Coup (2)
"Well done."
"Thank you."
After listening to Leona's report, I stroked her head gently.
She had gone straight to Luimina, the head of House Soryu—who was currently visiting the territory—and told her about Wellington's betrayal first.
It was an exceptionally clever move.
A coup, after all, lives and dies by its speed.
"But Melania isn't in the territory?"
"Yes. Lady Luimina said all the dragons have gathered for some kind of meeting."
"I see…"
So the Melania who had subtly supported me before had been nothing more than a magical clone left behind. That explained why she hadn't said a word during the previous meeting.
The traitor Wellington must have known that fact from the start. That's why he had acted so boldly during the last meeting—he knew there would be no repercussions.
"By the way. When we're alone like this, don't call other people 'sir' or 'madam.' Got it?"
"Hngh! Yes!"
I warned her by lightly grabbing one of Leona's ears so she would be more careful next time.
"And… deliver this message to Airen."
"Understood."
I explained the most critical part of the plan directly into Leona's ear.
Right now, dealing with Wellington wasn't my top priority. Since Countess Luimina had decided to punish him personally, the coup was practically guaranteed to succeed. The only thing left was the tedious groundwork—recruiting the knights one by one and preventing the mages from acting out.
So what I needed to do now was clear.
I had to prepare for what would come after.
No matter how much of a Sword Master she was, even she needed time to rest.
After swapping shifts with two other knights, Airen returned to her room. Since she had been ordered to report immediately if Wellington left the lord's castle, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Perhaps because she had spent the entire day monitoring Wellington, her armor was soaked in sweat. Airen removed it and handed it to a maid.
She briefly considered washing up, but since she planned to head back to the training grounds anyway, she simply changed into comfortable training clothes, grabbed her sword, and stepped outside.
"Sir Leona. Where is the training ground?"
"Just as Master said… As expected…"
"Pardon?"
Watching Airen move exactly as her master had predicted, Leona couldn't help but feel impressed.
In truth, it wasn't that difficult to foresee.
Ambition was essential for anyone who wished to become a Sword Master. Even Leona herself, after returning from a goblin hunt, would swing her sword alone at night under the glow of a mana lamp.
So it was only natural that Airen Jember—the Sword Master brought by Countess Luimina—would want to train her body after spending the whole day watching Wellington.
"Do you see the training ground over there?"
"Yes."
Leona pointed toward a secluded corner visible from the lord's castle window.
It was the most isolated training ground Alpha had told her about in advance.
An out-of-the-way training field that no one visited once evening fell. Yet it was meticulously maintained, and the mana lamps bathed the area in bright, clear light.
"You can train over there."
"Thank you."
Leona watched as Airen walked away.
Her long black hair tied in a practical ponytail. The sharply pricked wolf ears that marked her as the same wolf beastkin as herself. The large breasts and firm, shapely buttocks that stood out even beneath her tight training clothes.
"She'll make a fine rival."
Thinking that the other woman would be an excellent rival, Leona smiled faintly before moving on to her own task.
From now on, her job was to block any possible variables.
For the time being, no one except Airen would be able to approach that secluded training ground…
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Hm? Is someone already training?"
Upon arriving at the training ground Leona had directed her to, Airen tilted her ears toward the sound of sword swings. The crisp sound of wind that only came from well-refined movements brushed past her ears.
"A worthy opponent to train with!"
True to her beastkin nature that respected the strong, Airen wagged her tail happily as she stepped inside the training ground.
"Ah! Hello!"
"I hope I didn't interrupt your training."
"Not at all. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The moment she entered, the man bowed his head repeatedly while apologizing. For some reason, Airen's heart began to pound.
'Why am I reacting like this?'
Jet-black hair. Warm yet powerful brown eyes. A solid, well-trained physique revealed because he was training shirtless. A firm chest that looked hard in a way completely different from a woman's. And the droplets of sweat rolling down his body.
Sniff…!
Even his scent…! There wasn't a single thing about him that didn't stimulate her.
It was simply the natural instinct of a beastkin to wag their tail before someone strong, but Airen had no way of knowing that.
Unlike Leona, Airen had been born into a knightly family that had served House Soryu for generations. She had experienced defeat only a handful of times in her life.
And most of those defeats had come from her father or siblings—people she could never feel sexual desire toward. That was why she couldn't understand why her heart was racing so violently.
