Children's War
Children's War
Months had passed since warmth began to circulate back into the Imperiani training ground.
A touch of warmth seeped into the cold winter air. A year passed, and spring arrived, leaving behind just a lingering hint of chill.
Even the remaining cold air was stealthily pushed away by the warm breath and scent of sweat exhaled by the children.
A lukewarm spring breeze lingered over the training ground. The children, too, forgot their initial tension and fear, gradually regaining their vitality.
Giving our group the grandiose and childish name 'Knights of the Round Table,' I narrowed the distance between them and myself.
I bragged while helping up Kei, the youngest son of Baron Kinirhil, who kept falling over while clumsily swinging his wooden sword.
Or we all burst into loud laughter watching Bigalois, the young master of Baron Descorade's house, send his sword flying far into the distance while swinging it.
Although the beginning was undeniably political and deceitful, children barely in their early teens came to feel friendship over even these childish moments.
Even though we were originally only supposed to meet once a week, I occasionally bonded with them under the excuse of wanting to skip my lessons.
They, too, seemed to have grown fond of this space itself, where they could escape their suffocating households and bump shoulders with peers their age.
But in such a situation, there were exactly two who were like oil floating on water, unable to mix in.
One was Agravain von Manusdura, the young count who always leaned against the corner of the training ground, observing me with his grey eyes.
And the other was—
"You're not even a match for me!"
A violent guy pushing around and bellowing at a child two heads shorter than himself. Turning fifteen this year, he was the oldest in this gathering: Grimus von Stumpen.
He was the oldest and had the largest build.
And since he was already learning swordsmanship in his family, he was the biggest foreign element in this group.
His personality was arrogant, easily irritated, hot-tempered, and quick to anger.
In a sense, he was the textbook picture of the arrogant Emperor I was acting as.
Normally, adults like escort knights should have been keeping watch, but due to my suggestion and Grimus's confident declaration, they ended up waiting outside the training ground.
As if in exchange for that, the gazes of the two remaining inside the training ground became even more explicit.
Of course, rather than directly winning them over from the start, I had intended to take the long view and hope they would become my allies, so it wasn't as bad a situation as one might think.
Until now, that was.
That is, until I opened the door and entered the training ground, only to see Grimus mounted on top of Bigalois in the center, beating him with his fists.
"What are you doing?! Stop it!!"
I shouted without realizing it. Reacting to my voice, Grimus stopped his beating fists, stood up from his spot, spat ptui onto the ground, and looked over at me.
"Yeees~ I've stopped~"
"You, what did you just do!!"
Even at my words, Grimus let out a sneering pfft, then lightly kicked Bigalois, who was collapsed beneath him.
"Didn't this bas... fellow cowardly launch a surprise attack on me first while I was practicing? Your Majesty personally created this precious training ground for us, so I couldn't let a riff-raff who doesn't know his place muddy the waters, hence I was merely dispensing a brief corporal punishment."
Bullshit.
Even as a figure of speech, Bigalois couldn't be called a smart kid, but he wasn't the kind of child to ambush someone just because he disliked them.
Even if he didn't like someone, he would have said it directly to their face, and in the first place, a 10-year-old child attacking a 15-year-old who was way bigger than him? Nonsense.
"Don't lie! You guys! Is what he said true?!"
I shouted toward the other children frozen around us.
The children's shoulders flinched at my words, but not a single one answered me. Everyone just lowered their heads, stared at the ground, and trembled slightly.
Looking closely, several children already had red marks on their cheeks.
Moist, tearful eyes tried to look at me, but upon glancing at Grimus, they plunged back toward the floor.
Right. It was obvious. I was positioning myself as their friend, but Grimus was reigning over them with terror.
The fact that I was the Emperor meant nothing. Violence ruled this place.
And they knew it.
That right now, I could not overturn this situation with my own power.
And they also had to think about what came next.
Though young, they were aristocrats.
They also knew the difference. A puppet emperor stripped of all real power versus a marquis's son who would directly wield authority over them.
