Chapter 34
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 34: Observation Haki
“You decided to learn etiquette after training?”
“Yeah.”
Break time sandwiched between training sessions.
I shared the order received from Renoa with Helena.
Renoa calling me from early morning, I wondered what strange thing she would say, and as expected.
A woman truly talented in tormenting people. Doubtful if she is studying it separately.
“Well, if you become a knight, it is absolutely necessary.”
“I can understand that. But she says not to call Noona 'Noona'.”
Learn demeanor suitable for a knight?
As an owner, I think she can naturally say that.
Because if there is a problem with my behavior when going out to an official event someday, the one getting cursed will be Renoa.
But telling me not to call maid noonas 'Noona' is too much.
Anyway, who will badmouth in this isolated mansion? Just have to be careful when guests come.
“It’s clear she intends to torment me. She is displeased with me laughing and chatting.”
“Ei, no matter what, would she go that far. The Lady’s words aren't wrong either.”
“Helena, you don't know that person.”
Renoa doesn't reveal her thoughts well, but if there is something she doesn't like, she acts without hesitation.
Especially when tormenting the protagonist. The viciousness Renoa showed then, I still can’t forget.
Clearly, she is being hysterical this time too.
“Then it will be hard to hang out after training from now on?”
“Seems so.”
Helena fiddled with the water bottle smiling bitterly.
“Playing with Irion after training was fun.... Well, since it’s the Lady’s order, can’t be helped. Not like we can’t see each other at all.”
Leaving regret behind, I came to Renoa’s study after washing simply as soon as training ended.
“You’re late.”
“I came as fast as possible?”
“From next time, come 10 minutes earlier than today. And did you really wash? Seems like you smell of sweat.”
“That’s because I ran so as not to be late.......”
“Don’t make excuses. A knight must maintain cleanliness and an undisturbed appearance anytime, anywhere. That is basic. Keep it in mind.”
Renoa circled around me slowly making clack clack sounds with her heels.
She stopped behind my back.
Hit my back lightly.
—Slap.
“Straighten your back.”
“Yessir.”
“Pull your chin.”
Touched the tip of my chin tok with a slender finger.
“Gaze forward. Don’t glance around. Look only forward even if a knife enters your eye.”
“Yessir.”
“Answer shortly.”
Pointing out was endless.
Height of shoulders, position of hands, angle of feet, even the rhythm of breathing.
As if she became a sculptor, she tries to carve me from one to ten.
“That.... It’s knight etiquette, wouldn't it be better to receive it from a knight than the Princess?”
Tried to escape rolling my brain in my own way, but.
“Is there a knight willing to teach you?”
“Um, Sir Zain?”
“Sir Zain is also busy with work. When he taught you last time, it was only possible because he happened to be free.”
Indeed, according to Helena, he is a strong person within the top five of Edelheid.
As a slave-origin apprentice knight, receiving his teaching itself was lucky.
‘That time was real proficiency fever time.’
Learning from an outstanding person, proficiency rose rapidly.
Once tasted, couldn't quit.
Now my body has become unable to be satisfied with training alone.
“Above all, you are my knight. Being to my liking is the top priority. Understand?”
“...Understood.”
Renoa’s etiquette education continued.
“A knight must be arrogant. Whoever the opponent is, even if the Emperor is the opponent, there must be an unbending spirit. Compared to that, you are too frivolous.”
“Um.”
“Don’t go around smiling he-he anywhere. Especially.”
Renoa’s green eyes narrowed.
“In front of women.”
“.......”
“Understood?”
“Yes....”
Renoa’s etiquette education continued without missing a single day starting from that day.
From basic things like dining etiquette, salute, escort, to dance practice.
For reference, the role of dance practice partner was taken by Bibi, not Renoa.
When I asked if she wouldn't do it herself, she asked back ‘Are you telling me to make physical contact with a slave right now?’.
‘If you won’t do skinship with me, why do this.’
If this is not bullying, what is.
“Sir Irion.”
Bibi, closely attached to me, whispered with an expressionless face.
“You have a lot of sweat on your palms. Did your heart rate increase due to close contact with the opposite sex?”
“I originally tend to have a lot of sweat on my hands.”
“Lie. The heartbeat sound is heard even to my ears.”
As if my reaction is funny, Bibi tries to put her ear to my chest.
“What are you doing?”
A frost-like voice pierced us.
Renoa, leaning her hips on the desk, was glaring at us with her arms crossed.
“I asked what you are doing.”
“I was checking heart rate. Seems he gets nervous being close to a beauty like me.”
“Get off.”
At Renoa’s bloody command, Bibi widened the distance from me.
“From now on, do it hands off.”
“Yes? It’s escorting but hands off?”
“Try leading without touching. If a knight, you should know how to lead a partner with just gaze. Don’t tell me you can’t even do that?”
It was unreasonable logic.
But Bibi nodded her head as if understood.
“Indeed. It is Air Escort. High difficulty technique, but if it is Sir Irion, it will be possible.”
“...Hey, you are enjoying this right now.”
At that, I eventually couldn't endure and spat out informal speech.
Bibi secretly drew a V with her fingers avoiding Renoa’s gaze.
Snip snip.
Two fingers mesh like scissors.
“Cheer up. I only follow the Lady’s command.”
Eventually, maintaining a 30cm gap with Bibi, I had to repeat the bizarre act of putting hands on empty air and dancing.
Bibi spins round and round matching my empty hand gestures, occasionally whispering so only I can hear.
“The angle of the hand is 3 degrees off, Sir Irion.”
That jerk, definitely enjoying it.
***
Training with Helena in the morning, learning knight etiquette with Renoa and Bibi in the afternoon.
Really spending every day without a break.
