A Miserable Defeat
I lost miserably!
— Click, click.
A lovely young woman strode purposefully into the manor.
Her hair was the color of a clear sky — the kind of soft blue that lifted your spirits just by looking at it.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Astorius. Welcome to the Divos Estate. I am Chloe Frelia of the Frelia Marquisate."
Chloe greeted her with a bright smile, orange hair fluttering as she moved.
"Oh, wow, the color harmony is absolute—"
Chloe's fist buried itself in my side before I could finish admiring the palette.
"Ghk... A pleasure. I'm Shion Frelia. As you can see, I'm just an ordinary 1-Star student, so there's no particular need to remember me."
At my light greeting, the blue-haired girl inclined her head politely.
"Thank you for welcoming me. I am Shina Astorius, of the Astorius Ducal House. I shall be imposing on you for the next three days."
"The pleasure is entirely ours."
Once the brief introductions were done, Shina took a long look around and spoke.
"What a truly beautiful estate. It doesn't fall short of the Astorius manor in the slightest."
"Oh, really? I'd love nothing more than to show you around myself — would that be all right?"
"Of course. I was just about to ask about that statue over there, as a matter of fact."
Chloe led Shina through the halls at a lively pace, explaining this painting and that sculpture. I trailed a step behind, listening, and even from there I could tell how hard Chloe must have practiced for this tour.
Honestly, I wanted to cut in with a joke or two midway through — but I didn't dare.
I'm warning you in advance. Try cracking one of your usual stupid jokes the first time you meet her, and I really will kill you.
Chloe's blood-chilling threat was still fresh in my mind. As much as I wanted to see her squirm, my life took priority.
"Lady Frelia, you are remarkably well-versed in the arts. I'm impressed."
"I'm honored by the kind words."
The reason Chloe was treating Shina with such rigid courtesy — even going so far as to threaten me with murder — was simple enough.
First: Shina was an exchange student from the Kirinus Empire, a nation far stronger than the Praon Kingdom.
Second: she was a scion of a great noble house — the Astorius Ducal Family.
"I'm nothing compared to you, Lady Astorius. You are, after all, the younger sister of the great hero Megan Astorius."
"The greatness belongs to my brother, not me. I still have a long way to go."
And finally: Shina was the sole younger sister of the hero Megan Astorius.
She hadn't been born with a silver spoon — she'd been born with a titanium one that put diamond to shame. To Chloe, who had entered the world clutching the gold spoon of a Praon marquisate, a diamond-spoon like Shina was bound to feel intimidating.
Of course, to someone like me — who had cleared the game countless times and seen her face just as often — she was nothing but familiar.
"The reason I decided to transfer to Luin Academy, even temporarily, is to broaden my horizons and catch up to my brother's level as quickly as possible. If it would not be too forward of me... would you be willing to instruct me?"
"...Pardon?! You want me to spar with Lady Astorius?"
Chloe's eyes, which she had been holding steady by sheer force of will, began to tremble.
"I've only just reached 3-Star. I'm an ordinary student at best. I honestly doubt whether I could offer Lady Astorius anything of value through a spar."
Shina seized Chloe's still-trembling hands, eyes shining.
"Not at all. I've heard that Lady Chloe is a spirit elementalist who borrows the power of the spirits. A match against a spirit elementalist... I'm certain it would be an enormous learning opportunity!"
Oh dear. The switch had been thoroughly flipped on Shina — the girl who, even in the game, had been infamous as a sparring maniac. Earnest, upright, and always sharp as a tack, she valued growth above all else, and she adored sparring as one of the most effective forms of training.
"I'm certain it would!"
"...Please go easy on me."
Faced with Shina's blazing enthusiasm, Chloe finally turned her head away and let out a long sigh.
They arrived at the sparring grounds. Shina and Chloe each drew a practice sword, put distance between them, and faced each other.
"I request your instruction."
"I'm fairly certain that line was supposed to be mine..."
Chloe tightened her grip on the sword and shouted with forced bravado.
"Here I come!"
— Crackle!
Lightning gathered along Chloe's rapier.
She poured mana into her legs and kicked off the ground.
— Clang!
"Excellent form."
Chloe's rapier was stopped cold by Shina's blade.
"Your strength is solid, but your speed leaves a little to be desired. If you can channel the lightning through your body as well and move more swiftly, you'll see remarkable improvement."
"Thank you for the guida—ah!"
Chloe recovered her rapier, drew her arm back, and launched into a rapid flurry of thrusts.
To meet them, Shina flooded her sword with mana and swept it through the air in a broad arc.
— Clang-clang-clang-clang!!
The residual mana left in the blade's path hardened midair, forming a barrier that shielded Shina from the rapier.
Exchange after exchange followed. But Chloe managed to land a hit on Shina only twice.
Shina had done nothing but defend — and still Chloe was spent in no time.
"Hah... hah..."
"That was a fine lesson."
Shina approached and held out her hand.
For a moment Chloe's expression stiffened — then, seeing the genuine pride on Shina's face, she gave a small shake of her head, smiled, and took the offered hand.
