I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

---

“How do you like the uniform? Comfort is important, of course, but it should be easy to move in too, right? Is it uncomfortable for you?”

Noah Einhart matched my pace as he asked. His kind voice and the warmth of his gaze, honed over many years like the smooth surface of rock, put me at ease.

“Yes. It’s very comfortable. It doesn’t hinder my movement at all.”

I glanced down at my outfit. I preferred darker colors, so the pristine white uniform felt a bit strange, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Oh, and please feel free to drop the formalities.”

“Drop the formalities? I’m fine as is. How can I speak casually to a princess…”

“No, you must drop the formalities.”

As I took a step, I turned to Noah and said firmly.

“From now on, I am not a princess but the deputy of the Captain of the Knights, right? There’s no need for formalities with a deputy.”

I had no intention of receiving special treatment.

Noah, who had been staring at me with a satisfied smile, nodded approvingly.

“Then let it be.”

It felt uncomfortable to be addressed formally by someone much older than me, but now it felt like a burden had been lifted.

“Are you ready? It’s your first day on the job.”

Noah stood at the door to the training ground, sounding quite pleased. Today was my first day working as Noah’s deputy, and it seemed he was more excited about my start than I was.

“As long as I don’t get yelled at, I’ll consider it a success.”

I sighed inwardly. News of the sudden appearance of a princess teaching them surely wouldn’t be met positively.

“Sis! On your first day, it’s essential to establish dominance. I’ll magically spike your hair up. Make it super tall!”

“….My hair to the top of my legs?”

“Yes! It’ll be taller than you!”

“Quit spouting nonsense. How about you overwhelm them with wealth instead—wearing diamond rings on all ten fingers?”

“Oh…”

“Sounds good, right?”

“I’m just going to go.”

Aria’s and Karl’s worries caused a bit of a delay before I left. As I recalled that moment, I smiled softly, feeling Noah’s gaze and hurriedly nodded.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

Noah placed his hand on the doorknob.

“Good luck. I’m always cheering for you.”

Though his voice, laced with warmth, was meant to be encouraging, it oddly sounded like a warning. I lightly clenched my fist.

Creeeeeeak.

The door opened, revealing the outdoor training ground. All the gathered knights turned their gazes towards Noah and me.

“Greetings, Captain of the Knights!”

In unison, the knights’ loud voices echoed painfully in my ears. Noah, accustomed to returning the greeting, stepped forward for all to see. I followed him closely.

“The reason I gathered you today is to introduce a new training officer.”

Noah dove straight into the main topic and looked back at me, signaling for me to greet them.

Countless eyes were fixed on me. The piercing gaze felt intense.

A murmur began to ripple through the crowd.

“Well, it’s surprising, isn’t it? A princess suddenly appearing as a training officer.”

If I were in their shoes, I would undoubtedly wonder what was happening. I rolled my eyes at the whispers, feeling a bit flustered, then politely bowed.

“I am Kashimir Crisis, here to conduct training as the deputy of the Captain of the Knights.”

I bowed neatly, but the chatter showed no sign of stopping. With the noise so high, I doubted my voice reached the back.

“Everyone, quiet down!”

As Noah gestured, the man leading the knights shouted loudly. The discipline among them was evident; his single phrase silenced the crowd.

“This is my deputy, and their skills are already proven.”

Noah added just that one sentence, as if saying he couldn’t help me any further and that the rest was up to me. It felt like he wanted me to earn recognition directly from the knights.

“I’ll have to give it a try.”

If I couldn’t manage this much, it would be embarrassing to have come here with confidence. I lifted my chin to avoid appearing timid and made eye contact with each knight staring at me.

“Thank you for your support.”

I smiled confidently and spoke brightly.

Soon after introducing me, Noah said he had business to attend to and left the training ground. With him gone, those who had been restraining themselves began to shoot flames of attention toward me, turning me into the center of interest.

‘I just need to lead the morning training.’

I had already received feedback on the training plan from Noah. The things I learned from being Serenon’s master were quite helpful.

“Hello everyone. Starting today, I will be in charge of your morning training sessions.”

I began speaking cheerfully, maintaining a friendly demeanor in the beginning, knowing first impressions matter.

“I’ll be covering the following topics…”

“Is that princess really Mir?”

“I saw her compete in the Swordsmanship Tournament, but honestly, I can’t quite believe it.”

“The aura…”

BOOOM!

With a thunderous noise, the entire training ground shook.

The chatter among the knights quieted. I blinked in surprise at the widened eyes around me, then gently drew my sword, sheathed it, and felt the blade vibrate with magical energy.

