Chapter 171. The two sword masters (2) Seeing the captain like that made Meika’s eyes flicker for some reason.
‘…At first, I couldn’t even make eye contact with this person.’
Soon after he was suddenly appointed vice-captain, he came to realize the princess’s fierce side, and when he came to his senses, before he knew it, he was able to say everything he wanted to say to a certain extent, other than being rude to the princess.
Can not help it.
Because I can’t survive without it.
When you get hit by work, people become stronger.
As a knight, his swordsmanship did not increase, only his ability to speak, speak loudly, and scribble with a pen increased.
“Could it be that you have been training all this time?”
“I was going to warm up a little bit, but when I came to my senses, it was already time like this. Ahahahaha…
Kania smiled and tried to gloss over it.
However, Meika is noticing inwardly.
Looking at the dirt on Kania’s clothes, it was a bit strange.
It was evident that he had practiced most of the night.
These days, she seems to be immersed in training while reducing her personal time.
This has rarely happened lately, but due to an incident, Kania suddenly began to focus all her attention on self-training.
Knowing the reason, Meika thought to herself.
‘Are you so resentful of losing to him?’ Not long ago, Ernesia of Cania went to challenge another sword master in the kingdom to a duel for some reason.
Hearing the news, Mayka was very surprised.
A confrontation between knights who cannot even match themselves.
Not only her, but there must be no one who doesn’t pay attention to those who say they’ve held a sword.
But speaking of results.
Kania Ernesia lost to him.
It was a clean rout by anyone’s eyes.
Meika, who had to observe the confrontation between the two in person, has no choice but to admit what she saw.
Official Aura Master in Ernesia Kingdom. There are only three people in existence who have reached the level commonly known as the Sword Master.
Menel Grent, Commander of the Knights of the Kingdom’s 2nd Division.
Betilan Melphena, the lord of the Motran estate located in the western part of the kingdom.
And the second princess of Ernesia Kingdom, Ernesia, Kania.
Considering that the master’s level is something that ordinary Aura users can’t reach even if they devote their whole lives to training, or even if they have talent, they can only reach it at the end of their lives.
It is quite unusual that there are currently three people who are called sword masters in the kingdom.
To that extent, the knights who reached the master’s level were literally legends to other knights.
That’s why the knights envy them, or sometimes think about these things with their imagination.
Who is the strongest among the three masters?
Of course, this is a half-joking question.
Even when Kania was called the 2nd Master before reaching the stage, there were occasional disputes like this, but I wasn’t sure who was doing this.
Because the parties there were quiet.
The two Masters above had practically no contact with each other.
Menel only thoroughly protects the palace, but shows no interest in other matters.
Perhaps because of his age, he was now thoroughly focusing on training his successor.
After Betilan took office as a lord, he did not go to the battlefield except during the last war.
That’s why there was no reason to ignite a futile debate over who was the strongest among the sword masters.
At some point, there was even an unwritten rule that those who reached the level of sword masters would not compete with each other.
In the midst of that, it was none other than Kania who threw a stir.
“Menel! Fight me with a sword!!”
After Kania founded the 16th Knights, it became somewhat stable.
These were the words Kania suddenly came up with when she visited Menel.
All the knights who witnessed the scene were astonished without exception.
So did Menel.
Menel Grent, a knight who entered the age of 70 this year.
However, even at his advanced age, his physique remained firmer than that of other young knights, so the stern atmosphere that radiated from his appearance was no less than that of other knights.
He, too, opened his eyes wide when Kania, who suddenly came to visit him, spoke these words out of the blue.
“Are you serious, princess?”
He was surprised not only because the princess challenged him to a duel.
Of course, that was surprising, but her skills are already acknowledged by everyone.
Menel also hadn’t seen Kania’s power in person, but he was sure that there would be no lies.
The reason he was surprised was…
“Princess.”
“huh?”
“Is the princess aware of what level she has reached?”
At his question, Kania tilted her head.
Still, as if seriously contemplating an answer, he tilted his head a few times before coming up with an answer.
“You know?”
“Then why do you want to duel with an old man like this?”
“You’re wondering who’s stronger?”
This one was answered right away.
Kania came to him purely to compete with him.
so claimed.
“Innocence… wanting to compete only with strength… is that all?”
“huh? Then there must be some other reason’?”
When Kania asked casually, Menel thought for a moment as if thinking about something.
“Anyway… it seems that the princess is unaware of it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Princess, do you know that the other masters… Sir Betilan have never even exchanged swords with each other?”
“It seems like he heard it… It seems he didn’t hear it…
Kania groaned.
