Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Sparring with Agnes
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"I'm sorry for having such a distinguished guest visit this humble abode, Damian."
Agnes lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and bowed her head.
Even though her acting had been exposed, Agnes's face bloomed like a flower field in spring. Bringing Anna and Felix along must have helped.
'She could've been a star actress instead of a knight.'
The only difference from the ballroom was their attire. The blouse draped over her was loose and unadorned, and the skirt had slits up to the knees—a practical outfit focused on functionality.
Damian was dressed similarly in simple clothes. Anna had strongly objected, but he couldn't very well show up to a gathering in formal wear alone.
"Uh...."
Anna, who had come along, had no time to comment on their outfits.
It was because of the house visible in the background. "Humble" wasn't just a polite formality.
It was a single-story home commonly seen in any rural village. To be honest, it looked even more rundown than the stables keeper's quarters at the palace.
The Schubert family had once been so renowned that they produced knight commanders for the imperial guard across three generations.
Though their fortunes had declined significantly, they hadn't fallen so far that the only daughter of the former family head would live in a place like this.
"If you'll pardon my rudeness, but is that worn-down—no, quaint—house over there truly where you reside, Miss Agnes?"
"Somehow, it's the quietest place for sword training."
Her secluded life was likely a mix of her own choice and external pressures.
One could imagine what sort of environment her two years of solitary mountain training had been.
In Arkin's case, he'd built an entire annex, but Agnes probably foraged for her own food.
Anna and Felix didn't know the full details of the Schubert family's circumstances. Even so, they knew the scene before them was far from normal.
"How many servants do you have...?"
"None in particular. Though someone from the main house does visit once a month."
Agnes smiled brightly as she spoke. Anna's face crumpled even more miserably at her words.
"Please, come this way, Damian. I'll prepare some tea."
"Aaah! No, no! You two, just stay right here."
Anna and Felix exchanged a glance before kicking up dust as they rushed into the house.
A flurry of chaotic noises swept through like a storm, and soon a simple spot for refreshments was set up in front of the house.
"You two, enjoy your time."
"If you need anything, just call us."
They left their greetings and headed back inside.
Though they'd only lived in the detached palace, both had served as palace staff for over a decade.
Their standards for living conditions were higher than those of any family on the continent. They couldn't just leave Agnes's home as it was.
"Hehe. You have such diligent retainers."
Anna and Felix's overzealous actions might seem rude at first glance.
Damian had been ready to intervene if Agnes seemed upset, but there was no such atmosphere.
The house sat atop a low hill. Below it lay a well-maintained training ground, where equipment was neatly organized—unlike the house itself.
In that regard, she was a remarkably consistent woman.
'She'd be better off just burying herself in her sword.'
With Michael around, she could never become the Empire's Greatest Swordsman, but she could reach a comparable position.
"...."
Gazing at the pastoral scenery, the two sipped their tea in silence.
Perhaps because no one was watching, the brightness faded from Agnes's expression.
It was like the vast plains of a high plateau. But this felt more natural.
Right now, she wasn't Damian's fiancée Agnes—she was Knight Agnes.
Still, judging by the mood, the worst-case scenario Damian had anticipated wouldn't unfold.
But she fidgeted with her fingers and shot him sidelong glances, clearly having something to say.
"That proposal you made back then... could we put it on hold for a bit?"
She didn't deny hearing it wrong or claim she had no such intentions.
It must be tied to her revenge. The status of Damian's fiancée held some value within her family, regardless.
Honestly, if she didn't hide her true skills, reining in her current family head uncle—the head of the Schuberts—wouldn't be difficult even now. The real issue was the Schubert retainers.
So she needed solid evidence and justification. To find that, this bizarre charade had to continue.
"If that's what you wish."
"Thank you."
In his previous life, Agnes had demanded annulment due to flaws in the engagement ceremony itself.
That method wasn't viable now, so he needed her help.
The real problem arose after the annulment, when Agnes sided with the Empress.
If they framed it as Damian requesting the annulment after she achieved her revenge, it shouldn't cause major issues.
"But did you invite me just to say that?"
This could have been handled via letter. So there must be another purpose.
