The Crimson-Eyed Lady Is Surprisingly Strong, Death-wa?!
"Now that I think of it, when I dueled Natasha, she didn't seem to have a mage with her. Does that mean she sparred with me without any protective magic on?"
Eliza's eyes widened slightly.
"Lady Volkov was already under magical protection before she ever met you, my lady. Considering how repeatedly she pressed you for a duel, I would surmise she took precautions in advance."
"Ah… I see."
Milena stepped into the center of the dueling grounds after receiving her protective spell. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, then raised her twin swords and settled into her ready stance. One blade extended straight forward in a posture of attack; the other stood upright before her body, guarding.
"Are you ready, Lady Katerina?"
Just then, people began gathering around the dueling grounds one by one. I could see the fortress guards, the servants — even a few nobles — creeping closer to watch.
This is completely different from the duel with Natasha in the drawing room…?
The realization hit me all at once. Only now did I understand why Milena had insisted on dueling here, in the training yard, rather than somewhere private.
She hadn't wanted a friendly bout of pure goodwill fought where no one could see. She'd intended a public, half-official match — one that would put a duel between herself and the Grand Duke's daughter on everyone's lips.
If the mere rumor of Natasha trading twenty blows with the Grand Duke's daughter was enough to raise her standing, then Milena wants something even better than that.
Whispers rose from among the spectators.
"Lady Sokolov is actually dueling the Grand Duke's daughter herself!"
"They say she's one of the finest of all the young ladies in the Grand Duchy, too…"
"So the Grand Duke's daughter wields a chain mace. Astonishing!"
I caught sight of Bielka standing at the edge of the grounds, hands clasped tight, her face tight with nerves. Worry was written all over her.
Worrying over nothing, that girl.
Still, I can't say it feels bad to be worried about.
I swung the chain mace once more, testing it. The whistling of it cutting through the air filled the grounds, and the onlookers gasped in unison.
"Begin."
At Eliza's signal, Milena shot forward like an arrow. Her first attack came far faster than I'd expected.
"Whoa?!"
So this is Lady Sokolov's skill?!
One sword thrust straight at me from the front while the other slashed for my flank — a double attack.
A chain mace's swing existed purely for offense, which made defending with it anything but easy. Left with no choice, I gripped the mace head and used it like a shield to block. The clash of metal rang out across the dueling grounds.
"You stopped that?! An excellent reaction, my lady!"
Milena's voice was as bright as ever, but a flame of battle was burning in her red eyes. She ground her feet into the sand, kicking up dust as she closed in again. This time she mixed in feints, hammering me with a barrage of attacks.
Controlling the chain mace was harder than I'd thought. If I'd simply hauled off and punched like I did against Natasha, it would have been far easier — but with this many eyes watching, that wasn't an option.
I still haven't gotten the feel for it. Trickier to handle than I expected.
"You don't use the chain mace very often, do you, Lady Katerina?"
Milena's words were a question and a confirmation at once. There was no hesitation in her movements. Her two swords moved in perfect harmony, as if they were one body, attacking and defending simultaneously. She was demonstrating with her whole body that her rank of third at the Winter Festival tournament was no fluke.
"Lady Katerina! Show me your true strength!"
Milena's voice rang out, goading me as if to test her own limits. With the crowd's gasps swelling around us, her attacks grew fiercer still.
And then — I felt something awaken from deep within my body.
This…?
It was as if a memory long asleep had come back to life. I gave my wrist a slight twist, and the chain danced in a circle.
My body began to move on its own. The way to handle a chain mace surfaced as naturally as if it were an inborn talent.
"Finally showing me your true self?!"
Milena's eyes went wide. I swung the chain and caught her attack, then converted it straight into a counter. Using the length of the chain, I sent the mace flying at her from an angle she never could have anticipated.
"Tch!"
Milena twisted her body just in time to evade the strike, but I didn't let the opening slip — I reeled the chain back in. Her twin swords were at their deadliest at close range, but a chain mace held an overwhelming advantage at mid-distance.
"Haaah!"
I swung the chain overhead. The crowd sucked in their breath at the sound of it cleaving the air.