I was relatively uninterested in such rumors, so I wasn’t sure if I’d heard of them.
“Really not?”
“yes. Neither he nor I have ever pointed our swords at each other, both as training and as a formal duel.”
he asserted.
“Do you know why?”
“I don’t know.”
An answer without even the slightest hesitation.
“…That’s because when we reach our level, even hasty sword fighting can cause anxiety to others.”
Apparently, this princess knows nothing at all.
As you can see, he is not the type to be sensitive to that, and he is still young.
So, thought Menel, he had no choice but to tell him himself.
“Only two of us in the kingdom… No, three if you include the princess. Our place has more eyes on others than you think.”
“Do you have a lot of snow?
“It means that there are many people who will be anxious if we recklessly compete or compete.”
There are only a few masters in the kingdom.
I don’t know if it’s good to hear.
As much as that, there are not a few eyes that keep them in check.
Especially if there are only two or three strong people in the kingdom, it’s better.
But if they hit each other to see who is the strongest, will everyone praise and like it?
The world isn’t that simple, and humans aren’t that simple.
Menel knows that.
“So… you mean everyone is jealous?”
“You are not wrong.”
However, it would be better if it ended simply with jealousy.
But how many annoying troubles aristocratic society begins with its jealousy.
He shook his head as if fed up.
“To avoid that, we deliberately avoided even bumping into each other.”
“…It’s tricky.”
“That is power.”
The stronger you are, the more you pay attention to your surroundings.
The ironic reality of power.
“So is that it? You mean you don’t want to confront me because something annoying happens?”
“…if you understand, that doesn’t matter.”
Menel said with a wry smile.
After listening to his advice, Kania kept her mouth shut as if she was in deep trouble for a moment.
I didn’t understand everything.
However, Kania tried her best to sympathize with what he wanted to say.
However, the fundamentals of human beings remain the same.
“Princess, why not act recklessly…”
“Then, can’t we just do it?”
“yes?”
Menel blinked.
“Menel I understand roughly what you are talking about. In the end, aren’t other people’s jealous gazes annoying?”
Kania tried to speak as she understood.
There is no reason for Menel… and the other masters to be afraid of the envy of a mere noble.
It’s just annoying.
“You mean you put up with it because you don’t want blood on your sword?”
“I can’t deny… I can’t.”
He couldn’t help but agree with the blunt words.
I avoid it because I don’t want to get bloody.
There was no more appropriate word.
Yes.
He has no reason to be afraid of others.
I just put up with it because I hate conflict.
That’s why I refrained from drawing unnecessary attention.
When a war breaks out, he silently wields his sword and carries out his duties as a knight.
That is the iron rule of this ‘Menel’.
However, in the case of Kania, it seemed that he had a slightly different intention.
“…I think I understand why Your Majesty is so worried about the princess.”
It is a remark that is so violent that it is impossible to think of it as a princess.
Is it his original nature or…
‘Or maybe it’s the influence of another person…’
He muttered to himself and sighed secretly.
Also, I can’t just skip it.
he thought quietly.
“princess.”
Sir Menel glared at Kania seriously.
She unknowingly shrugged her shoulders a little.
“How about you stop joking around here?”
“???? what?”
“A lot of people are worried.”
Menel was speaking seriously.
“After the princess established the knights, even this old man could hear the voices of many people worrying.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Furthermore… I wondered what kind of favor you were asking me for when you suddenly came to visit me. It’s no wonder that it’s seen as nothing more than an immature prank.”
Kania shut her mouth at his point and glared at him fiercely as well.
Because it was a straight line.
She too is aware.
After returning to the castle, he succeeded in revealing his will to lead the knights somehow, but it was not so smooth.
There’s no way I wouldn’t know it was her.
“What do you mean, Lord Menel?”
Normally, she would be overwhelmed on the spot, but her opponent was also a knight who was on the same level as her or higher.
“I know. Why does the princess want to compete with me?”
“Looks like you made a pact with His Majesty.”
Yes.
The reason why Kania dared to fight against Menel was because of the promise she made with her father Theonel when he founded his knights.
When Kania founded the current knights, there was a little background at the time.
The current Knights Templar was nothing more than a place where permission was granted conditionally.
According to common sense, there was no way that the Knights Templar would be created simply by begging.
There is a princess, not a prince.
It couldn’t be easy even if she was the 3rd sword master.
At that time, Kania shared several promises with her father.
To be properly recognized as a member of the Knights.
Also, Kania’s own skills should be properly recognized.
One of the conditions is to be recognized by Masters of the same realm, including Menel, a Master who has reached the same realm.