"By any chance, do you have a sword of your own, Damian?"
He nearly spat out his tea.
Was her real goal to deal with him properly? Did she consider it unfair if he wasn't armed?
But there was no such malice on Agnes's face—only pure curiosity.
"No, I do."
Damian pulled an arming sword from the subspace pouch he'd acquired from the ballroom incident.
Agnes took it with a satisfied nod, her expression pleased.
"You can tell a lot about the owner from the state of their sword. I can feel it's been meticulously maintained."
A sincere compliment.
'What the hell?'
Damian couldn't hide his bewilderment at her gentle smile.
Agnes always wore a mask around him. Even just moments ago.
After their ballroom encounter stripped it away, he'd expected a dry relationship when alone.
Yet an even purer goodwill approached him now. He didn't know how to respond.
"Ah, I have something for you."
Thankfully, seeing the sword reminded him of the gift he'd prepared. It helped him navigate this odd atmosphere.
"This is?"
It didn't need such packaging considering the contents, but Anna wouldn't budge on that point.
"A honing stone."
It was the magnetite honing stone from Anya. With two, giving one away wasn't a big deal.
Agnes immediately fetched her own sword and used the honing stone on it. Her expression confirmed it was the perfect gift.
"Damian, would you spar with me?"
So that was the goal. Her single-mindedness was oddly reassuring.
The Iron Wolf's swordsmanship she'd seen at the ballroom—Agnes, who sought the pinnacle of swordplay, couldn't help but be intrigued.
Her competitive spirit toward the blade even softened her feelings toward Damian.
"We can make it a wager."
He'd been pondering how to coax her into the Teia Mountains, but if she proposed a bet first, it made things easier.
The two headed to the training ground just below. When Agnes activated the magic tool, a hemispherical barrier enveloped the area.
It was the Anti-Magic Barrier from the Arnesian liner ballroom.
To have such equipment even in a personal training ground. She was dead serious about swords.
They took positions with training swords. The safety measures allowed real blades, but this avoided misunderstandings.
To purely test swordsmanship, they wouldn't use mana. If it were an all-out fight with no restrictions, Damian would lose for sure.
The strength and techniques from Derek meant nothing against auras or magic beyond a certain level.
But without mana? That changed things.
His opponent was a woman loved by swords. Even in a mana-restricted environment, she wasn't easy prey.
'Let's give it a go.'
How far could the sword Derek taught him reach? She was the perfect opponent to test it.
* * *
Who would've thought I'd end up cleaning house even here. Anna wiped the sweat from her brow and surveyed the results.
For a commoner's home, it would have been passable.
But Agnes was a noble lady of the Schubert family—and Damian's fiancée.
What the hell were the Schuberts doing? She knew there were complicated circumstances, but this crossed the line.
Anna was deeply grateful to Agnes. Even if her demeanor toward Damian was acting.
On the night of the engagement ceremony, she'd overheard Agnes crying. The words insulting her master were harsh, but Anna pitied her instead.
Her father murdered by her illegitimate half-brother. Her uncle, now family head, betrothed her to the Emperor's bastard for political gain.
Who wouldn't curse such a fate? She had to vent somehow. Humans lash out at the weakest target.
But Agnes at least played the dutiful fiancée in public. There might be mockers, but no doubters.
So Anna decided to just watch the play as an audience member. Telling Damian the truth would only burden him more.
She'd planned to tell him once he matured further. But lately, her thoughts had changed.
Couldn't the current Damian handle it?
Couldn't he bring a warm spring to the girl who thought fate had abandoned her?
Couldn't this make him grow even more?
Anna hoped Damian would have more people to rely on. She and Felix never knew when trouble might strike.
Of course, the current Damian could rise again even then, but support from others would be better.
With those thoughts, she stepped outside.
"...Felix? Am I seeing things right now?"
"Afraid not."
"The younger generation's romances are beyond me."
She'd thought they'd just chat over tea, but the two were suddenly exchanging blows under a translucent dome.
Anna and Felix stared at each other briefly, shook their heads, and returned inside. They had towels and water to prepare.
'Something about that gaze...'
Damian's body shuddered once.
