Chapter 6

"Would you tone it down a bit?"

I understand his feelings.

Who wouldn't cheer on their descendant in a sparring match?

But isn't this a bit too much?

"Fall down, you brat."

Seeing him wildly waving his hands and muttering to himself, I can't help but sigh.

However, I can understand why Nelson is so excited. Charlotte isn't performing well at all.

"Huff!"

Charlotte steps back, unable to withstand the weight of the falling longsword.

'Instead, the other one is moving faster.'

Strangely, the movements of the dark-haired girl holding the longsword are lighter than those of Charlotte, who is holding a one-handed sword.

At first, I thought, "Can she really move like that with her build and a longsword?" But...

'It's a practice weapon, isn't it?'

I thought it was strange.

Of course, the dark-haired girl's skills aren't bad.

However, considering her muscles, physique, and the amount of mana she uses, it's difficult even for a seasoned knight to handle a longsword so easily.

But because it's made for sparring, it seems much lighter than a regular sword.

Additionally, the dark-haired girl's skill in handling mana is far superior to Charlotte's.

Charlotte Elaine is completely overwhelmed in all aspects of the sparring match, from weapon choice to swordsmanship and mana proficiency.

And Nelson, pounding on the window frame, is letting out sighs.

Honestly, I don't understand it either.

'Why is she swinging her sword like that?'

Of course, Nelson Elaine was one of the weakest in the Silver Lion Knights.

She joined the order the latest and was the youngest, so it's understandable.

But that's only true for Nelson. No one could ignore the Elaine family's swordsmanship.

The Elaine family's swordsmanship, known as the "multicolored sword," is perfectly suited for flexible responses in any situation.

However, Charlotte is not using the Elaine family's swordsmanship but rather just imitating it, and not even well.

The Elaine family's swordsmanship, characterized by its versatility, requires a strong foundation to master.

While it appears colorful and flashy on the surface, it is actually a very solid and well-grounded style.

It's like a tree with a strong root system and many branches.

In fact, it places the greatest emphasis on the basics.

But without a solid foundation, it just looks messy.

It's like a market vendor selling everything from meat, vegetables, and fish to clothing, shoes, and even swords.

That's why Nelson is making such a fuss.

Where have the unique sword techniques developed by the ancestors of the Elaine family gone? Why is she performing them so poorly?

'Is there a problem with the inheritance of the sword techniques?'

Charlotte doesn't seem to lack training.

On the contrary, her well-defined muscles show that she has worked hard, which makes it even more regrettable.

But to judge her talent, we need to see what she can do.

'Frustrating, I guess.'

Thinking this, I can understand Nelson's frustration.

I'm not married and I'm an orphan, so I can't have descendants, but if I did, and they were acting like this, I would have smacked them on the back of the head.

"Ah!"

"Winner, Dain Brand."

Charlotte ultimately lost one-sidedly. Her opponent, smirking, looked down at her and then left the sparring ground.

Charlotte's pink eyes were filled with tears, but she quickly covered her eyes and ran out of the sparring ground, not wanting to show her tears to others.

'Seeing her like this, she does look pitiful.'

Thinking of her happily eating chicken skewers in the carriage, I feel a bit sad.

Deciding to follow Charlotte, I got up from my seat.

I'm curious about what's going on with the Elaine family's swordsmanship, and Nelson might be wondering too.

Since the seniors are still sparring, it will be a while before it's my turn.

Charlotte was at the water fountain.

She was pretending to wash her face to wipe away her tears, so I could approach her easily.

"Good job."

"…Ian Aynel?"

"It wasn't a waste, and I don't know what you were trying to show, but you didn't give up."

"Did you come to mock me?"

Charlotte glared at me with a venomous look.

I leaned on the water fountain and sighed, then asked,

"The Elaine family's swordsmanship isn't like that, right?"

"What do you know!"

Her emotions burst out as soon as I touched on the topic of swordsmanship.

Seeing her red, bloodshot eyes, I felt like I was tormenting a child, so I spoke more gently.

"It's a flashy, versatile, and flexible sword. But what you just showed isn't that. Your sword handling is crude."

Charlotte looked surprised and asked me,

"…How do you know about our family's swordsmanship?"

"Huh?"

Worried that I had made a slip of the tongue, I was surprised when Charlotte asked me.

I was confused by the situation, but Charlotte, who had been irritable a moment ago, now clung to me as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.

"You! Do you know anything about our family's secret manual? Have you seen it somewhere? Where? Where exactly…!"

"Wait, calm down a bit."

After calming Charlotte down, I learned about the Elaine family's swordsmanship.

The family's secret manual was lost a long time ago.