‘Was becoming a knight such a hard thing.’
Learning the sword is fine, but having to dance too, I feel like losing my mind.
I assert, mental fatigue was greater than when I was a gladiator.
“Phew.... Relax.”
Exhaling breath, organize the mind.
Where I am right now is the boundary line between the training ground and the forest.
Noisy with apprentice knights’ training on the left, and leaves rustle distractingly due to wind on the right.
I was meditating holding a sword in the middle of such noise.
Mana sensitivity awakened with Renoa’s help the other day. It was to control that sensitive sense.
‘Noisy to death.’
Closing eyes makes hearing more sensitive.
Not simply hearing sounds loudly, but sticking directly into the brain.
Dizzy, feel like vomiting.
‘Still, I must control it.’
If utilized well, it will become an impeccable weapon. I must control it by any means.
I pondered alone for a few days. How can I fully display this ability.
I came to one conclusion.
‘No need to be conscious of all senses.’
Just as not being conscious of breathing usually.
Just as not being conscious of blinking eyes.
Just as moderate noise rather helps concentration.
Let useless senses flow beyond consciousness, and let only necessary senses into consciousness.
If ignoring unnecessary senses like that, finally only truly necessary senses are seen.
For example, like something flying from behind me.
I bent my waist lightly.
—Whoosh!
A wooden sword passed over my head. Stuck into the tree trunk right in front of me.
Turned my head to where the sword flew from. Cadets were staring at me as a group.
Seeing one of them empty-handed, he appeared to be the owner of the wooden sword.
“D-Dodged? Weren't you not looking?”
“Does he have eyes on the back of his head or what?”
Listening to the conversation, it wasn't a sword bouncing off by mistake during sparring. They threw the sword aiming at me.
Dodging by reading the presence of the sword flying is one thing, but there was something felt before that.
‘What was that just now?’
My skin tingled as if pricked by a thorn. I felt that someone was aiming at me.
I intuitively realized that this is ‘detecting the enemy’s killing intent’ commonly found in fiction.
‘Wow! Observation Haki!’
If utilized to the limit, wouldn't I be able to notice the trajectory before the opponent attacks?
“Hey. You guys.”
“Uh, uh? M-Mistake. Dropped the sword while sparring but of all places there....”
“Throw more.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll turn around so throw swords. No. Not swords but stones. Okay?”
Ignoring cadets looking at each other stupidly not understanding the meaning, I turned back.
Closed eyes and started concentrating.
…….
Soon the back of the head tingled.
‘Now!’
—Whish!
Tilted head back.
But nothing passed.
Immediately after.
—Thwack!
“Ack!”
Dull impact struck my head. Crouched holding head in pain.
Turned head quickly.
Met eyes with one person.
“Who was it just now? Was it you?”
“Uh? No, you said throw.......”
“When did I say throw that hard? Should throw watching moderately.”
“Uh....”
“Don’t throw hard, throw slowly. But with the thought that ‘I will kill this bastard today’. Okay?”
Showed front, meaning back to them again.
Whispering sounds heard from behind for a moment.
‘Coming.’
Back stung.
Right shoulder. Prickling sensation as if poking with a needle.
I twisted my body reflexively.
—Thud!
But couldn't dodge this time either. Didn't hit the shoulder, but the stone struck the back.
Different from the target point I predicted.
“T-This time I threw gently!”
Cadet making excuses urgently.
I rubbed the throbbing part.
‘Just now was too fast.’
Hostility occurs before action. The moment the bastard decided to attack me, my senses already reacted.
But a gap existed until the actual stone flew. So thought I dodged but got hit.
‘Have to endure.’
Shouldn't react immediately just because a signal comes.
Read the signal, predict the trajectory, and wait until the moment the stone leaves the hand.
If I move too fast, the opponent will change the target point and aim for a new place.
“Again. Throw simultaneously this time.”
“What? Is this bastard really a masochist?”
“Just throw without words. With plenty of hostility like earlier.”
Cadets looked at each other as if absurd, then soon grinned and picked up stones from the ground.
—Throb.
Red dots twinkled in my vision with eyes closed. Waves of hostility felt from different parts.
Left waist, right shoulder, and crown.
‘Wait.’
The body sensing killing intent tried to move reflexively but I clenched my teeth and endured.
To capture the fleeting moment killing intent materializes.
‘Now.’
Just before the sound of cutting wind was heard.
I bent my waist, half step to the right, and tilted head to the left tuk.
—Whish! Whoosh! Tap!
Three sounds of cutting wind interlocked simultaneously.
But nothing touched my body. Stones that flew through the air fell weakly to the ground.
“D-Dodged?”
“Must be coincidence. Hey, throw again!”
Guys getting stubborn picked up stones again.
But the result was the same.
“Mmhmm, this feeling.”
I think I roughly know what it is.
The point where killing intent touches.
Speed of stone flying.
Timing I need to move.
The pleasure of those three beats falling perfectly like cogwheels is exactly like playing a rhythm game.
There are more things to care about than seeing with eyes. But in a combat where a fleeting moment decides life and death, I can move one beat faster.
That value cannot be expressed in words. I can occupy an overwhelming advantage.
—Ding.
[Proficiency Level has increased.]
[Mana Sensitivity Lv.3 > Lv.5]
Proficiency rose by 2 levels at once.
Proof that the realization just now far exceeded the level of existing proficiency.
‘Ha, Irion this bastard. Sense is extraordinary indeed?’
Visible growth is enjoyable. Corners of mouth twitch up in joy but I composed myself with effort.
Still too early to like it. Not late to like it after making it perfectly mine.
“What are you doing, not throwing. From now on throw with deathly strength. If you can’t hit even once, you guys get hit.”
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