Three Years of Leaps (1)

Over the past three years, I'd been following Alice around, racking up experience.

It had been my own opinion that, even holding the title of Successor of the Azure Dragon, only showing up for major battles wasn't such a good thing.

Thanks to that, positive results had followed — my level had climbed quite a bit, and so had my stats.

"Status Window."

I'd been relying on skills almost exclusively in my fights against high-tier demons, and I could see it clearly in the numbers — my Magic Proficiency and Agility had grown substantially.

But it wasn't all good news.

Instead of leaping backward to build momentum before striking, I had chosen a method of launching myself forward purely on leg strength alone.

Of course, this was absolutely not me imitating that anime where a goblin-slayer carves up bears back on Earth.

Rather than pouring all my power into my right foot as the anchor, I substituted my left foot for directional control and shot forward.

"Haaah!"

- Whuum!

But something was still lacking, because my technique came up short of the range she'd shown when demonstrating it.

Granted, the technique's raw destructive power was immense — enough that even she had acknowledged it.

"Ow! Seriously. What on earth is the problem!"

Even the Status Window, which I'd hoped would help, offered nothing useful — no wonder I was disappointed.

"Sigh..."

Which is to say, sighing hard enough to crack the ground was perfectly legal in my current situation.

I flipped past the status screen and opened the window for the Main Quest I'd received three years ago.

Alice again.

How was it that a lord of a family serving one of the Four Divine Beasts was perpetually at death's door?

"Or... has Alice become a heroine?"

Alice's original fate had been a life barely worth living at Asmodeus's hands — a soul destined to be shattered like that.

It was I who twisted that fate and saved her.

So there was nothing strange about her being flagged as a heroine now.

"If she's a heroine... that would mean she can proceed with contracts with other Successors, right...?"

This game was an adult title.

It had systems for raising your personal power through marriage and affection mechanics with heroines — courtships, wedlock, the works.

"Of course, I never bothered with any of that. Too much hassle."

At heart, I'd been an extreme solo-play purist.

I figured that rather than fussing over heroine management, I'd rather sharpen my specs and my strategies and simply clear the game.

"And honestly, I never thought she'd pick any Successor other than me."

That wasn't inflated self-esteem — it was common knowledge throughout the entire knight order.

Even when hunting demons, she teamed up with me to take them down, and every time the two of us brought down a demon together, we racked up colossal contribution scores.

In skill and in every outward respect, there was nothing about me for anyone to sneer at.

I was still lost in those idle thoughts when a familiar voice called out to me.

"Hyun!"

"? Noona?"

She was twenty-two now.

The age of adulthood in the Empire here on the Hung Continent was nineteen.

She was past even the age one would be considered grown on Earth, and yet her beauty only seemed to deepen and ripen with every passing day.

"The retainers are bothering me again!"

"They keep telling you that you have to get married, my lady?"

"Exactly... I don't want to get married...!"

Coming of age meant inheriting the duty of continuing the family line.

In other words, the retainers' insistence that she marry and produce an heir had apparently become a source of real stress for her.

They'd left her alone at nineteen and twenty, but over the last year or two their clamoring had evidently given Alice no end of headaches.

"Then who's going to carry on the Cumul family?"

At my question, Alice snapped her head up and pointed a finger straight at me.

"You."

"Me? I don't know the first thing about managing a territory. How am I supposed to run a fief?"

I'd assumed she was joking — though her words would, in a sense, come true one day, that time was not now.

"Still...! Why would I marry when I have you...!"

"Agh! Again! I told you not to say things I could misunderstand!"

Saying things like that without even blushing — it didn't work on me.

After nearly three years of living practically attached at the hip, I'd come to know everything there was to know about her, and in turn she'd learned a great deal about me as well, each of us growing more intimately familiar with the other.

Apparently what I'd said had stung her more than a little, because the lady of the house turned sullen and pouted all over again.

"Hmph! Fine. Pick up your sword. How's it coming?"

Scratching the back of my head, I answered.

"Not great. Like you said, the power looks sufficient, but I can't get the range right."

"Hmm... I thought your stance was fine the way you'd adjusted it to feel comfortable... though I did notice the range and power jumped noticeably the moment you changed it."

"Right. But this seems to be my limit."

At that, Alice fell deep into thought about something.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

She nodded her head up and down and answered.

"Anyone else probably couldn't pull it off... but I think you should try adding a variation."

