I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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Chapter 204

It had been two weeks since I became Noah’s aide.

In that time, I had nearly grown accustomed to my life as the training instructor of the Knights Order of the Imperial Palace.

Though there were still a few knights who did not recognize me as a legitimate trainer, none of them openly expressed their discontent by refusing to train, which I considered a success.

“What kind of monster did you bring today?”

“Ugh… Please, anything but Kiphira. The hallucinations are just terrible.”

Starting from the fourth day, I began to personally capture monsters and immediately engage in practical training.

The progression was a bit too fast, but given the lack of time and the fact that I could control the monsters if needed, there was no problem. If worse came to worst, there were two Sword Masters nearby who could rush in immediately.

“Would you be able to check my stance after class?”

“Instructor! The knights and I were planning to go out for a meal. Come with us!”

“I need to get a new sword… What kind of sword do you usually use when hunting monsters, Instructor?”

Aside from a few who still viewed me awkwardly, everyone treated me well. It was quite amusing to see burly knights approaching shyly like teenagers.

While the social circle was boring, hanging out with the knights was incredibly fun. I was happily mingling with them, relishing the joy of group life after a long while.

It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced since my days with my master, Zigmund, and the three of us together.

“Instructor, may I request a spar?”

Amid all this, one unique routine had been added to my daily life.

Blue eyes flashing fiercely were aimed at me.

I looked up at the approaching figure, familiar like a wild beast, and gulped as I noticed her swollen cheek.

“I should have taken it easy yesterday.”

Kascia’s cheek was puffy from the rough spar we had the day before.

After losing to me on the first day, Kascia continuously requested sparring sessions. Despite her repeated defeats, she didn’t show any signs of exhaustion.

“Handling three Kiphira at once might be pushing it. Do you want me to help?”

“…No, I’ll do it myself.”

From the short time I’d seen her, Kascia was as proud as she seemed at first. She was assertive and individualistic, walking a fine line of the rules of the Knights Order. As a result, most knights found her intimidating.

“Hey, Kascia! Treat that injury!”

“I’m fine.”

The only person who approached her within the order was Jane, but Kascia was cold even to him. It was almost pitiful to see.

“Is she really that proud, yet keeps coming at me after losing?”

I thought she’d give up after a few rounds, but Kascia took her defeats in stride, seemingly indifferent even after losing to me.

Charging at me, fully aware of a likely defeat, she gave off an impression of reckless desperation.

“It’s not that I don’t care about winning or losing, but does it mean she thinks it’s okay to lose to me?”

Kascia was still an enigma.

I toyed with the idea of asking her why she hated nobles so much, but we weren’t close enough for her to give me an answer.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

At my question, Kascia glared at me with cold eyes, blinking in surprise. She casually rubbed her cheek.

“It’s just a little swollen.”

“Have you applied any medicine?”

“No. Not yet… that’s not the point right now, is it?”

Kascia, who had been answering almost as if in a trance, suddenly looked up and fixed her gaze on me fiercely. The way she glared resembled that of a haughty and fierce cat.

“It is important. If you underestimate a small wound and it worsens, what will you do? You need to treat it properly when you go back.”

I absentmindedly brushed my fingertips against Kascia’s swollen cheek.

Kascia jumped back in surprise, looking at me with wide eyes, and I then realized I had made a mistake.

“I’m sorry for touching you without permission…”

“What does my injury have to do with you, Instructor?”

The sharp glare surrounding her glacier-colored eyes intensified.

Was it just me, or did her already flushed cheek seem to get even redder?

“Is it good if someone who won’t win every day gets hurt while charging recklessly at me?”

Despite her slightly sensitive tone, I couldn’t help but feel a bit amused by her words.

“True. Kascia isn’t completely unbearable.”

Seeing her swollen cheek made me feel more worried than anything else, even though she was glaring daggers at me.

As I stared at Kascia, I slowly opened my mouth.

“I don’t dislike you.”

“…Why?!”

“Isn’t it the same for you?”

I smirked and confidently asserted, “I know you don’t truly dislike me.”

I was already aware that Kascia liked Mir.

Though she seemed deeply disappointed in me as a noble, I could tell she didn’t genuinely hate me.

“If she really hated me, she wouldn’t even want to see my face. She wouldn’t seek me out for sparring every day.”

If someone truly hated another, they wouldn’t want to get involved with that person, much less come every day.

“From the looks of things, you’re quite eager to cross swords with me every day. You must like me, don’t you?”

At my playful remark, Kascia’s face turned as red as an apple.

“Who! Likes who! Do you think I’m going to crumble under such unreasonable and vile psychological attacks?”

Kascia shouted loudly.

As soon as I spoke, her entire demeanor crumbled, but I decided not to remark on it. I was afraid her already red face might explode.

“Well, I’ll take my leave for now. But if you think I’ll fall for such crude psychological tactics again tomorrow, you’re sorely mistaken!”

Kascia angrily shoved her sword into its sheath and stepped back, pointing a finger at me as she retreated.

She then quickly turned and dashed away, her black hair flying wildly in the wind, her nape looking like it might burst from the color of her blush.