"I'm sorry. I'll leave right away."
The man kept apologizing as he set down his sword and tried to leave.
"Wait."
Finding the sight unbearably pitiful, Airen stopped him. Without realizing it, she grabbed his shoulder rather forcefully.
Tremble tremble…
"M-Miss… I was wrong… I-I swear I'll never touch a sword again…"
"No… It's fine."
Seeing him tremble in fear and beg for forgiveness, Airen realized he wasn't a knight. He was probably someone who wasn't even allowed to be here in the first place.
"It's alright. I have no intention of scolding you."
"R-Really? Th-Thank you…!"
"Ahem… By the way, what is your name and position?"
"I'm Jaimer. I'm a servant at the lord's castle who mainly handles odd jobs for Knight Commander Leona."
"Jaimer… That's a good name."
Airen repeated the name 'Jaimer' several times in her mind. Just saying it made her feel good.
Still, to think they were only using a man like this as a mere servant… Now that she smelled him properly, she could detect Leona's scent mixed with the fragrance of soap.
"Th-Then may I go back now?"
"No. Weren't you planning to train more? I'll watch your sword form. Let's train together."
"I-Is that really okay?"
"Of course."
Seeing how happy Jaimer looked, Airen unconsciously broke into a bright smile.
Seeming relieved by her expression, Jaimer slowly picked up his sword again.
"You're quite used to swinging a sword. Did someone teach you?"
"T-Teach me? Please don't say such things. Who would bother teaching someone like me? If I swing a sword in my spare time, all I get are kicks and beatings."
Seeing the lonely look on Jaimer's face, Airen felt like she was about to cry.
"I see… Then I will teach you. You have talent. You can definitely become an Aura User. No matter how lowly your status, you can still become a knight."
"R-Really? B-By the way… who are you? I don't think we've met before…"
Jaimer fidgeted with his fingers nervously as he asked. Even that looked charming. She wanted to pull him into her arms, rub her face against his chest, and—
"Ah…! My name is Airen Jember. I'm currently guarding Countess Luimina, who is visiting this territory for a short while."
Airen, who had briefly lost herself in fantasy, quickly came back to her senses and introduced herself.
"Hup! I-I see. I-I'm sorry. For making someone like you waste your attention on a worthless wretch like me…"
"You don't need to say things like that. Since I've decided to teach you, from this moment on, you're essentially my disciple."
Seeing Jaimer constantly shrinking back, Airen decided she would become his shelter.
"Now then, let's see you hold your sword."
"Yes, Lady Airen."
The moment she saw Jaimer holding his sword, Airen couldn't help but be shocked.
'What incredible talent…!'
His posture was perfect. His balance was flawless, and the aura he gave off suggested he could block an attack from any direction and counter immediately.
It was as if she had discovered a raw gemstone of overwhelming talent. Airen was genuinely impressed.
"What did the other knights say when they saw you swinging a sword like this?"
Now she was curious. What could the other knights possibly have said after seeing someone with such overwhelming talent?
"W-Well…"
"You can tell me the truth. I won't let it harm you."
"They said no matter how much a lowly commoner like me swings a sword, I can't do anything… They took my sword away… kicked me… ugh… sob…"
"It's okay. It's alright. When I leave, I'll take you with me. From now on, just trust in me."
Seeing Jaimer even shed tears, Airen unconsciously wiped them away with the back of her hand and held his hand tightly.
'This is a man's hand!'
The first man's hand she had ever touched was softer than expected, yet incredibly firm.
His hand looked at least one and a half times larger than hers. It seemed like it could easily grasp even the largest woman's breasts completely.
'What am I even thinking…!'
Shaking off the distracting thoughts, Airen moved behind Jaimer and began a training session filled with ulterior motives.
"There's nothing more unsightly than a man crying. Hold your sword properly. Remember that only through your own effort can you escape this kind of life."
"Yes."
From behind, Airen wrapped her arms around him, pressing her large breasts firmly against his back as she gripped his hands holding the sword. She slowly began teaching him.
Even though Jaimer's posture was already perfect and there wasn't much to teach, Airen continued training with him for over two hours.
"I'll make special arrangements, so come to the training ground at this same time tomorrow. Understood?"
"Yes. Thank you, Lady Airen."
After making a promise to meet again tomorrow, she returned to her room.