Abel. Your hand has too much strength. Relax a bit.”
“!?”
Elfride had overlaid her hand. Saying to loosen the hand gripping the sword.
The one who put strength is Elfride, you...!
And there’s Estelle there too, what is she doing!?
“...Hero Elfride.”
At that moment, another voice came from behind. It was clearly Estelle who had been watching from afar.
...Damn, it’s over.
Estelle narrowed her eyes at me and Elfride, sighed deeply. Then grabbed my arm and pulled it away. Thanks to that, I got away from Elfride and closer to Estelle.
Seeing Estelle with a sullen expression, Elfride tilted her head slightly and said with a smile.
“Saint Estelle, it’s inconvenient to interfere while guiding.”
“Do you need to stick so close while teaching swordsmanship? And even holding hands?”
“I didn’t hold hands, I was trying to loosen the hand that was gripping the sword too tightly.”
“...Then what was the thing pressed from behind? You pressed that fat thing on Abel’s back.”
...Fat thing? You have it too, so can you say that to me...?
Despite Estelle’s aggressive tone, Elfride didn’t lose her smile.
“If you could speak more clearly, I’d be grateful. I didn’t press, I was correcting Abel’s posture. Since Abel learned combat without learning the basics, it seems difficult to correct the habits ingrained in his body.”
Elfride added one more word.
“If I had been by his side from the beginning, I would have taught the basics step by step.”
...The atmosphere is weird. The flow between Estelle and Elfride was not normal.
“...I did train him step by step?”
“Of course. But since the Saint can’t teach Abel swordsmanship, he must have learned how to fight but not swordsmanship, hence the wrong posture.
“Actually, cases where non-standard techniques produce good results are common.”
“Although there is an advantage to non-standard techniques, if you keep fighting like this, the body will break down quickly. No matter how much divine power and blessings there are. The Saint also knows, right? Why would there be a standard if not?”
...That was right. The reason for standard posture in any exercise is that it’s the easiest way to avoid injury and keep the body from breaking.
Of course, their fight was meaningless. Elfride’s actions hid other intentions.
Estelle, seeing Elfride rebut with logic, trembled. And said as if questioning.
“...Then are you saying you’ll keep sticking to him!?”
“Since Saint Celine was quiet, I don’t know why you’re so sensitive.”
...If Celine was there, it wouldn’t have been this much, right?
“Correcting posture is good, but don’t stick to Abel like that! Abel is satisfied with my chest enough!”
Why suddenly talking about chest!?
“...I can confidently say one thing.”
“Huh?”
“My chest is unnecessarily large. It will interfere with swinging the sword.”
“What... what!!”
...Is it some kind of cup?...No, I must be going crazy. Snap out of it.
I snapped out of it and mediated the two’s argument.
“You two, calm down. First, Elfride, don’t do anything that would make Estelle uncomfortable. Estelle, stop with the rude words.”
“...Who are you siding with, you idiot.”
...What else to do.
“Well, I’ll try.”
Seeing Elfride’s eyes after saying that, I instinctively knew. This woman, she didn’t give up.
In the end, while I was receiving sword training, Estelle and Elfride continued to bicker. Elfride trying to stick to me and Estelle trying to stop her. They were like sword and shield without a break.
...Stop it, you two.
#
After sword training ended, I prepared to go out with Estelle again. I had received Elfride’s decision, so I had to finish investigating the place I had gone to yesterday.
“Then I’ll go for a bit.”
“Do you need help?”
“...Um.”
Not really. Unlike me thinking that, Estelle said.
“It would be good if you help, but instead, drop the ones who are sticking.”
“...You’re sharp, Saint.”
...Was there a person watching Elfride for the Duke here too?
“If that’s not the case, it would be better for us to go together.”
“...Indeed.”
Elfride nodded at Estelle’s words. Because if Elfride dropped the surveillance the Duke had put on her, it might be suspicious.
“Instead, can you lend me one?”
“Is there something you need?”
Estelle extended her hand to Elfride and said.
“Can you lend me the identification card? Elenora’s would be good.”
“...Elenora’s identification card? Why do you need that?”
“I have no intention of abusing it. As I said earlier, there are people caught as slaves, right? There must be a place where they are traded. If Duke Bathory is involved here, by mentioning the name of the Princess, he will let us in.”
“...I see. Please wait.”
Elfride moved her position for a moment. Then something followed Elfride’s movements.
“...Those guys.”
“Even attaching surveillance to the daughter, the Duke Bathory is quite a strange person.”
“Will they stick to us too?”
“It won’t be. However... all the servants in the mansion might report our every move to the Duke.”
...It’s a bit scary.
“Saint, Abel.”
Elfride came back quite quickly. And handed over the secretly brought Elenora’s identification card.
“You must bring it back. If lost, it could be abused.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
After receiving Elenora’s identification card from Elfride, we left the mansion. I asked Estelle.
“Then why did you receive Elenora’s?”
“...Elenora? Calling her Princess already.”
“...As I said last time, I got to know her a bit by healing her illness. So why was Elenora’s identification card needed? If you needed the Princess’s identification card, you could have borrowed it from Elfride....”
“Because the Princess is less known. Hero Elfride is already too famous, so everyone knows her appearance. But the Princess lives only in the mansion due to illness, so there’s no external information.”
“Ah.”
Then....
“Are you going to make Estelle the Princess?”
“You have to act like that. So, Abel.”
“Huh?”
Estelle said with her signature arrogant smile, complete with eye smiles.
“Abel, today you are my escort knight~♡”