"Huh? I can barely use it perfectly as is — how am I supposed to add a variation?"

When I waved my hands and said it couldn't be done, Alice silently took my right hand, raised it, had me grip the sword forehand, and then took hold of the Sword of the Azure Sky herself.

Ever since the sword had chosen me, nothing had gone wrong when Alice gripped it too, so neither of us thought much of it anymore.

The problem was that she was too close...!

The nearer she drew, the more her appearance and her scent flooded my senses, and I couldn't hold out.

'...Just step back already...!!'

"Grip the sword like this."

At the sound of her voice I snapped back to my senses and looked down to see her demonstrating her grip on the blade.

"Don't hold it reversed — hold it forehand. And grip it with both hands."

It's a short sword, though?

"Won't that make it hard to stay agile or create openings?"

When I raised the objection, Alice shook her head side to side.

"No, it'll work. You sacrifice range, and in exchange you practice it as a form that delivers power no one can afford to ignore."

Huh?

She was right, wasn't she?

Thinking it over, it made perfect sense. I'd always been obsessed with range, always striving to extend it further.

The unusual stance I alone used existed partly to raise the power, yes, but also to squeeze out a little more distance.

"Give it a try."

Perhaps reading the look of dawning realization on my face, Alice smiled and stepped aside to let me attempt it.

After Alice moved about ten paces to the side, I opened my Status Window to cast the skill.

Whether Alice's advice was the correct answer or not, even the Status Window seemed to be congratulating me, telling me that Dragon Claw's mastery was nearly complete.

"Here I come."

Imperial Sword Style, 2nd Form — casting Dragon Claw!

Gripping the Sword of the Azure Sky with both hands, I charged forward.

I poured strength into my legs and hurtled ahead at full speed.

Soon I reached the point where my range hit its limit — and my speed began to falter at exactly that moment.

The instant my momentum dropped at the precise limit, I swung the sword from above, and the moment I lifted my head to gauge the force of the blow—

- KRAAAKAM!!

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the iron training dummy had been blown to pieces.

"Huh? It actually worked?"

The technique, rated B while incomplete, had risen to A.

Elated by the success almost before she knew it, Alice came sprinting over and threw her arms around me on the spot.

"Congratulations! It worked!"

Whether what I was feeling was the joy of success, or simply the result of her soft everything pressing against me in all the wrong places, I honestly couldn't tell.

"Noona! You're way too close! Let go!"

When I came to my senses and said so, she pulled away from me as instructed — and then added this:

"What's the matter? You're eighteen — you know plenty by now..! Is it too stimulating for you?"

What is this woman even saying?!?!

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Didn't you just say "stimulating"...?

Banishing whatever was going through her own head, Alice put some distance between us and brought back two wooden swords.

She kept one for herself, held out the other, and said,

"All right, I'm going to stand twenty paces away from you. Then we'll both unleash Dragon Claw — winner gets a favor from the loser. What do you say?"

That was a tempting prize, honestly.

But what use would a favor from the lady of the house be to me?

If she ordered me to do something, I'd have to obey anyway...

Well, granted, if we went to the Imperial court in person, our rank relationship would be precisely inverted.

But it hadn't been long since the reports came in — the signs of the Tide of Corruption were multiplying, and an assault seemed imminent.

Getting to the Imperial capital was difficult.

The Cumul Territory sat on the eastern frontlines, a long way indeed from the heart of the Empire.

Anyway, back to the matter of the favor — I asked her,

"A favor? I don't mind, but it's not like you need one from me, do you?"

At that, Alice tilted her head and began staring at me with a face full of puzzlement.

For someone her age, she really was adorable.

"Ahem! I'm the lady of the house now, so if I gave you an order, you'd have to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠follow it, wouldn't you?"

Then Alice waved her hands dismissively and answered,

"That would be way too boring... and then I wouldn't get to spend any more time with y—"

- Whiiiish!!

A fierce gust of wind blew right in the middle of her sentence, and I failed to catch the rest of what she said.

"What was that, Noona? The wind — I couldn't hear you properly! Can you say it again?"

Alice's face suddenly went red, and she said,

"Never mind! Forget it! Ten paces back! We need to test the power of your Dragon Claw anyway!"

What on earth had she said to make her blush like that...?

According to Alice's explanation, I would retreat ten paces, she would retreat another ten, and across those twenty paces of separation we would put my Dragon Claw to the test.

A nod meant ready. A shake of the head meant not ready.