It was Anna's stare. Unfairly so—the proposal had come from Agnes.
"Don't get distracted!"
Agnes shouted as she aimed an overhead strike. Damian parried horizontally with his sword.
The downward force was immense, forcing him to brace with his other hand.
Agnes's face as she swung was bright—refreshingly so.
Her ballroom form had been like a stallion tamed by man; now she was a wild horse galloping across open plains.
Damian was enjoying this too.
He'd learned the sword but rarely swung it properly.
He couldn't spar with Derek, and fights with Arkin or the ballroom assassins were one-sided.
This was different. An exchange of moves. Would he dictate with his sword, or react to hers?
-In the end, combat is a game of anticipation. You predict their predictions.
Derek's teaching flashed through his mind. Damian grinned, and Agnes mirrored him.
They traded blows countless times.
This was fun. He'd never imagined spending time like this with Agnes.
It made him greedier. He wanted a clear victory.
'This is...?'
Suddenly, a "path" appeared before Damian's eyes. A mana-restricted space. Not aura, magic, or black magic.
His mind and body urged him to swing along that path.
He no longer felt the hilt in his grip.
The sword was him, and he was the sword. Poetic imagery filled him.
In that instant, his awareness erased the surroundings—even Agnes.
Purely, he swung from above to below. Nothing else.
As he did.
"Ah...!"
Agnes's panicked face appeared—one brimming with emotion he'd never seen before regression.
Lowering his gaze, he saw the training sword snapped in half.
"I... that was..."
Agnes stammered. A translucent aura rose from her body.
She'd used aura. How? Lifting his eyes, he saw the shattering Anti-Magic Barrier.
Naturally, a popping sound came from the magic tool maintaining it, followed by rising smoke.
Even Anti-Magic Barriers had limits on suppressible mana. To block Damian's strike, Agnes had unconsciously unleashed aura, overwhelming it.
"S-Sorry! I got too excited...."
Agnes bowed repeatedly, flustered. She'd set the rules first yet broken them—ten mouths couldn't excuse that.
Moreover, it ended with a broken sword, but if Damian were hurt, it wouldn't be mere "mistake."
'Ha, this feeling...?'
Damian clenched and unclenched his fist, recalling the sensation.
Quite satisfying. It meant his sword held that much power.
Put Michael in a mana-free space, and he might win.
'Pointless hypothetical.'
No Anti-Magic Barrier could contain Michael.
The Empire's Greatest Swordsman—his aura made it possible.
"You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
Agnes approached, checking Damian's body with genuine worry. It flustered him instead.
They couldn't continue. Problems arose even with the barrier; without it, who knew what accidents might occur.
Hearing the commotion, Anna and Felix came down. Felix checked the magic tool after hearing the story but just shook his head.
Damian and Agnes, sweat wiped with towels, returned to the hilltop. Cold drinks awaited on the table before the house.
"By any chance... did the Iron Wolf teach you the sword?"
Agnes asked, sipping her drink.
Damian, Anna, and Felix all flinched. Could sword lovers discern even this?
"I haven't seen his sword directly, but if this training style's lineage remains, it can only be from him."
Logical deduction. Mana-free training had long been obsolete.
Sword techniques were mere vessels for aura, after all.
His past life's duel between Michael and Agnes proved it.
That explained why she'd invited Damian specifically.
No one else would accept such a spar.
"Um...."
Agnes trailed off, glancing at him.
"Could we arrange something like this again? O-Of course, I'll ensure no accidents like today happen. Absolutely."
My, my. Anna, watching from the side, poked poor Felix's side.
"Sure."
They'd agreed to maintain the engagement, so regular meetings were essential. Showing weakness might invite interference from the Empress or Schubert head.
These encounters were beneficial. Better than wasting time at picnics or balls—at least there were gains.
"And this spar was my loss for breaking the rules. Name your demand. I'll do anything within my power."
Damian requested investigating ruins in the Teia Mountains. Agnes protested it was too minor, but that was his sole reason for coming here.
'Things worked out smoothly.'
No worst-case scenario, no need to coax Agnes.
Still, he maintained tension.
From past life experience.
Whenever things went too well like this, trouble brewed somewhere.