Chapter 4: I Became the Royal Family's Sandbag (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: I Became the Royal Family's Sandbag (4)
When I first met the 5th Prince, only one thought crossed my mind.
“I-I am Ellen.”
Thank goodness.
As specialists assigned to the royalty, we are bound to serve a single royal master for life—unless we get fired.
Since this was a kingdom known for its knights, the royals were taught chivalry from a young age. However, there was no guarantee that another person like Princess Hestia wouldn't appear.
But my charge, the 5th Prince, looked timid at first glance. Even though he was royalty, he found it difficult to even meet my eyes.
Of course, being too timid is its own problem for a royal. Still, it was better than having a rotten personality.
Besides, that timidity could be fixed by boosting his confidence through my own fantastic defeats. That was my reason for being, and the reason the Kingdom cultivated specialists like me.
To achieve that, the most important thing was for me to be slightly stronger than the 5th Prince—or at least at a level just above his.
I couldn't just lose.
I had to make it look like a struggle where no one knew who would win until the very last moment. I had to create a duel that would make the 5th Prince’s heart race as he lay in bed thinking about it before falling asleep.
I had to play the role of a pacemaker, making him strive consistently without becoming arrogant!
“Emergency! This is a total emergency!”
That was why, the moment Princess Hestia was defeated, I dragged the Commander into a meeting.
“I-It must have been a fluke.”
The Commander’s eyes shook violently.
It wasn't just anyone; it was Princess Hestia. She was a skilled swordsman whose name was starting to become known not just in our country but abroad, and her obsession with the sword was even more famous than her skill.
Princess Hestia was someone who possessed both talent and effort—two things that are rarely found together.
And that Princess had lost.
Even if it was only once, and even if she had mellowed out a bit after her sparring sessions with me! A loss was still a loss!
Furthermore...
“Wasn't there a problem with the way he won?!”
“Ugh...”
Our 5th Prince’s skills were the real deal.
If he fought Princess Hestia ten times now, he would still lose nine of them. But he had reached a level where, if things went well, he could win once.
This was huge. Even if it was only once, 0 and 1 are in completely different realms. It went from 'absolutely impossible to win' to 'can win once if lucky.'
All we had to do was turn that one win into two, and two into three.
Making that possible was my goal, so this victory could have been seen as a good thing, but...
“He must have been learning the sword in secret for a long time.”
“……”
“Please tell me that’s the case!”
At my desperate cry, the Commander avoided my gaze. I fell into despair.
“No, but the Prince has only been learning the sword for a year?!”
It had only been a year. Our goal was a victory three years from now, not today.
“Maybe the Prince is just a genius.”
The Commander replied, still looking away.
A genius. Well, our royal family has been full of sword geniuses for generations, so I suppose that’s possible.
“Is Princess Hestia not a genius, then?”
The problem was that his opponent, Princess Hestia, was also a universally acknowledged genius.
“Maybe he’s a genius who surpasses geniuses.”
“Aha!”
A genius who surpasses geniuses. So that’s how he could defeat the genius Princess Hestia in just one year!
“I’m resigning.”
Having quickly assessed the situation, I pulled out the resignation letter I had hidden deep in my chest pocket.
The position of the Prince’s instructor was a shame to lose, but the 5th Prince seemed to have a caliber far too great for me to handle.
Well, I was only eleven. My future was still bright, so I’d probably live fine even if I wasn't an instructor.
“Not a chance!”
As soon as he took my resignation letter, the Commander tore it into shreds. It was an absurd sight, but it was also exactly what I had expected.
If everyone who submitted a resignation letter actually got to quit, Senior Lucia, who was in charge of Princess Hestia, would have escaped long ago to enjoy a happy, normal life.
“Commander.”
“What?”
I learn by watching my senior’s back. That is the proper attitude of a junior.
“I have more.”
Who am I? I am Adam Smith, a man who is always prepared.
After watching Senior Lucia get her resignation letter ripped up once a week, I was the kind of man who carried up to three copies of my resignation letter at all times.
“You little...!”
The next resignation letter I pulled out was also torn to shreds. Should I make the next one out of steel instead of paper?
It wouldn't make much difference between paper and steel in the hands of a Sword Master, but it would at least be a statement of my will.
“I still have more, though.”
“……”
The Commander stared at the newly resurrected resignation letter with an incredulous expression, but I had plenty to say as well.
“I feel that my capacity is insufficient to handle the Prince’s potential.”
Even after receiving extensive training as an instructor, I could only barely win two out of ten times against Princess Hestia.
Granted, this was because I hadn't used Sword Energy since our first spar. Still, reaching this point had been filled with my blood, sweat, and tears.
And yet, I had been caught. I wouldn't say I’d been overtaken yet—I was still quite a bit ahead—but in just one year, the 5th Prince had caught up to the point where he could see my back.
“There are always people who start off fast.”
“That’s true.”
In the long marathon of life, there are often people who sprint ahead at the beginning. Among them, quite a few fall behind later because they lack stamina.
But you can tell just by looking. No, you can't help but know.
“But that’s not the case for the Prince, is it?”
