CH 59

Being young is wonderful. Muscle soreness will go away in no time. I think it’s probably because I have sore muscles all the time. Because I’m using my body quite a lot with daily training… that’s why if it’s just normal muscle pain, I’m used to it and I don’t notice it, or maybe it’s taken for granted. It seems that this time I used too much buff magic, which made my muscle pain more severe than usual and didn’t heal overnight.

Even so, this young body seems to heal in a day or two. If you can get away with that much muscle pain, that level of heavy use is probably still within the acceptable range. However, it is not good to think that way and overuse it with overconfidence. If you don’t remember that that’s the limit, you’ll end up in the same rut as before.

That’s why today I’ll show my father, Erich, and the others my buff magic for the first time. Yesterday, I couldn’t show them because my muscles were so sore that I just moved my body without any actual mock combat.

I will get one over Father today. It might be called cheating or unfair, but it’s the first time I’ll land a “killing” blow on him. If I could get one on Father, it would only be at the moment I showed him buff magic for the first time today. Only the first blow is the chance to outwit my father, Erich, and others who have assumed they know all my movements so far. If you show it even once, it will be dealt with as a known factor the next time.

“What’s wrong, Miss Flora? You’re smiling so happily…”

“Nothing is wrong?” I said.

Don’t say unnecessary things, Dominic! Everyone’s got their eyes on me! Why is this guy always talking about unnecessary things?

Uwah~……. Cristoph and Father are staring at each other. Did they find out that I was planning something? What should I do…….? But, there is only one chance to show buff magic by any means. In that case… all you have to do is make up your mind and see the timing. Alright! Let’s do this!

“Now then, let’s begin.”

I think they’re completely suspicious, but that’s enough. I can’t help it if they’re worried about something. I’m going to fuck up my Father today! No… yeah… that’s a weird way of saying it… years of grudges? I’ll clear them up! I don’t hate him, but…

At the same time as the starting signal, Christoph shoots magical spells one after another. The pattern is different today. He usually shoots magic at key points in the battle to keep me in check, but today he’s serious from the start. Yeah, they may have sensed something from a while ago.

While intercepting Christoph’s magic, Dominic charges in with his spear, thrusting to knock away my sword. A thrust is a surprisingly troublesome attack that has a narrow attack range. Even if you dodge it, the enemy just pulls it back and attacks again, so the next attack is unexpectedly fast. Unlike slashing attacks, there is no such thing as an “angle”, so it is difficult to block or parry, so you have to avoid it once and then counter afterward. On top of that, it’s long-range, so it makes sense that the spear is the main weapon on the battlefield.

Of course, infantrymen use spears as their main weapons on the battlefield to hit them from above or to prevent attacks with other spears, not to fight exclusively with spears as Dominic does. Well, if all the infantry were able to freely use spears like Dominique, that would be a scary story.

Long-range magic attacks from Christoph, middle-range spear attacks from Dominic, and after surpassing these, close-range sword attacks from Erich and Father. Moreover, Father is quite merciless, so he comes to kill me, even if it means sacrificing Dominique and Erich as meatshields. Until now, I had been beaten without ever reaching Father, but today that is my aim.

This time too, Dominic, spear’s effectiveness has halved due to me closing into his pocket by darting in from the shadows. Erich approaches me from Dominique’s right-hand side, and Father from behind Dominique. He’s probably going to come out of Dominic’s shadow and slash while I’m taking down Erich and Dominic.

I kick Dominic in the gut as he tries to get into my pocket and check Father behind him. Erich’s sword hand is still superior to mine in physical strength and weight, so I can’t take it straight on. Normally, I’d knock it away with a sword, but today I dodge it with just my body and approach him.

“Ugh…!”

“Fuh…!”

After taking a short breath, I hit Dominic’s torso with a full-body blow. Normally, Father would hit me here too and we would lose in a trade-off. Even if I know it’s coming, I can’t avoid my father’s blow, and I can’t do anything with my current physical ability and reflexes.

Hyuh.

A sharp sound approaches from behind me.

They were aiming for this moment, after all. As expected, I can’t avoid it even if I know that I can’t react in time. However! Not today!

“There…!” I cried.

I activate the buff magic and forcibly twist back my body from facing Erich. My legs and arms are making an unpleasant creaking sound, but this is acceptable.

I applied the brakes suddenly and twisted my body, relying on the sound to receive the attack coming toward me without looking at the target. As it is, Father is blank-faced, watching me take the attack without effort…

“…… Huh?”