Which one loomed larger over them.
Watching them, I began to calculate.
I knew that Grimus was a plant placed by the Lord Protector, that his family held the title of Marquis—the highest rank in this group aside from myself—and that he acted as a spy reporting everything happening here to the Lord Protector.
However, if I left him unchecked right now, the children I gathered to turn into my future allies wouldn't become my supporters—they would become Grimus's slaves.
Besides, an emperor with a personality like the one I was acting out wouldn't just let this situation slide in the first place.
There was no reason to leave a guy running wild as he pleased in my domain. Making a move here was the right choice.
"Enough! You! I don't need you! I'll tell the Lord Protector right now to kick you out of here!"
I huffed and puffed, pointing my finger at Grimus as I said that.
He seemed caught off guard, not expecting me to act like that, as a look of dismay crossed his face.
He must have known that if he caused trouble and got thrown out by my order, it wouldn't end with just a mere scolding.
I let out a hmpf!, turned around, and walked toward the training ground's door. From behind me, Grimus's voice rang out, sounding intentionally exaggerated and obviously theatrical.
"Ah~ It would be such a pity if I were kicked out of here! The other kids liked me so much, too! If I can't come here anymore, the other kids who like me might not be able to come either!"
Rather than reacting to that nonsense, my body flinched at the killing intent underlying his voice first.
"Before I become unable to come, I might just have to give these other fellas a bit of swordsmanship practice!"
"What?"
At those words, even I had no choice but to turn back and stare at Grimus.
"Since I'm the only one here who has learned swordsmanship, shouldn't I, as the elder, naturally teach the other children what swordsmanship is? Just like this guy here."
Saying so, Grimus lightly kicked Bigalois, who was lying collapsed on the floor, tap tap.
It was a primitive threat without a single shred of aristocratic refinement.
My brain, accustomed to the refined speech of figures like the Lord Protector, almost failed to comprehend it for a moment.
Is this guy really a marquis's son? Picking up any random 15-year-old off the street would probably yield better results than him.
"You bastard, what did you just say?!"
Or was it that? Did he speak directly without beating around the bush so even a stupid young child could understand? Right? ...A piece of trash like this is a future marquis?
"If you dislike that, Your Majesty, how about this?"
With a sinister expression, he spread both hands open and spoke as if offering mercy.
"If you defeat me with the sword, I shall step down cleanly. But if I win... will you grant me a favor then?"
...Is he in his right mind? This guy.
"Are you speaking of a duel?!"
"A duel! Please do not say such things! How could I utter the word 'duel' to Your Majesty! This is merely... yes, merely training, Your Majesty."
So he was in his right mind.
Well, he wasn't exactly sane, but at least he wasn't completely brainless.
No matter how powerless of a puppet I was, he seemingly had enough brain cells to realize what it meant to utter the word 'duel' to the Emperor.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, anger welled up, making my head burn hot.
If the Lord Protector noticed my act and deliberately unleashed this guy to draw out my true nature, I would willingly give him a standing ovation.
Proposing a duel disguised as training, and even asking me to grant a request if he wins? Look at those eyes overflowing with greed. There was no need to even hear what that request would be.
"What will you do?"
The guy said so while flashing a relaxed smile. It was an expression that showed he didn't entertain the slightest thought of losing if we fought with swords.
Common sense dictated that there was no reason to accept that duel.
All I had to do was run straight to the Lord Protector right now and say just a single word.
But if I did that, he would unconditionally beat up the other kids. Or perhaps cripple them.
Even if a marquis's son beat up children from lower-ranking families and crippled them, it would just be buried and swept under the rug.
If that happened, out of fear of other consequences, this gathering would vanish, and my plan to make future allies would be ruined.
Moreover, it was a problem for my persona as well. If I ran to the Lord Protector after being provoked to this extent, it would clash with the personality I had acted out so far. That in itself would create a sense of incongruity.
...And above all, I couldn't ignore the suffering of the children I had gotten close to over these past few months.
I have no choice... do I?
"W-What did you say?! You..."