Therefore, the Elaine family now practices a reconstructed version of the original swordsmanship, based on the movements of the original.

"The timing was really bad. Most of the expert-level swordsmen who were learning the Elaine family's swordsmanship died during the demon calamity. With the manual lost in such a situation…"

Over time, the Elaine family lost their unique swordsmanship.

"Huh."

I didn't expect the Elaine family to have such a hidden story.

After hearing Charlotte's story, the awkwardness I had felt before started to make sense.

This girl, despite being a noble, came to the opening ceremony in a carriage prepared for commoners.

She was also eating chicken skewers hurriedly in the carriage.

The Elaine family, in name only, had completely fallen.

"So, I was wondering how you knew about our family's lost swordsmanship. I thought maybe you had a clue."

"…"

What should I say?

A man who could be called the embodiment of the Elaine family's swordsmanship was waiting in my room.

If I allowed him to teach Charlotte, he would probably exclaim, "Thank you!" and start teaching immediately.

'I can't explain it.'

There's no way to explain how Nelson and I know the Elaine family's swordsmanship.

To make them understand, I would have to start by explaining that I was the captain of the Silver Lions, Rayne Raymond.

'This is a headache.'

I wanted to help her, being Nelson's descendant and all, but…

"Ian! Ian Aynel, where are you?"

While I was thinking, the professor called me, probably because it was my turn.

After telling Charlotte that we should think about it together, I headed to the sparring ground.

"I'm sorry for being late."

When I stepped onto the sparring ground, the attention of not only my instructor but also other professors focused on me.

It wasn't just the professors.

The students waiting for their turn or resting after their matches were also looking at me.

The reason for the attention became clear through the whispers of the students.

"Is that him?"

"One of the five gems chosen from Meiji Academy this time?"

"His mana is so high, why did he come to Knight Academy?"

"These days, it's not right. Admitting a commoner with no basic swordsmanship just because of his mana…"

"We've been swinging swords since we were kids, and we're not mocking anyone."

'Ah, right.'

For the new students, I was chosen for Meiji Academy, but they didn't get a proper explanation.

Some professors looked at me with a hint of expectation, probably because they hadn't heard from the dean yet.

'It's not just because of that, though.'

Most of the attention didn't stay on me but also shifted to the boy who would be my opponent.

A well-built, black-haired boy.

'I like his hair.'

His hair looked like a well-maintained lawn, probably because he had just had a haircut.

Most students enter the academy to grow, but some have more sinister intentions.

Living and studying in the same space, swinging swords, naturally leads to connections, and many have even married after meeting at the academy.

My mother even told me to find a bride.

So, most students try to look good before entering the academy.

The boy's hair showed that he came to the academy with the determination to swing a sword.

His thick eyebrows and slightly frowning face, filled with determination, were quite impressive.

If I were the captain of the knights, I would have also focused on this boy like the other professors.

"Baron Dumbest and Ian Aynel, take your positions."

"Dumbest?"

I repeated the boy's family name without thinking.

'The Bear Uncle family.'

They were famous 300 years ago for their large build and innate strength. They were one of the most prestigious families at the time.

'They haven't changed much, have they?'

The Dumbest family, who have always been successful, still walk around with their heads held high even 300 years later.

"This is quite a big match."

"Big match my ass. He's just a country bumpkin."

"A knight should judge by the sword. How can you compare someone who hasn't even learned proper swordsmanship?"

"But you can't ignore his mana."

"Are you a mage? This is Knight Academy. Can a commoner even handle mana properly? It took me three years to learn, even with private lessons."

"That's true, but…"

"Even if he can use a bit of mana to enhance his body, it won't matter if his swordsmanship is poor. He'll lose."

"True, mana is just innate luck. I hope Dumbest wins."

"Even if he can use a bit of mana, it won't matter if his swordsmanship is poor. He'll regret coming here, relying on his mana."

"True, mana is just innate luck. I hope Dumbest wins."

"Even if he can use a bit of mana to enhance his body, it won't matter if his swordsmanship is poor. He'll lose."

Students were whispering all around.

In contrast, Baron Dumbest was completely focused, holding his thick longsword in one hand, not paying any attention to me.

Is it a practice weapon, so he doesn't need to use both hands?

He slowly walked up to me and opened his mouth.

"If you relied on your mana to get in, you'll regret it."

"…"

"Effortless talent has no value. And if you can't use it properly, it's even worse."

"…"

"Prove it, then. Prove that you have the qualifications to be a knight. If you can't, I, Baron Dumbest, will crush that useless talent."

As soon as the signal to start the sparring match sounded, Baron's sword flew towards me.