I was wrong! What I received wasn’t Father’s sword!? Dominic’s spear!? Dominic who I just kicked so hard in the stomach… he’s still leaning backward and almost collapses. This is… Father swung at me with the spear that Dominic let go of. Then what is he doing now?

“Quite the reaction,” Father said. “It’s completely different from anything we’ve seen before. Have you been slacking off until today?”

“-!?”

Was he also twisting to the left, sweeping the spear from left to right with his right hand…? As Father twisted to the right, my reaction was delayed.

Fuck…! Am I still not there yet…?! At this rate, Father’s left-hand sword will probably slash me from behind… I’ll lose again…

No! Not yet!

“Still more…!” I cried.

I activate the buff magic again and crouch down. I don’t know what kind of attack Father is making. This is just a gut feeling from all the practice. With this, I can dodge the attack, or even if I can’t dodge it, you should be able to delay the hit even by a little.

“Nuh…!”

From a crouched posture, my fully tensed legs spring up and I launch like a rocket.

“YAH…!”

Kin.

A high-pitched sound of metal-on-metal resounded. The arm that was holding the spear was forcibly pulled back and my sword… was shattered.

I have a sharp and dull pain in my left shoulder. Apparently, the sword Father was swinging down broke my sword and hit his shoulder. Lost again… huh?

“Amazing,” Father said. “I didn’t expect you to get one over me.”

“…… Huh?” I said.

If I look back, I can see a scratch on Father’s side. Apparently, the trade for his torso was successful. However, it is far from killing him, just a really small scratch.

My sword must have been broken by Father’s sword just as the blade was about to graze him. I think I got a perfect blow in just a little while longer, but my body can’t last any longer. Even now, it’s not just because of the sword that hit me, but my body is still shaking from the recoil.

“Hmm… that would be close to Maria’s… or rather, is it the same power as Maria…?” Father said, mumbling and staring at me.

“Father?” I asked, a little scared.

“I never thought you were such a hidden gem,” Father said. “I’m proud of you for getting a strike on me. This morning’s training is over.”

“Ye-Yes!” I said.

Hearing that all of a sudden sent shivers down my spine. This is… being praised… isn’t it?

“Fufu,” I chuckled.

As I stared at Father’s back as he returned to the mansion, a smile naturally spread out on my face. Even if it wasn’t a satisfying blow, my sword definitely hit Father. Isn’t that enough for now?

It was a bit like cowardly deception, but it was just a trivial blow that just struck him slightly… but even so, I returned to the mansion in a good mood after giving Father a hit.

After finishing my work at Manor Caan, I sneaked out again today and ran northwest through the forest. I pushed myself too hard this morning, so I need to get used to the buff magic, so I need to boost it so that it doesn’t exceed my limit.

I couldn’t come yesterday… but I wonder if she’ll be there today.

I’m wandering around the area where I met that girl for the first time…

“Oh? There…” I said.

She really was there. She’s sitting on a slightly big stone. What is she doing? Shall I sneak closer?

“What is going on…? Are you not going to come again today?” Mikoto said.

Hm? Is she talking to herself? Or is she waiting for someone?

“I’m waiting for you!” Mikoto said. “If you don’t come today, I wouldn’t know!”

She’s gotten angry. She’s a really interesting girl with her facial expressions and emotions changing all by herself. Well, it would be rude for her to listen to her back all the time, so let’s speak to her.

“Who are you waiting for?” I asked.

“HIYAH…!” Mikoto squealed.

She launched into the air when I called out to her from behind. No, it’s not a metaphor, she really… she’s floating about 3 meters off the ground and then comes down floating.

Even if you wear a long skirt, if you come down from the top, the skirt can be flipped up, and if you look from the bottom, you can see the pretty legs even if you can’t see everything. In this era of the world, where long skirts are the norm and even knees are rarely shown unless someone has a specific job, it’s pretty good to be able to see the legs of a young maiden.

“Hey! Don’t startle me! I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!” Mikoto snapped.

“Aah… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you…” I said.

Well, I thought she would be a little surprised, but I didn’t think she would be that surprised.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Mikoto yelled. “Why are you coming to this place again!”

“Huh?” I asked. “I thought I’d be able to meet you again if I came around here, Mikoto.”

It also serves as training for buff magic, but if that’s all there is to it, there’s no need to come all the way here. I came all the way here because I thought Mikoto would be here.

