8
Chapter 8:
"Mister, how do you tell a good sword apart from a bad one?"
"Go by feel."
Siellin narrowed her eyes.
"How can you be so vague...!"
"I don't know what criteria to use when looking at swords either. I just feel it."
That was the best explanation I could offer at my level of knowledge.
And thinking about the sword Siellin had chosen before the regression—
It wasn't anything to worry about.
"Can't you come with me, mister?"
"Escorts aren't allowed in."
"Is that written in the rulebook?"
"Yes."
The first-place reward could only be claimed by tournament participants.
An escort's role was simply to protect the participant from any unforeseen danger.
Since I hadn't participated in the tournament.
"Hmm..."
Siellin let out a dissatisfied hum through her nose.
She'd do just fine regardless.
I took my eyes off Siellin and.
Took stock of the atmosphere around us.
'The interest has died down.'
The award ceremony for the hunting tournament was about to begin.
Everyone was simply waiting for the Northern Grand Duke to arrive.
'When is he coming?'
The tournament had ended ages ago and the Grand Duke was nowhere to be seen.
Just as I was thinking that—
Boom!
The Grand Duke landed from the sky.
"Sorry I'm late! I had a small matter to sort out on my way here."
The Northern Grand Duke swept his gaze across the participants.
"Good, it seems everyone is gathered."
Good?
'So there really was some kind of trouble.'
A minotaur was one thing.
But the Balrog had crossed a line.
It was the kind of level that would take a small subjugation force of skilled fighters to barely bring down.
There was no way something like that would be let loose among children who hadn't even had their coming-of-age ceremony yet.
"Top five, come up to the podium."
The four participants other than Siellin walked toward the podium.
"Go on."
"C-can't you come with me...?"
Siellin said with a pale face.
'I thought she'd gotten better.'
Even when all those gazes had been on her, she hadn't seemed too bad.
So I had thought she'd improved somewhat, but—
Standing on the podium with everyone's eyes on her was still too much?
"All right."
I gently took hold of Siellin's trembling hand.
I half-expected her to push me away, but—
"...Don't let go."
She gripped it tight so I couldn't pull my hand free.
"Let's go. Tell me if it gets to be too much."
"...I'm fine."
Together with Siellin, who was taking slow, steady breaths, I stepped up onto the podium.
"Gael Alphons. You have..."
The award presentations were well underway.
The Northern Grand Duke hung a silver medal around his neck.
Now it was Siellin's turn.
"Siellin Rekanof. In the history of the hunting tournament, no one has ever earned more points than you. Remarkable."
And just as the Northern Grand Duke took the gold medal in hand—
"W-wait a moment."
Siellin stopped him urgently.
"What is it?"
"I'd like my escort to be the one to put it on me..."
"Hmm."
The Northern Grand Duke stroked his chin.
'He won't allow it.'
This award ceremony was a matter of northern pride in its own right.
There was no way he'd simply let that slide.
"Very well."
...He's allowing it?
"There is a condition, of course."
And there it is.
"What's the condition?"
I asked on her behalf.
"How about a sparring match with me?"
It wasn't directed at Siellin.
The Northern Grand Duke was looking squarely at me.
'In the middle of the award ceremony, what is...'
Well, the sparring would happen after the ceremony at any rate.
"Right now."
Ordinary people simply can't understand madmen, I suppose.
This Northern Grand Duke, this lunatic—
He genuinely meant to blow this up right here and now.
"If you win, I'll put the gold medal around her neck."
"Shouldn't this be done separately afterward?"
"Where's the fun in that? Oh, and if you win, I'll give you a winner's reward as well."
"Let's do it."
There was no reason not to.
'But is this really fine?'
If we fight, I win without question.
"What a bold expression. You're certain of victory."
"I don't call a win a loss."
"Hahaha! Yes, yes! I like that you're not putting on some hollow show of modesty!"
The Northern Grand Duke laughed heartily and gave my back a firm slap.
It didn't hurt.
"Prepare a sparring ground!"
"G-Grand Duke. Please reconsider..."
"What's there to reconsider? The north does not shy away from a fight that comes its way!"
"You didn't have a fight come your way, you went and made one...!"
"I did not make a fight. The fight came to me."
The Northern Grand Duke overruled his attendant's objection, but—
'It's not entirely a bad thing.'
It's only the attendants who'll be run ragged dealing with the fallout.
The reaction itself was overwhelmingly positive.
The noble scions were watching with eyes full of anticipation.
"Give me a moment."
With those words, the Northern Grand Duke turned to press his attendants.
Not someone I'd want to have as a superior.
"Mister."
"This is how it turned out. I'll definitely put the gold medal on you, so don't worry."
"If you win the match... you get a winner's reward too, right?"
Siellin hesitated before she spoke.
"Th-then... come with me to the treasury."
"Hmm. I had something else in mind."
I'm teasing her.
I had been mulling over going to the treasury myself.
"It's too late...! I said it first. Since I said it first, mister has to go to the treasury."
"All right, all right."
I didn't expect her to mean it so sincerely.
"You're going, right?"
"Yes."
"Then that's fine."
"Aren't you going to doubt whether I'll actually win?"
Siellin didn't seem to even consider the possibility of me losing.
"Hm? Why would mister lose?"
Siellin tilted her head with bright, clear eyes.
She looked utterly without doubt.
At that, I gave a quiet laugh.
"Whose instructor do you think I am—of course I won't lose. So watch closely. There'll be plenty to learn."
While I exchanged a few words with Siellin, a temporary sparring ground had been set up.
As if he'd been waiting for me, the Northern Grand Duke was already calmly in position.