I twitched my shoulders, took a step backward, and glared at him.
In short, I plainly showed that I was 'scared stiff.' The smile on his face deepened. He was filled with confidence that he could win.
And in truth, I didn't feel like I could win either.
...Of course, if I used magic, it wouldn't be impossible.
I could use basic magic for about 30 seconds now, but I still couldn't maintain Reinforcement—which corresponded to beginner magic, the stage above basic magic—for even 3 seconds.
But 3 seconds in a duel was significant. If I could land just one strike with reinforced power and weapon, I could win.
Except for the fact that it was a method I could only select as a truly last resort.
Then how should I accept this?
I pondered for a brief moment, then opened my mouth.
"F-Fine! We shall blow someone like you away in a single strike!"
A childish way of speaking.
A child unable to back down in front of so many peers because of pride.
Noticeably trembling slightly, I desperately pretended not to be scared as I raised my wooden sword.
As I picked up the wooden sword, he grinned, baring his teeth.
Grabbing a random wooden sword nearby, he assumed a stance.
Seeing him seriously try to win while taking a stance against a kid 5 years younger than him, I felt almost admirative.
The two of us faced each other with wooden swords raised.
"Then, here I come!"
And without any signal to start, he shouted those words and rushed toward me first.
I hurriedly raised my wooden sword to block a blatant downward strike. Ttak! With the sound of wooden swords colliding, a heavy recoil reverberated through my hands.
This bastard is genuinely swinging with full force. Isn't he embarrassed doing this against a 10-year-old child?!
"Kh!"
I gathered all the strength I had and shoved him back. Sensing my power, he smirked wickedly and began to swing his sword back and forth.
"Haha! What's wrong?!"
The visible trajectory itself was nothing special.
He couldn't use mana, nor did he possess tremendous physical abilities like a knight.
Even though he learned swordsmanship, he hadn't achieved outstanding mastery either. He was just slightly better than the other kids.
However, the overwhelming difference in physical build rendered all of that meaningless.
I hadn't even blocked many attacks, but my hands were already trembling violently.
It hurt. My palms felt painfully scorched, as if touched by open flame.
Deflecting the attacks was impossible, so I had no choice but to absorb the plunging impact directly with both hands.
Judging by the pain in my hands gripping the hilt, the skin felt as though it had torn open.
And then, ttak! As the wooden swords slammed together, the strength in my hands gave out.
My stance collapsed completely, and as one of my hands holding the wooden sword slipped off, his wooden sword flew toward my face as if waiting for this exact moment.
Trying desperately not to close my eyes out of reflex, I kept them wide open, recorded his swinging motion in my vision, and threw my body backward as far as possible.
No breakfall, no technique. I just jumped backward and fell on my back. Rolling half a turn, I barely regained my senses and forced my limp hands and legs to move purely through willpower.
"Tsk."
"Haaah... haaah... haaah..."
I felt dizzy. Strength drained from my arms, and my head throbbed. I tried to dodge somehow, but I must not have dodged properly, as a sharp sting rushed across my right cheek.
Barely lifting my head to look ahead, he was still smiling relaxed. Though he was breathing heavily and sweat dripped from his forehead, he was in far better shape than me.
As expected, it wasn't enough. I knew it from the start. The difference in basic physical specs was simply too vast. Now, there truly remained only one thing.
"Haha! You seem quite exhausted; shall we end it now?"
Without even responding to his words, I took a deep breath in and out. It was about time. There really was no other way now. The sole method by which I could win.
Magic.
"Phew..."
Concentrate. Drawing the magic circle and activating it still took time. He leisurely watched me catch my breath. He had determined that no matter what I did, he would win.
I drew a magic circle inside my mana circuit. The circle being drawn was the circle of Reinforcement. Two spells: Body Reinforcement and Object Reinforcement.
Body Reinforcement literally meant enhancing my own body.
A beginner spell that overall raised physical capabilities.
Object Reinforcement was a beginner spell that enhanced the innate power of an object.
