Chapter 35
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Duel with Real Swords
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The head maid packed the picnic basket with bread and cheese, fresh fruits, dried ham that wouldn't spoil even in the warm weather, bottled goat's milk, and more. She even brought out utensils and a mat to spread on the ground.
"Wow, it's so pretty. The head maid is so thorough."
Charlotte's eyes sparkled with admiration, leaving the maids feeling oddly proud.
"Then please have a safe trip. Just let us know if you need anything tomorrow."
"Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Charlotte beamed with excitement and waved to the maids.
"I'll eat well—thank you!"
Truly delighted, the little girl's steps were light as she left the dining hall.
The maids exchanged glances, whispering that Lady Charlotte had truly become like a different person.
With even a lunchbox prepared, Charlotte took a carriage for the somewhat distant walk.
She could have borrowed a horse or pony, but she worried the lunchbox might get jostled.
Delayed by Jerome's nagging and then asking for the lunchbox, by the time Charlotte arrived at the vacant lot where she'd promised to meet Joseph, it was already fairly late morning.
"What, even like this? Even like this—you think you're that great?"
Clang!
"His Highness thinks you don't know your place, so he specially asked the Second Prince to educate you, didn't he? Huh?"
Clang!
Startled by the commotion just as she was about to step down from the carriage, Charlotte poked her head out.
In the distance, quite a crowd of children had gathered at the vacant lot she'd planned to visit.
Among them, she spotted Lancelot and Joseph mixed in.
'...What on earth are they doing since morning? I told him to stay hidden.'
Though she knew it wasn't Joseph's fault, Charlotte muttered to herself anyway.
She hadn't known he'd been cornered by the other kids, and she'd wasted time bickering with Jerome that morning and preparing the lunchbox, yet she'd still come leisurely. She was angry at herself.
Too impatient to wait for the carriage to fully stop, she jumped down before the wheels had even halted completely.
The coachman panicked and yanked the horse to a stop, but by then Charlotte was already heading toward the children.
Dashing across the wide open lot and getting closer, she saw the kids clustered together. Through the gaps, she glimpsed Lancelot and Joseph crossing swords.
Still, a proper spar was better than being tied to a tree or pelted with stones.
Clang!
Just as she felt a reflexive sigh of relief, the sharp clash of blades rang out.
Charlotte snapped to attention.
Pushing into the throng of children, the kids recognized her and awkwardly parted, murmuring in confusion.
Looking properly now, she saw that the weapons in the two boys' hands weren't the wooden practice swords used in spars—they were real blades, honed to a deadly edge.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She was too shocked even to shout, terrified one might slip up.
'Who spars with real swords? Drawing a real blade means deciding life or death between them, right?'
The martial world and this place might have different customs, but she knew it was absurd for kids to spar with live steel.
Charlotte whipped her head around, searching for Joseph's two escort knights.
But even as this madness unfolded, they were just standing there watching.
'...How can they just watch? If that's the case, why bother sticking around?'
Come to think of it, they'd done the same when Joseph came back covered in bruises.
'...Even the escorts are just monitors placed by the Second Prince.'
With things like this, it seemed she was the only one who could stop it.
Clang, clang!
The sharp sounds came in rapid succession. With Joseph and Lancelot so close, jumping in or drawing attention seemed too risky.
At a glance, Lancelot handled his sword skillfully.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, timing when they might separate.
The moment they pulled even slightly apart, she'd wedge in and pull them away.
Clang!
Lancelot pressed his attack again. He swung his sword down from above in a wide arc, then reversed direction to thrust sharply, driving Joseph back.
Joseph's exposed side seemed wide open to the blade.
But as expected of the man who'd become the protagonist in the future, Joseph deflected the incoming strike toward his flank—from an angle impossible to block or dodge.
He'd parried it with the pommel, from a position the blade couldn't even reach.
Charlotte let out a reflexive breath of relief.
Lancelot was skilled, but Joseph's prowess, said to surpass even the Second Prince, was a cut above.
It was then.
No sooner had she thought the two looked a bit winded after clashing for so long than an unfamiliar sound rang out.
Whumm—
It was like the buzzing of countless swarms of bees fluttering their wings at once.
Charlotte doubted her ears the instant she heard it.
'...Is he insane?'
The sound came from Lancelot gritting his teeth and channeling aura into his sword after his attack on Joseph fizzled.
Unaware of Charlotte's alarm, gasps of awe rose from the surrounding children.
"Whoa, Lancelot as expected."
"The Setia House's talent really is something."
"Haven't seen aura up close in ages."
Emboldened by the kids' voices, Lancelot wildly swung his aura-wreathed blade.
"Why don't you show off that fancy talent of yours? You don't even want to use aura against me? Then why'd you butt in at that arena, saying you'd face me? Huh, Your Highness? Huh?"
Far from separating, they drew even closer—jumping between them looked dangerous now, but Charlotte's patience was fraying.
She squinted at Joseph. He wasn't countering Lancelot's aura at all, merely dodging and weaving with his sword.
'...This won't do.'
Having examined his body just yesterday, she knew Joseph's condition. He wasn't in any state to use aura right now.
His health had improved greatly, sure—but only to the point where daily life was pain-free.
As expected, he showed no sign of even attempting aura.
'I have to stop this.'
"Lancelot, are you crazy? Stop it. If you keep this up..."
Just as Charlotte shouted to halt the duel, she saw Lancelot's sword clash against Joseph's.
Lancelot had his own code of conduct.
When dealing with Prince Joseph, he only tormented him enough to leave bruises hidden by clothes.
No matter how much he'd fallen out of favor with the Second Prince and been handed to the Setia House, he was still a prince.
But children could be crueler than expected, and within that code, there were endless ways to harass him.
As a result, Lancelot—furious from head to toe since yesterday—chose a duel with real swords for his outlet today.
There was no special reason for picking live blades.
His pride wounded this badly, he simply wanted to show off his aura in front of the other kids.
Everyone knew aura required a real sword to contain it.
Using morning training as an excuse, Lancelot and the gathered children sought out Prince Joseph early, prepared with real swords.
It wasn't cowardly.
His opponent could use aura too.
The prince, who usually needed to be dragged out by a servant to even reach the training grounds, was inexplicably sitting on a tree stump in the center early that morning.
As if waiting for someone.
Spotting Lancelot and the kids, Prince Joseph closed his eyes in annoyance, which grated even more on his nerves.
Lancelot had a servant haul Joseph up and tossed a real sword at his feet.
Clang!
"Your Highness, remember yesterday? You stepped up saying you'd face me directly no matter what. Am I a joke to you? Huh? You wanted to fight me so bad? Fine, I'll grant that wish. Huh?"
Joseph's dark, quiet gaze lingered on the real sword for a long while.
It irked Lancelot how leisurely Joseph seemed.
After all the beatings and scoldings, anyone else would cower or grovel—but not Prince Joseph.
He just had those doll-like, empty dead eyes always.
For some reason, it really got under his skin.
He could almost understand why the Second Prince had sent the Third to be "educated"—Joseph never changed, no matter the situation.
That might explain why Lancelot was more worked up than usual.
As Lancelot sneered and wrapped his sword in aura once more, fresh gasps erupted from the kids.
He'd planned to show off moderately and end it, but spurred by their admiration, he swung a few more times.
'Tch, that's enough.'
Seeing the escort knights who'd been watching grow uneasy and move to intervene, Lancelot decided to swing once more as a warning before sheathing his blade.
That was the moment.
Clang—!
With a sharp ring, Joseph's sword shattered in two against Lancelot's aura. Before Lancelot could react, pink hair leaped in front of him.