'I can see he's eager.'
I took my position as well.
"I was taken with you the moment I laid eyes on you."
...Pardon?
"I've been wanting to cross swords with you just once. I had a feeling it would be a fine stimulus for me."
The phrasing left plenty of room for misunderstanding.
But the Northern Grand Duke wasn't that sort of person.
A relief.
'The gold medal was just a pretext.'
He likely would have picked a fight with me one way or another.
'Fine by me.'
There's much to gain from this match.
It's a different kind of thing from the Balrog, but I can show Siellin another aspect of the sword.
Especially with the Northern Grand Duke as the opponent—I can show it properly.
"Even standing before me, you only have eyes for that child."
The Grand Duke grinned.
That easy smile carried no trace of displeasure.
"A good instructor."
Shring!
The Northern Grand Duke drew his sword.
"Even so. I'd prefer you prioritize your own enjoyment over the teaching."
"For me, teaching is enjoyment."
The sword came into my hand.
"Then let's each enjoy it in our own way."
Taking that as the signal, the Grand Duke kicked off from the ground.
He flew at me like a cannonball.
His beard streamed behind him, and.
The veins on his sword hand rose to the surface.
'To handle a fast opponent—'
Every part of the body must be used well.
I stepped one foot back.
Gaze fixed.
Both shoulders set at different heights.
"Try to dodge this!"
Whoosh!
The Northern Grand Duke's sword cut through the air as it shot out.
'Don't take your eyes off it.'
I monologued inwardly, as if lecturing Siellin.
True to that, without taking my eyes off it, I put my weight into the foot I had stepped back.
Then using that foot as an axis, I turned and twisted my body to evade.
Bang!
The attack aimed at me missed, but.
The tip of the Grand Duke's sword struck the ground and triggered an explosion.
'Use the opponent's failed attack to your advantage.'
When an attack fails, a delay inevitably follows.
Even a Sword Saint who has reached the realm of omnipotence through the sword cannot avoid this delay.
'Against a fast opponent, this is how you seize your opportunity.'
During the delay, they can't make use of their strength—their speed.
I glanced over at Siellin.
She was focused, clearly determined not to miss a single one of my movements.
'The higher the level, the shorter the time it takes to recover the sword.'
So you must aim for the opening in that brief instant.
I drove my sword into the blind spot the Grand Duke couldn't see.
Flash!
But the Grand Duke avoided my attack with an instinctive movement.
Because of that, the turn passed back to my opponent instead.
Having recovered his sword, he swung it along a trajectory I couldn't dodge.
'A swordsman doesn't only fight with a sword. For a one-handed swordsman, using the free hand is an essential virtue.'
I used my free hand to knock aside the opponent's sword.
My hand could have taken the blade without issue, but—
I couldn't very well teach it that way, so I opted to push aside the spine of the blade.
'And like this.'
Seizing that gap, I pointed the tip of my sword at the Grand Duke's throat.
"My defeat."
The Grand Duke dropped his sword and raised both hands in surrender.
"I got caught up in simple movements."
"Whatever is taken to its extreme, simple movements are the most efficient."
No need to chase after flashiness.
"Of all the swordsmanship I've seen, it was the most faithful to the basics. The sword art, the footwork—all of it."
The Northern Grand Duke laid out what he had taken from it.
"The basics, the basics... I always thought I was keeping to the basics. But at some point, I'd forgotten them..."
"Well, there's no need to be bound by the basics and force yourself to stick only to them. Everyone has a sword that suits them. It's just that swordsmanship that has forgotten its basics holds no value."
"I see."
The Grand Duke nodded with an air of relief and handed over the gold medal.
"What will you take as your reward?"
"For both Siellin and myself, the treasury, please."
"Open the treasury."
"Yes."
Unlike before, the attendant answered in a grave tone and moved swiftly.
"Go put it on her."
"Of course."
I walked over to Siellin, who was standing there blankly.
"Congratulations on first place."
I carefully put the gold medal around her neck.
"...Yeah."
Siellin fidgeted with the medal.
"It's thanks to mister."
"It's thanks to your own excellence."
Siellin had taken first place originally too.
Even without me, she would have achieved this result.
"...No. Even if I'd taken first place. I wouldn't have felt like this. Yeah."
Siellin smiled softly and met my eyes.
'I'm glad.'
Good thing I put it on her.
Seeing how happy she looks fills me with a warmth I can't quite explain.
Is this what it feels like to raise a daughter?
'Of course...'
"The Northern Grand Duke...?"
"To think 'genius swordsman' was an understatement..."
"A new sword master is emerging on the continent..."
There was no stopping the rumors about me from spreading.
It had been inevitable from the moment I appeared as Siellin's instructor.
This wasn't quite what I'd wanted, but—
"Follow me."
The Northern Grand Duke led the way toward the treasury.
We followed behind.
After walking for some time.
We arrived at the treasury.
"Wow. Mister, there's so much here."
Siellin's eyes lit up as she looked around at the countless treasures.
"Take your time looking around."
The Northern Grand Duke stepped away.
'Let me start by looking for that sword.'
My own treasures could wait.
Finding something for Siellin came first.
There was plenty of time, so no need to rush.
With that in mind, I was examining the treasures when—
"...Huh?"
There was something that shouldn't be here.
What caught my eye was a single sword.
Nothing particularly special about it.
It wasn't the sword I was looking for to give to Siellin.
But this sword was one that, before the regression, I and the Sword Saint had personally designed and had made.
Which meant—
'W-why is this here...?'
In this lifetime, it shouldn't exist yet.