Taking this wooden sword as an example, the wooden sword would become harder and possess cutting force akin to a real sword.
Two spells frequently used by knights in actual combat. These were the spells I desperately memorized and barely managed to use.
The magic circle was ready. Activating it would take less than a second.
I gripped the sword once more.
One chance. The duration, roughly 3 seconds.
"...!"
I ran with all my strength. Far from comparing to Grimus, it was a movement much slower than when I started. A speed so slow even a child of the same age could counter it.
Watching my movement, he sneered and prepared to block. His intention was to block my attack and finish it with a counter.
I ran. The moment I reached his front—
Stomping my foot down hard, I activated the magic.
Mana surged throughout my entire body. Through my hands, mana engraved itself onto the wooden sword as well.
Immediately after, a horizontal slash delivered with all my power. My stance wasn't even proper. If forced to describe it, it was closer to swinging a baseball bat than swinging a sword.
But its speed shot toward him at a pace incomparably faster than anything before.
Unable to properly react to the sudden speed, he barely raised his wooden sword to block the attack, but the sword reinforced with magic cut right through his wooden sword.
However, if there was one thing I failed to anticipate, it was that because my magic was still unrefined, Object Reinforcement—which enhanced something outside my body rather than my body itself—vanished before even holding out for a single second.
Having barely sliced through about two-thirds of his wooden sword, my sword ground to a halt; gritting my teeth, I poured power into my arms and shoved forward with everything I had.
With a loud crunching sound, his wooden sword snapped clean through, and with a dull thud, my wooden sword struck his jaw.
With a sickening crack, his head spun to the opposite side of the blow.
Immediately after, he collapsed forward without making any reaction whatsoever.
With a heavy thud, Grimus fell to the ground, unmoving. Seeing the grains of dirt near his face shift slightly, he was still breathing. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be dead.
"Haaah... haaah... haaah..."
I didn't even have time to catch my breath. Due to the recoil of expending all my mana and the toll of using up all my stamina, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, causing me to slump down to the ground.
Grimus collapsed face-first into the dirt, and me, fallen to the ground but sitting up while staring at the sky to catch my breath.
The outcome was decided.
My victory.
"Waaaahhhhh!!!"
The moment I was certain of my victory, screams of cheering erupted.
The other kids, even more excited than me, were hopping up and down, clapping their hands, or rushing over to my side.
The person they never thought could win had won. They were looking at me with eyes as if gazing upon a hero.
...One way or another, a lot had happened, but it seemed fair to consider my first goal—making allies—a moderate success.
As the children ran up to me cheering, praising me, asking if I was okay, telling me how awesome I was, or wearing deeply moved expressions unable to find words, the doors to the training ground burst open.
Standing there were the escort knights who had been guarding this training ground.
Don't tell me those guys had been overhearing the whole story all this time and didn't even react until it was over?
I almost let out a dumbfounded laugh.
What followed was simple.
The escort knights asked me and the children about the details of what happened, then sent all the other children back to their respective mansions.
I was dragged to the Knights' infirmary inside the Imperial Palace, where I drank potions and applied healing ointment to treat the torn wounds on my palms and face, before spending about a week recuperating.
A few days later, the Lord Protector came to me in person and informed me that Grimus had been disowned by the Marquis's house, had the tendons in his hands and feet severed, and was banished from the Empire, while the bystander escort knights were stripped of their knighthoods and punished.
Though it wasn't something meant for a young child's ears, perhaps wanting to demonstrate what happens to someone guilty of injuring and attempting to kill the Emperor, the Lord Protector told me everything raw and unvarnished, officially apologizing to me during the Imperial Council for his poor choice of personnel.
And with that, this incident came to a temporary close.
―Or so I thought.
In the training ground, now empty after everyone had left, Agravain stood alone in that spot, gazing down at the fragment of the wooden sword lying on the floor.
"..."
Silently wrapping the severed fragment of the wooden sword in his handkerchief, he tucked it inside his robes, turned around, and left the training ground.
Inside the training ground, only silence remained.