"No. I'm the one who learned a great deal."
Chloe was an outstanding swordswoman for her age.
In particular, the moment the lightning had raced up her own blade, Shina had been caught ever so slightly off guard. If she had coated her sword in mana then, she might have been able to block the current...
Shina reflected on the spar that had just ended, turning the experience over in her mind the way she always did. Looking back after every match and drawing nourishment from it was a habit she had cultivated since childhood.
When the review was finished, she slowly opened her eyes.
But it's still not quite enough.
Even though the spar had only just concluded, Shina was not fully satisfied.
She glanced around with a faintly restless air — and her gaze settled on a young man.
The one who had introduced himself as Shion Frelia.
Despite being a marquisate's son, he carried himself with the airy lightness of someone a stiff breeze might simply blow away.
He's hiding something.
He had claimed to be a 1-Star swordsman.
But Shina's instincts refused to accept that he was an ordinary 1-Star. Judging by his physique and the quantity of his mana, his level was indeed that of a 1-Star — and yet something about him was different.
As if two peculiar forces were circulating through his body.
...Am I imagining it?
Then again, looking at that frivolous face of his made her wonder if it really was just her imagination... Should she ask him for a spar?
If she crossed blades with him once, the lingering knot of doubt might finally come undone—
"Uh... Lady Astorius? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Shion noticed her stare and went pale as a sheet.
"Don't tell me the previous spar wasn't enough and you're planning to make me your next opponent? I distinctly told you I'm an ordinary 1-Star student! Does Lady Astorius by any chance have a hobby of bullying the weak?!"
Well. She had been about to request a spar, but the accusation still felt rather unfair.
A hobby of bullying the weak...?
As a member of the Astorius Ducal House — one of the great noble families of the Kirinus Empire — Shina had always carried herself with pride. Her expression twisted, just a fraction.
To someone who had always been an object of admiration, the phrase "hobby of bullying the weak" landed with considerable force.
She clenched her jaw ever so slightly and answered with a strained smile.
"That is not the case. As a member of the Astorius family, which has always pursued justice, I continually strive to protect the wea—"
"A strong person like Lady Astorius requesting a spar against a weakling like me doesn't sound like protection so much as a form of bullying, wouldn't you say...?"
Crack.
Shina smiled mercifully.
"Urgh. But I could hardly dare refuse a request from Lady Astorius, the jewel of the Astorius house. Terrified as I am, I, Shion, shall muster my courage for your sake. I request your instruction!"
Crackle.
Shina smiled magnanimously.
"Haa... If anyone ever asks me what the most terrifying experience of my life was, I will answer without the slightest hesitation: this very moment. Lady Frelia, am I shaking?"
He was remarkably skilled at getting under someone's skin — and the fact that he never said it outright only made him more irritating.
"...It seems you've badly misunderstood. I hope this opportunity will allow us to clear up any ill will between us."
Her head burning, Shina steadied her breathing and addressed the trembling Shion.
Then she took up a practice sword and stepped back to create distance.
Shion also gripped a practice sword and began to move — slowly.
The way he edged backward was so unnatural that curiosity alone made her ask.
"May I ask why you're shuffling backward like that?"
"N-no particular reason! I-I'm absolutely not doing this because I'm afraid of Lady Astorius and her hobby of bullying the weak, so please rest assured."
"N-no, there's no need for you to—"
"I-if it troubles Lady Astorius, I'll whip my leg muscles into shape and move properly if I must!"
Grit.
For a moment the world seemed to spin before Shina's eyes. She was fairly certain she had just developed high blood pressure she hadn't possessed a minute ago.
Haa. Calm down...
She closed her eyes and focused on her sword. She mastered her inner self.
She cooled her head and fixed her attention on the two forces within her opponent that kept pricking at her instincts.
Even if he was 1-Star, complacency was forbidden. Underestimating those two unknown powers would cost her dearly.
The moment the spar began, she would face him at full strength.
It was a judgment made purely in consideration of the variables he carried. No personal feelings involved. Probably.
"I am ready."
"I'm not quite there yet, but... I could hardly keep Lady Astorius waiting, so I'll consider myself ready as well."
"No, you really don't need to—"
Ignoring her completely, Shion charged straight at her. The force in Shina's grip on her sword tightened further.
She watched his movements with care — and caught the instant when his balance and breathing fell out of alignment!
"Hup!!"
Her precise blade lanced toward the opening Shion had left—
In that instant, a chill raced down Shina's spine.
One of the two forces her instincts had been warning her about flared with unmistakable presence.
Her intuition screamed. Recover the sword now.
If she continued like this, she would be finished before she could even react.
Dangerous...!
But the presence did not last.
Like a shooting star that flashes once and vanishes, Shion's power revealed itself — then abruptly disappeared.
— Thwack!
Shina's practice sword struck Shion squarely in the forehead without the slightest mishap.
— Thud.
Like a balloon losing its air, Shion went limp and crumpled where he stood.
"?"
Shina stared blankly down at the unconscious Shion.