It was a simple, unmistakable signal system.

When I nodded to indicate I was prepared, I saw Alice nod back in reply.

I charged my legs with strength, gave everything I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to my right leg and right foot, and lunged forward.

At the same instant, Alice leapt lightly backward, loaded her body weight onto her gathered strength to amplify her power even further, and then burst forward.

By the time I finally reached my maximum range, Alice had also closed the distance to mine at tremendous speed.

With both hands, I swung my wooden sword down at hers in a vertical arc, and Alice swung hers at mine in a horizontal sweep.

- BANG! KRRRK-KRACK!!!

The impact was so violent that anyone who hadn't witnessed this scene would have found it hard to believe it was wood striking wood — and then both wooden swords snapped.

Let me correct that.

They didn't snap. At this level, it was outright pulverization.

True, my wooden sword hadn't withstood her Dragon Claw and ended up as hilt-and-nothing-else, but hers had been shattered completely.

She seemed startled too — stunned by the sheer force, she hurried over to me, lavishing praise without holding back.

"Wow...! That's incredibly strong!"

"Right? I didn't think I'd actually beat you."

At that, Alice narrowed her eyes and said,

"You should win at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something. You've got nothing on me otherwise, do you?"

That's what she said, but—

Even that didn't land with me.

I'm sure she thought she was taunting me in her own way, but—

'Just like a little kid. Heh heh...'

Picturing a child going, "You're not better than me at anything!" — didn't it fit her situation perfectly?

I opened my mouth to answer Alice.

"Hmm, I really couldn't say? Something I'm better than you at... well, at least in matters of romance, I'd wager I know more than you do."

At my words, Alice's expression shifted to one of outright shock.

"!! Have you dated someone? Mary? Riot?"

As she grabbed me by the collar and hauled me up, the names of the maids who waited on me spilled out of her mouth one after another.

"Ghk! Ghk!"

"Tell me! Who was it?!"

Let go and I'll tell you, you crazy woman!

Suspended by my collar, unable to speak, I barely managed to breathe as I patted at her hand.

"Let go... let go... I can only talk if you let go..."

Alice exhaled once and asked again.

"Have you dated anyone? I knew it..! You sly dog!"

Just how long did this woman intend to keep digging?

Had I dated anyone? Back on Earth, after coming of age, I'd had a relationship with a girl from another department.

Admittedly, not long after the unprovoked arson incident happened around me, she'd apparently decided I couldn't give her the attention she deserved and dumped me.

And before that, in high school, I'd dated one girl.

And yet this woman here believed I'd been going out with one of my maids.

I barely managed to calm her down before answering.

"Why on earth would I date my maid?"

"Then how are you more experienced in romance than me?!"

I answered with a laugh.

"You've never so much as exchanged words with another man, Noona. As of right now, I'm the only man your age anywhere near you."

"That's because it's too awkward..!"

Having poured her heart out to me that way, Alice had come to dislike interacting with other men, unconsciously comparing them all against me.

That was why she'd come running to me earlier complaining that she didn't want to marry.

And of course, if I imagined her being married off to some other man... I was fairly certain I'd hate that a great deal too.

So I decided to play it cheap, and use the favor I'd just won.

"Noona. I'm using my favor now."

"Huh? All of a sudden...? You really are... seeing someone, aren't you? And that's why you're using your favor to ask for my permission?"

What am I supposed to do with this woman?

Isn't that a bit too much of a delusion?

"Don't worry. It's nothing like that."

"Then...?"

After a light, steadying breath, I opened my mouth.

"Two days from now — will you go on a date with me? There's not much time left, and it feels like this will be the last chance we get to just relax."

At my words, Alice simply stared at me with wide eyes.

No reaction at all.

'Ugh... I knew it. A date was asking too much...' Just as that thought crossed my mind—

Alice turned her reddened face to the side, covering it with her right hand—

and with her left, she took hold of mine.

Then, in a voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠barely above a whisper, she began to speak.

"Okay.... let's go..."

With her permission granted, Alice hurried into the mansion, hiding her crimson face.

Of course, I was no pillar of composure myself.

Once she vanished from my sight, I placed a hand over my heart, which was pumping beyond all control.

"If I ask her on another date... it might actually kill me..."

And so, with my date with Alice secured, I stared blankly up at the sky.

As if the heavens themselves were offering their blessing, the sky looked down on me in the clearest, most brilliant blue.