Chapter 33

Three days after Korco joined us.

I was swinging a wooden sword in the courtyard, watched over by Caro, Korco, and the birds.

My brother and my swordsmanship teacher were not around today.

To live in the countryside, one needs physical strength.

I need to be able to take down a monster with my bare hands.

That's why, even on days when my brother doesn't teach, I practice with the sword every day.

"Huff! Huff huff!" "Woof! Woof woof!"

As usual, Daru was also swinging a wooden branch in his mouth.

"Kyaa!" "Over here, over here!" "Kyakya!"

The spirits clung to the wooden sword.

Ever since I had a conversation with Crow and the spirits, they stopped pretending they couldn't speak.

They always fly around happily, making a ruckus.

Watching the happy spirits makes me feel joyful too.

"That's dangerous!" "Woof!"

"Eh?" "It's okay, right?" "Kyakya"

I know that spirits, who don't have physical bodies, don't feel pain when hit by a wooden sword.

But hitting a spirit with a wooden sword hurts my heart.

Besides, the spirit that was hit by the wooden sword earlier flew away saying "Fkyaa."

It came back saying, "Again, again," but I felt uneasy.

"This isn't a game!" "Waa!"

"Hit me~" "Lulia-sama, hit me~" "Kyakya"

"Mmm"

Even though I told them it's not a game, the spirits ignored me.

They deliberately come to get hit by the wooden sword.

It's difficult to avoid hitting the spirits with the wooden sword.

"Crow, are you there? Tell everyone it's not allowed!"

"......It's better not to talk to spirits. You never know who might be watching."

"Crow!" "Play with us, play with us!" "Kyakya"

Crow appeared as if sprouting from the ground.

Despite his tone, Crow's face and tail looked happy.

"That's dangerous!"

"Hmm. But it's okay."

"Okay~" "Hit me, hit me~" "Kyakya"

The spirits look happy.

"There's a catch."

"Hmm. ...Then, would you mind giving me a light tap? With the wooden sword."

"Mmm"

I tapped Crow with the wooden sword. It swung through the air.

"See? It's okay."

"I know that. But it bounced off just now."

"That's because... Lulia-sama wrapped the wooden sword in magic."

"I, I don't know. Lulia didn't do that."

"Lulia-sama did it unconsciously."

"Y-You're right, it's dangerous!"

If I hit a spirit with a magic-covered wooden sword, it might hurt.

But,

"It's okay. Look, it's the same as the spirit toss."

"Together!" "Bam! Hit me!" "Kyakya"

"Hmm?"

"To hurt a spirit, you need curse power."

"Hmm? Curse power...?"

"Explaining curse power would take a long time, so I'll tell you later."

"Understood. But are you really not in pain?"

"It doesn't hurt. If a magic-covered wooden sword could hurt a spirit, even a mage or a monster could hurt a spirit."

"......I see."

It made sense.

Human mages and monsters can't hurt spirits.

Wait, then why could the Church of the One True God in my previous life capture and hurt spirits?

Ah, that must be curse power.

I felt I was getting closer to the secrets of my past life.

I decided to ask Crow about it later.

I can't talk about my past life in the courtyard.

You never know who might be watching.

Well, to be precise, there are maids watching me now.

It's natural for them to supervise a child swinging a wooden sword.

While I was thinking, Crow kept talking.

"So, I want you to play with the spirits using a magic-covered wooden sword. It's good for their education."

"Eh, is that okay?"

I was surprised and spoke louder than I intended.

I understood that the spirits wouldn't be hurt by a magic-covered wooden sword.

But, it's hard to believe that it's good for their education.

What if the cute spirits grow up to be rough?

"Look, I said it's the same as the spirit toss."

"I heard that."

"It's the same. Spirits don't usually receive physical stimuli. So, with a magic-covered wooden sword—"

Crow's explanation was long.

But thanks to it, I finally understood.

It improves their perception of the physical world, increases their intelligence, strengthens their magic, and makes them gentler.

"Is that... so..."

"The spirits near Lulia-sama grew up well with the spirit toss."

"I know that."

I knew the spirit toss was good for education because Roa told me.

"Understood. Then, I'll go all out." "Woof!"

"Yay!" "Hoo hoo" "Hoo"

What's with the "hoo hoo"?

Anyway, the spirits were excited and cheering.

"Here I go! Huff! Huff! Huff! Chaaa!"

"Woof! Ow! Ow! Waaa!"

I swung the wooden sword with Daru.

"Kyakya!"

The spirits that were coming to get hit started dodging and playing around.

"Why are you dodging! Huff huff huff!" "Woof woof"

"Over here, over here" "Lulia-sama!" "Kyakya!"

"It's like a monster game."

"Monster? Game? Huff! Huff!" "Woof! Woof!"

"See, the spirits split into monster and villager roles, chase each other, and if the villager gets touched by the monster, they switch roles."

"Is that a thing! Huff huff!" "Ow ow!"

"It's a game all human children play."

"Really! Huff huff!" "Woof! Woof!"

So, the game changed from trying to catch my wooden sword to trying to escape from it.

I understood the rules.

Now, I just need to play with all my might.

"Gotchaaaaa!" "Woof woof woof!"

"Faster, faster" "Waa!" "Kyakya!"

I swung the wooden sword creatively to catch the spirits.

I was more focused than usual, so I was three times as tired, but it was very fun.

☆☆☆☆

Ten minutes after Lulia started the monster game with the wooden sword.

"Huh?"

The swordsmanship teacher saw Lulia in the courtyard.

He had come to the mansion for some business unrelated to lessons.

"Huff! Huff huff! Huff!" "Woof! Woof woof! Woof!"

"What...?"

Seeing Lulia's movements, the swordsmanship teacher couldn't help but exclaim.

"What's the matter?"

When the maid asked, the swordsmanship teacher groaned.

"Lulia-sama might be a swordsmanship prodigy."

"Really?"

The maid also looked at Lulia in the courtyard, but she just seemed to be playing as usual.

She was still making "huff huff" sounds, which was very cute, but it didn't look like the movements of a prodigy.

"It's as if... there's something invisible and fast moving that she's trying to hit..."

"I see?"

"Yes, her sword movements are like she's trying to cut down an invisible swallow..."

"Is that so?"

Unlike the swordsmanship teacher, the maid was a novice in swordsmanship and didn't understand.

She thought she would tell the lady of the house later that the teacher had praised Lulia-sama's swordsmanship.

"She has much more talent than I do."

"Are you joking?"

Even though the maid was a novice in swordsmanship, she knew that the swordsmanship teacher was the best swordsman in the country, known as a prodigy.

That's why he was chosen to be the swordsmanship teacher for Gilbert, the heir of the second prince.

"I'm not joking. She's a real prodigy."

"Thank you. Hearing that will surely make the master and the lady of the house very happy."

It was probably flattery.

Thinking that, the maid thanked the swordsmanship teacher.