“Wha-! Hol-! Why, you!” Mikoto yelled. “You think you can get my attention just by doing that!?”

She floated down before me, waving her hands with a bright red face. She’s cute…

In the past, I used to think that I was not good with such bullish characters, or rather, tsunderes. Even if I really knew they weren’t really like that, I’m not good with people being arrogant and bullish, or should I say… I thought I wasn’t good with them…

It’s a completely different impression when the actual thing is before me now, or maybe it’s because I’ve grown older and have more leeway. I’ve come to think that this kind of thing is cute because it’s obviously a girl considerably younger than me.

I’m sure this type of girl won’t be very popular with people around the same age as her. If the other side has no patience to spare, such a child must be misunderstood.

But right now, I have the patience to accept this kind of thing about Mikoto. That’s why I can understand that she’s embarrassed or shy, contrary to his words. How lovely it is to know that.

No, I never forgot about Alexandra, have I? Aren’t I cheating? No, yeah… I don’t have that kind of relationship with Alexandra, so I shouldn’t worry about cheating… it’s just that Mikoto is cute. There is no other intention. For now…….

No, no, I don’t know the future, don’t I? Maybe one day I’ll have that kind of relationship with Mikoto? Or rather, if it’s Mikoto, she’s so cute that I’d like to ask her from here. Ever since Alexandra went to the royal capital, I haven’t been able to have fun with other girls, so it’s a bit…, huh?

“Do you have time today? Shall we talk for a little while?” I asked as I sat down on the large stone.

As Mikoto was mumbling for a while, she also sat down next to me. “Beh,” she groaned, “I don’t mind if you hang out because I’m free, but… just for a little while!”

Yes, yes. Tsunderes are cute.

“Then, let’s talk,” I said.

Thus, I was able to talk with Mikoto for a little while. Start off with casual conversation and gradually talk about each other. Don’t cling. Stay calm, stay slow, and listen to what the other person has to say without forcing it. The fun and meaningful time passed quickly.

I had a great time yesterday. I think I got along pretty well with Mikoto. Maybe Mikoto doesn’t have many friends of the same age as her. I got a faint sense of it from the casual conversation yesterday.

I’m the same, so I know how it feels, but Mikoto’s conversation doesn’t mention other friends or kids of the same age as her at all. Normally, there should be stories about trends and events of people your age. Not having them at all means not knowing them. It means that there is nothing to talk about.

Me, Katharina, Alexandra, Mikoto, everyone. Luisa took care of the little kids and had many younger siblings, so there was a shortage of such topics. Claudia also had stories about her fellow knight cadets and the Imperial Guard Division. But we don’t talk much about them. Those of us who haven’t had many chances to come into contact with other people of the same age, don’t have that kind of experience.

Well, I wouldn’t think of it negatively. It may have been so until now. But I should change it from now on. From now on, all I have to do is meet Mikoto and talk a lot.

You don’t need dark thoughts because you feel good about making new friends. I headed to the parade ground for my morning routine in a relaxed mood.

But there I found…

“…… Mother?”

Even if she stands with a breastplate with cups, waist armor, gauntlets and shin guards, and a huge spear-shaped weapon, either a Sky Piercer1 or a halberd, that is definitely my mother, Maria.

“Papa’s always banned Mother from playing with you like this, see, Flora dear~?” Mother said. “Even though he was always playing without me every day, right?”

No, we didn’t play without her, did we? Rather, I’m covered in bruises from being beaten with iron bars every day.

“But, hear this!” Mother said. “Papa finally told me that it’s okay for Mother to play with Flora, you know? Mother is so happy!”

“Wha…!? What do you mean?” I asked.

Mother’s words don’t make sense, so I ask Father who’s standing beside me. It’s hard to say that he’s good at communicating because he doesn’t speak much, but he will probably tell me a little about the situation.

“Maria is extremely unskilled at holding back,” Father said. “If you didn’t have the strength to fight back against Maria, Flora, you would have been seriously injured. I decided that now you are fine to be Maria’s opponent.”

No, no, no! I don’t understand it at all. Why are you saying that about my calm, gentle mother? How is she swinging around such a heavy spear or halberd that I don’t know what kind of weapon it is?

“Your mother is also a warrior called the ‘The Bloody Virgin’ Maria,” Erich whispered. “Some say she’s even more powerful than Lord Albert…”

It was a shocking fact said in barely a whisper. My mother, who’s such a sweetheart?

“HUUUUHHHH~~~~!?”

I was so surprised that I yelled.