“I was just discussing the topics I’ll cover, but do you mind if I continue?”

Knights were typically proud and clear about their positions, so there were those who looked down on me intentionally. To truly earn recognition as a training officer from such knights, the basics had to be clear.

I needed to imprint on them that I was strong beyond compare.

The training area fell silent. The debate over whether I was Mir seemed to settle with that. I nodded in satisfaction.

“Very well. Let’s continue. What you will learn from me is how to face monsters. This is essential for facing the tamers from the North.”

Another slight commotion rippled through the crowd, but this time, it didn’t reach such levels that I needed to address it. I slowly raised my finger.

“There are many types of monsters—small and large, flying and crawling, those without intelligence and those that are cunning. I’ve faced and observed countless variations.”

That experience is something you can’t obtain from any book. That’s why I confidently declared my position here. I smiled casually.

“How you face monsters significantly reduces the time and effort required, depending on what you know. They are very powerful, but their weaknesses are just as clear. I won’t get too specific here; I’ll quickly touch on their attributes, and by the end of this training, you’ll learn how to face grandeurs like Harabana and Basilisk.”

While the possibility of resolving a catastrophe seems plausible with me, Caesar, and Noah, in a war, you never know how things might play out. Even common knights needed to be equipped for this.

“Has anyone here ever faced a monster?”

Grinning inwardly at how absorbed the knights seemed, I raised my hand to confirm the numbers. Given that many knights hailed from the capital, not many hands went up.

“You there.”

I pointed to one of the few who had raised their hands. She had a black bob haircut and striking blue eyes. When I called her out, she widened her eyes, looking at me with an intensity that suggested she might skewer me with a trident.

“If you’ve faced a monster, do you know what the most important thing is when dealing with them?”

At my question, her eyes shone intensely. I was somewhat surprised.

“…A strong mindset that doesn’t falter in the face of magic.”

She had the look of someone who had faced a strong monster.

Those who faced that indescribable fright bore a unique aura.

The strange familiarity I felt told me she was staring at me as if she wanted to roast me over an open flame.

“That’s right! Opinions may vary, but it seems we share the same view.”

I shifted my gaze away from the woman’s fiery blue eyes and continued speaking.

“Of course, strength and strategy are important. But before anything else, you must hold your ground. Only those who have faced monsters truly understand the unique energy that makes it hard to stand against them.”

The oppressive aura emitted by the monsters could destabilize one’s mind. I had grown overly accustomed to it, so it barely registered with me, but for those experiencing it for the first time, it would take quite some time to adjust. I too had felt this initially.

“No matter how skilled or strong you are, if your mindset isn’t strong, you’ll fall.”

I slowly smiled.

“Today is just the first day, so let’s only gauge your levels.”

Normally, the best approach would be to introduce monsters and allow adaptation, but I didn’t have the luxury to prepare that, nor could I bring any without knowing the knights’ levels.

So I prepared something quite simple.

Whooooosh!

A fierce wind of mana swept through the area. The startled knights glanced around, for a moment looking confused until they began to sweat coldly.

The air froze with tension as if held tightly by a giant hand. An overwhelming energy, reminiscent of being high in the mountains, pressed down on them.

I had only slightly relaxed the presence of Sword Master, but that distant strength felt both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

I smiled softly in front of the knights who were suddenly paling.

“Today, let’s aim to endure this level of pressure and continue our regular training as usual.”

This was my first lesson.

For the first ten minutes, everyone held up fairly well. They all seemed to be struggling, but more importantly, they were still standing.

It might have been a bit harsh to have them endure the ominous presence of a Sword Master, but if they couldn’t even manage this much, it would be no different from fainting at the sight of Harabana.

“We’re really doing this? Hey! That crazy…”

Just then, as they engaged in their training, a sharp voice rang out from one side of the training ground. Turning my head toward the source of the voice, I saw one knight striding purposefully toward another with a terrified expression.

“Training Officer.”

The knight who approached called out to me. As everyone just shot glances and murmured, this was the first time someone had come straight to me, and I gazed at him in surprise.

With his black bob and blue eyes, he had a cold demeanor. He was the same knight who first answered my question.

“Sorry for the interruption, but may I ask your name?”

“Kassia. Kassia.”

“I see, Sir Kassia. What can I do for you?”

I tilted my head, feeling like he looked familiar. It wasn’t often, but I felt like I had seen this face somewhere before.

‘Am I mistaking him for someone I’ve passed by?’

As I pondered, Kassia, with a chilling expression that suggested he wanted to kill someone, dropped a bombshell.

“I want to fight you. Please spar with me.”