Milena's face, meanwhile, had tightened with concentration. She seemed to be straining to read the pattern of my attacks.
There is no pattern!
Truthfully, even I couldn't predict my own next move. My body was simply moving on instinct.
"Hah!"
Milena attacked again. This time she tried to lock the chain in place by catching it mid-length with one of her swords.
It was a clever tactic, and her maneuver landed.
So I simply let go of the chain mace entirely — and lunged straight at Milena.
"Wha—?!"
Milena's eyes flew wide with shock. Before she could react, I had seized her wrist. The delicate bones of it were caught firm in my grip, and bewilderment flashed across her eyes.
If I threw Milena with everything this body has, she'd fly a good few dozen meters and might land with her neck snapped. Absolutely not.
Suppressing the urge to slam her into the ground, I carefully throttled my strength.
With my grip adjusted just so, I lifted Milena lightly off her feet. Her boots left the sand for an instant, and in that moment my body pivoted. Her red hair danced through the air like flames.
"Ugh!"
I set her body down on the sandy floor. With a thump, dust bloomed upward, and the crowd's cheers filled the dueling grounds.
Milena lay on the sand with a stunned expression. I lowered the mace head of the chain so that it hung beside her head.
"I hereby declare the match decided."
Eliza's calm voice rang across the grounds. I withdrew the chain mace and offered Milena my hand.
"A splendid duel, truly."
"Ah…"
Milena hesitated a moment, then took my hand and rose. A tangle of emotions played across her face.
"Lady Katerina… yours is truly an astonishing strength."
The bitter taste of defeat and a certain awe mingled in Milena's voice. She brushed herself off as she stood and slid her twin swords back into their scabbards.
The cheering was still going strong in the stands. The guards and servants watched us with faces full of astonishment and reverence, while the nobles murmured among themselves, trading opinions.
"The Grand Duke's daughter's strength really is a gift of nature."
"But Lady Sokolov's swordsmanship was superb in its own right!"
"Facing the Grand Duke's daughter and pressing the attack that boldly — holding her own like that is impressive enough."
Fit praise followed, along with assessments that let Milena keep her face. The skill she'd displayed had, in truth, far exceeded my expectations, and I couldn't help but acknowledge it.
Natasha's growing fast, but as of right now, Milena is still a few steps ahead of her.
Just then, Bielka came running up to me, her face brimming with relief and joy.
"My lady! You were amazing!"
Flushed with excitement, she held out a towel to me.
The thing was, I hadn't shed a single drop of sweat. Eliza hadn't even bothered to prepare a towel in the first place, after all.
So this is where the difference in maid seniority shows itself, huh.
Milena, who had been squeezing her eyes shut and nursing the sting of defeat, drew a deep breath and bowed her head to me with full courtesy.
"This duel has been a great lesson to me. Next time, I will show you an even better performance."
"I shall look forward to it, Milena. Your swordsmanship was the finest I have seen in some time."
I meant every word. Milena's eyes widened slightly in surprise — and then she smiled.
"Thank you, Lady Katerina."
……………
As I left the dueling grounds, Eliza fell in at my side. She murmured to me in a quiet voice.
"You were magnificent, Lady Katerina. You let Lady Sokolov keep her dignity while still claiming a decisive victory."
I nodded at Eliza's words. There was unmistakable admiration in her eyes and in her tone.
On the way back into the fortress proper, Milena approached me once more. Her bearing had shifted subtly from before the duel — a gaze carrying a deeper respect than before, for instance.
"Lady Katerina, if you would permit it, might I have a word with you?"
There was a gravity in Milena's voice now, a nuance altogether different from before the match.
"Of course. Shall we talk over tea and pastries in the drawing room?"
Milena nodded. We walked side by side toward the drawing room.
By the time we arrived, Bielka had already swiftly laid out the tea and refreshments. I could see that her hands moved with more polish than before. There were still shortcomings here and there, but Bielka, too, had grown into her role as a maid-in-training.
"This duel taught me a great deal. Your true strength, Lady Katerina, among other things…"
Milena said, taking a sip of her tea.