“Look at that. She’s not a bad person, is she?”

As I quietly watched her retreating figure, Jane, who had approached me out of nowhere, handed me a cup filled with cool water.

He had become quite friendly, and oddly enough, I didn’t mind it. I accepted the cup graciously and took a sip.

“I never expected to see that expression from her; thanks to you, Instructor, I got my wish.”

Jane spoke warmly and chuckled. While his face looked quite mischievous, there was clear affection for Kascia shining in his gray eyes.

“It seems you like Lady Kascia quite a bit, Jane.”

During the short time I’d observed him, I noted he treated Kascia with care, almost excessively so, as if showing respect between people.

As he fiddled with his water bottle, Jane spoke softly.

“We’re fellow recruits in the Knights Order. As you can see, she’s quite a character… I took the initiative to approach her first. I consider her a precious comrade, but… I wonder if she even cares about me.”

Despite his smiling face, his tone carried a hint of bitterness. His gray eyes seemed slightly dulled.

“…Lady Kascia will come to recognize your feelings one day.”

“Haha, that seems a bit far-fetched. I’d be grateful if she didn’t just outright dismiss me.”

In response to my sincere encouragement, Jane lifted the atmosphere with a lighthearted reply.

Jane was a kind person. He had helped me a lot in various ways since I joined the Knights Order and still had much to learn.

With his slick physique and handsome face paired with a great sense of humor, many liked him. Oddly enough, he often stuck close to Kascia, who was generally avoided by everyone.

“Are you okay with her not appreciating your feelings?”

At my question, Jane turned to look at me. He scratched his orange-tinted hair and smiled brightly.

“Yes. I enjoy doing it for her.”

A goodwill without the expectation of reward felt strangely lonely yet sparkled with brilliance. It seemed Kascia had found a genuinely good person.

“…I think I’ll follow after Lady Kascia for a bit.”

“Oh, are you?”

As I stepped forward, Jane looked at me in surprise. I nodded.

I had been curious about Kascia lately. After all, she had aggressively thrust herself into my life.

But there was something else bothering me.

‘Where have I seen her before?’

I felt certain I had seen her somewhere, yet the vague sense of déjà vu remained elusive. Feeling frustrated, I decided I would catch her today and ask her where we might have met before.

Leaving Jane’s comments behind, I followed Kascia’s trail as she dashed off. A bit of concentration made it easy to track her.

How far across the corridors of the Imperial Palace had I walked?

Eventually, I spotted Kascia ahead.

‘…Why does she look so serious?’

Just as I was about to call out to her, I hesitated. Kascia had her arms crossed, leaning against a wall, and she looked ready to kill if I engaged her.

Wondering what made her so upset, I glanced around until I picked up the sound of voices coming from just beyond the wall she leaned against.

“…The nerve of that training instructor, acting all high and mighty when you’re only here because the Captain lent you a hand!”

‘Oh.’

One sentence and I knew they were trash-talking me. I couldn’t help but grin with interest as I listened.

‘Let’s really have them work hard tomorrow.’

If I drove them enough during training, they wouldn’t have the energy to gossip about me again.

“The audacity of having the nerve to lecture us, right?”

“Can you really let loose fighting real monsters during training? You can’t easily wash off monster blood from your clothes!”

The reasons for their complaints varied. I nodded thoughtfully as I stroked my chin. The desire to bring Harabana with me tomorrow bubbled up, but I held back.

“Well, I guess Mercenary Mir’s achievements are a bit exaggerated, right? He’s just taken down a few monsters, but suddenly he’s a hero. What’s up with that…”

CRASH!

“Yikes!”

“Cry out!”

With a loud crash, a sword landed right where the knights were gathered.

Thud thud.

While everyone was in a panic, Kascia, who had been listening from behind the wall, stepped forward.

“Why don’t you say that again?”

Kascia had a glint in her striking blue eyes. The knights quickly began glancing nervously at each other.

“Hey, we weren’t talking about you…”

“How dare you speak ill of him in my presence!”

Whoosh.

Kascia yanked the sword from the floor with a fierce motion, her eyes wide with anger.

Even I began to sweat watching her fearsome face, and the knights, who had been gossiping, trembled in place.

Kascia looked ready to rip someone apart, but her anger gradually transformed into a deep breath. It looked as though she was trying to repress something within herself.

“I’ll let it slide today. But if you dare speak ill of him around me again…

Kascia raised her sword. The narrow beam of light filtering through the window glinted off her blade.

“Then just think of it as a goodbye between us. I will not forgive you.”

‘Is she getting mad for my sake?’

Watching Kascia issue a strict warning to those who had insulted me felt oddly satisfying. It was somewhat contradictory that she would shield me while simultaneously trying to trample on me.

“Get lost if you understand.”

“Ugh!”

Kascia’s gestures made the knights, who were cowering, bolt off in panic. Their hasty escape was both sad and comical.

After watching them flee, I finally burst into laughter and reflected.

Perhaps if I could endure that sharp edge of hers, I might gain a good friend.