As the person who actually crosses swords with him, I knew. This kid was on a different level.
On the first day, he was clumsy even at holding a sword, but by the next day, he was swinging it with familiarity.
By the time a month had passed, he exuded the aura of someone who had been learning for a year.
And when six months had passed, I started to get nervous.
“Our Prince looks like he’ll be fast at the start, fast in the middle, and fast at the end.”
Compared to that, being fast at the start was all I had.
If you asked if I had no talent for the sword at all, the answer was definitely no. But more than that, it was thanks to my mental age that I hadn't wasted my childhood. I had been running hard while others were still standing still, let alone crawling.
“Regrettably, it seems my abilities have reached their limit here.”
Since this was the limit of my talent, I could confidently submit my resignation without a single lingering regret.
*
Watching the boy politely offer his resignation, Kariks, the Commander, thought to himself.
He’s right.
Kariks was a Sword Master, having reached the dream of every swordsman. Even in his eyes, the 5th Prince, Ellen, possessed a talent that was enough to be called a monster, not just a genius.
In contrast, Adam’s talent for the sword was slightly lacking to be called a genius. It was only because of his maturity and effort, which were unbefitting of his age, that he could be compared to those called geniuses.
That was why Kariks was certain.
For Prince Ellen, there is only Adam.
In the Kingdom of Knights, many children learn the sword. Thus, many realize their talent early on and are called geniuses.
However, genius is ultimately relative. If Ellen continued to grow as he was now—no, even at half his current speed—all the famous geniuses in the kingdom would become nothing more than mediocre.
The higher you are, the harder you fall.
In the future, countless geniuses of the kingdom would despair before Ellen’s talent. Of course, some of them would stand back up and move further ahead, but it would take quite some time.
But Adam was different.
He’s not despairing over his own lack of skill.
He had simply reached a logical conclusion because he felt he could no longer fulfill his role. He had merely judged that, with his talent, he could not remain a match for the Prince.
Even after seeing and feeling that brilliant talent right next to him, he hadn't broken.
If you asked if that was a good mindset for a knight, the answer was absolutely not. Not being broken meant that, from the start, he lacked things like pride or a competitive spirit as a swordsman.
However...
Did a talent similar to Prince Ellen’s even exist in this kingdom—no, in this era?
It’s not easy.
Even if such a genius existed, they would dream of making a name for themselves, not becoming a sandbag for a prince.
I can't let him go!
What was important was a sandbag that wouldn't break—no, a mental strength that wouldn't snap even in the face of that overwhelming talent!
And Adam was showing that strength even as he submitted his resignation.
Therefore...
“Double the base pay.”
“……”
Kariks set aside the resignation letter and pulled out a contract.
“Are you trying to buy me with money?”
“Triple.”
“...It’s not like my talent will suddenly appear just because you do that.”
“I’ll provide the highest-grade elixirs.”
“Ahem. Still, that’s a bit...”
“I’ll support you with the best instructors just for you.”
“No matter what, talent is...”
“A separate performance bonus will be paid as long as you keep up with the Prince’s level.”
“……”
Adam’s eyes began to dart around. He looked like he was contemplating whether it was worth a shot at this point.
Is the House of Smith that hard up for cash?
According to the royal investigation, compared to famous Count families, it was a minor one. Still, a Count’s house was a Count’s house. It was the first gateway to the high nobility and one of only 48 such families in the kingdom. Unless they did something truly disastrous, it was a family that wouldn't go bankrupt even if three generations lived in idle luxury.
Why?
It was a mystery why someone born into such a wealthy family was so obsessed with money, but a person who could be handled with money was the easiest type of person to manage.
“Even if you fail the mission, I won't take it back.”
If it didn't work even with this much support, then it was simply an impossible task. Kariks knew that while Adam might lack talent, he was someone who worked as much as he was paid.
“Just stay by His Highness’s side. Just make sure His Highness doesn't become idle.”
The 5th Prince, Ellen, didn't seem like the type, but you never knew with people. It wasn't unheard of for someone to lose interest in the sword or go down the wrong path because of their overwhelming talent.
Even if he couldn't play the role of a pacemaker, it was enough if he could just be a good friend and provide a positive influence.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Adam looked like he wasn't very confident, but that made Kariks even more satisfied. Among the senior instructors, none worked as hard as Adam.
While there were many who were full of academic passion as swordsmen, no one truly cared about the duty of the profession of 'instructor.'
Conversely, I thought it was a bit of a problem that he treated it too much like a job, but...
Considering Prince Ellen’s potential, it was actually a good situation.
At least he won't break like Lucia.
Lucia Artien, who was in charge of Princess Hestia. She was a swordsman acknowledged even by Princess Hestia herself, a skilled individual with few rivals among her peers, regardless of gender.
But compared to her skill with the sword, her mental strength was lacking, which was why she came to him with a resignation letter every week.
However, Adam was different.
“The work will be hard, and you’ll suffer quite a bit.”
“I’m getting paid a lot, so of course I should suffer a bit.”
As if he had never submitted a resignation letter, Adam reached out his hand with a smile. Kariks smiled and shook it.