Volume 2 - CH 6.1

Hearing this, Licia raised her voice.

The change in Licia, who had been calmly and enthusiastically receiving instruction just a moment ago, quietly startled the commander.

“Why? Ren is so strong!”

The commander, hearing the surprise, left Ren’s presence and this time spoke to Licia.

“As the saint said, he’s strong. I, of course, and my subordinates would agree with that. But the question is about his qualities.”

The commander says that he can feel it from every part of the way he stands.

But Licia does not give up and asks.

This time, she thinks back to the serious injury Ren sustained in the Jerukku incident.

“Ren is still recovering from his injury. Could that be the reason?”

But the commander immediately shakes his head.

“Do you remember, Saint, when I asked Ren-dono to move freely?”

Licia nodded, somewhat out of her mind.

The servants who were watching the situation seemed much calmer.

“I said what I said because I thought that Ren might have developed certain habits under his father’s tutelage.”

But it wasn’t so.

“The aggressive and fierce fighting style is definitely the essence of Ren-dono’s character. They’re not suited to the use of the holy sword technique. Your innate temperament will eventually become a detriment to your learning the holy sword technique.”

He says that some of this can be corrected through training, but in Ren’s case, he doesn’t think it will have much of an effect.

He said that it’s inevitable that Ren will have a hard time handling the sword.

In other words, training will have the opposite effect.

In fact, it’s better not to try the techniques and not to develop strange habits with it.

The commander’s words about the lack of qualities were intended in this way.

“Among adventurers and bandits, there are those who use the sword with great fierceness. But in their case, it’s only a daredevil sword that they have acquired out of necessity. They’re not born with the same fierceness as Ren-dono.”

He said that it’s the same as a person’s natural appearance and that it has been that way since Ren was born.

If that’s the case, it’s still doubtful whether it can be corrected.

“So, even if he learns the holy sword technique, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to acquire the fighting skills.”

By learning the holy sword technique, you will also learn its weaknesses.

If the person you’re fighting is a user of the holy sword technique, it’ll not be a waste of time. However, I don’t think the results are worth the time spent on it.

(Then it would be better to learn another sword technique from the beginning.)

Ren wasn’t particularly disheartened, but accepted the results honestly and calmly.

“I understand. Then, how about you instruct me on basic swordsmanship?”

“That’s no problem at all. If I can teach a promising young boy like Ren-dono, I’d be very happy to do so.”

Ren had already changed his mind without his insistence.

The commander seemed to have a sense of accomplishment.

But Weiss, who was watching with mixed emotions, and Licia, as if speaking for the knights and servants of the Clausel family, said.

“Re, Ren! Why are you so calm?”

“I’m not suited for it. But since I’m here, I’d like to learn basic swordsmanship.”

Licia also seemed to have regained her composure and was enthusiastically receiving instruction.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

After the instruction, which ended after dark, Licia came to the guest room where Ren was, shortly after taking a hot bath in her room.

She then sat on the bed where Ren usually sleeps, her legs swinging on the edge of the bed.

On the surface, she was dressed in her normal appearance, but Ren, with whom she had shared a life-threatening escape, could see the hidden subtleties.

“Are you not happy that I didn’t receive training from him?”

“Hmm…. what?”

Licia thought that no one understood her.

But Ren was completely aware of this as well.

“Weiss-sama didn’t seem to notice, but you were getting quite grumpy in the middle of the fight.”

“Oh, why did you think that?”

Licia looked as if she had been caught in the act for a moment, but then she mended her victorious face as if it had been an illusion.

But it didn’t last very long.

“Don’t you know?  You have a habit of playing with your hair using your fingertips when you’re in a bad mood.”

“Huh, huh… really?”

“It’s a lie. But that reaction means you were still grumpy.”

Ren was sitting in a chair by the desk, and she gave him an icy stare.

“…… Meanie.”

Being said cutely, Ren shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly.

“Cause I don’t understand what he means! That’s just like saying you don’t have any talent!”

“No, it’s not the same as saying that.”

“Then why is Ren so —-“

“If you’re asking why I’m so calm, well, I’ll just have to give it up.”

It’s only a matter of lack of predisposition, and incidentally, my fighting style and holy sword techniques are inherently incompatible with each other.

Either way, it remains unsuitable.

“On the contrary, I was grateful that he was so honest with me, so I wouldn’t have wasted my time.”

The way he said it was a little rough, but it was true that I didn’t have to spend time on something that I couldn’t learn.