Chapter 34: Training Begins

The day after Bianca became my personal attendant. “Good morning!” Early in the morning, that very Bianca arrived at the Ducal residence. Out of consideration that it would be cruel to separate Bianca, who is not yet an adult, from her parents, Father arranged for her to commute from the Viscount Serenade residence. When she turns fifteen and becomes an adult, she will officially become a knight of the le Philharmonie Ducal House. I guess it’s like her future job is already decided? For the fourth daughter of a Viscount house to become a knight of a Ducal House is apparently a very good condition for employment. Otherwise, one would have to become an adventurer or mercenary to earn money with a sword. Since Bianca wanted to become a knight no matter what, she seems to have jumped at this offer without a second thought. In the game ten years later, Bianca had not yet joined the Knight Order. Though she planned to take the entrance exam and join the Imperial Knight Order after graduating from the ‘Academy’. Setting that aside, I understand her enthusiasm, but isn’t she here too early…? Julia hasn’t even arrived yet. Sword training was supposed to start at nine o’clock. It’s currently seven…

“Please don’t mind me! I just wanted to warm up my body before training, so I came early!” “Ah. I see…”

High tension from the morning, huh… Having just woken up, I left Bianca, who started practice swinging in our training ground, and had breakfast with my family. Breakfast consisted of soup, salad, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs. Chicken grilled with salt and pepper, some fruits, vegetable juice, and bread. When I say bread, it’s not the hard bread I ate when I first came here. It’s soft, fluffy bread. Our head chef, who had lost confidence and was depressed after eating the kitchen car’s bread, was taught my vague knowledge. The method involves putting fruits like apples in a jar with water to make natural yeast. Since I only heard about it from my senior and never made it myself, our head chef created this bread after trial and error with just that information. Compared to the kitchen car’s bread, it’s still lacking, but this is delicious enough in its own right. However, since I’m a rice person for breakfast, I really want to eat rice no matter what. I must get a convenience store next time at all costs…! After finishing breakfast, I summoned the store, which has become a daily routine. Since the summoning ground is far from the training ground, Bianca probably won’t notice. Today I summoned two kitchen cars and the liquor store. Of course, at Father’s request. Servants entered the summoned liquor store and carried out products one after another. As always, thank you for your hard work. After buying out all the products, I sent the liquor store back. Because it gets in the way. The kitchen cars are left as they are. This is partly so they can be used if something happens, but also for the servants’ lunch. This is also well-received, to the point that everyone gets depressed on days when the kitchen cars aren’t summoned. Though only the head chef had a complicated expression. After finishing my daily routine, I changed into clothes easy to move in. I can’t very well learn swordsmanship in a dress, after all. Changing into clothes and pants similar to Bianca‘s, while having my hair tied up by Arisa the maid, I received a message that Julia had arrived. I can’t be late on the first day. I took my guard knight Tanya Celesta and headed to the training ground. At the training ground, Julia had already finished preparations and was talking about something with Bianca. Wait, huh?

“Estelle?” “Good morning, Lady Sakuraile.”

There, in addition to Julia and Bianca, was Estelle, dressed in easy-to-move-in clothes just like us.

“Didn’t you return to your territory?” “Since Mother is going to teach the sword at the le Philharmonie Ducal House, I stayed behind together. I wanted to learn swordsmanship too.”

Eh!? Estelle is training together too!? Julia explained to the surprised me.

“We have received permission from the Duke. He said it would be fine to study lectures and dance together with Lady Sakuraile…”

That’s why I say, Father… your surprises are too much. Tell me during breakfast. No, personally, I’m many times happier than learning alone, though. Because I was making a somewhat complicated expression towards Father, Estelle asked timidly, perhaps becoming anxious.

“Umm, was I a nuisance…?” “Eh? No, I’m happy to be able to learn together with Estelle. Let’s do our best together, okay?” “Yes!”

Estelle immediately broke into a bright smile. So cute. saw something good in the morning.

“Lady Bianca, I look forward to working with you from now on.” “Likewise. Let’s do our best together.”

Bianca and Estelle shook hands. Unlike the game, perhaps because there is no issue with Jean, there seemed to be no ill feelings between the two. I hope they get along just like this.

“Now then, let us begin training. I do not know the abilities of you two other than Estelle. First, we will have a match, and I would like to decide on individual training menus.”

I see. First, check our ability, is it? Since she said either one is fine, I decided to go first. Bianca is above me in ability, and going after her would make my clumsiness stand out… Wooden sword in hand, I faced Julia… no, Teacher Julia.

“Here I go!”

Having almost never swung a sword, I just recklessly slammed the sword towards Teacher Julia. Teacher Julia lightly brushed it aside to the right and left, sometimes stepping sideways to dodge, and my wooden sword couldn’t even graze the teacher.

“Yes, that is enough. I understand.”

When Teacher Julia smilingly announced the end, I was pretty exhausted. Wooden swords are quite heavy… I returned to where Estelle and the others were waiting and sat down weakly.

“A-Are you okay, Lady Sakuraile?” “Ah, I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

I smiled and answered Estelle who peered in worriedly, but in reality, both my arms were screaming. It’s quite tough… Next, Bianca stepped in front of Teacher Julia. She’s holding the wooden sword with an excited face. That much, huh.

“Please!”

After bowing deeply, Bianca took a stance with her sword. Ooh… unlike me who had a weak stance, she looks proper. As expected of someone who has been training since childhood (though she is still a child).

“Yaa!”

Bianca unleashed a sharp strike. However, Julia didn’t panic and, just like with me, parried it right and left, handling it lightly. Naturally, Bianca has more attack variations than me. Sweeping, thrusting, pushing, and slashing. She seemed to mix in things that looked like feints too. But Julia lightly parried all of them. It seems the name ‘Flash Sword’ is not just for show.

“…Yes. That is far enough.”

Julia stopped Bianca. Not as much as me, but Bianca was also breathing hard. She must have challenged her with full force. Julia tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. Did something happen?

“…Bianca-san, did you perhaps use a [Gift]?” “Tch! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t intend to use it, but unconsciously…!”

Bianca hurriedly bowed her head. Hmm? Did she use some [Gift]? Come to think of it, Bianca’s [Gift] was…

“My [Gift] is [Elasticity] from the God of Change, Change. It’s a [Gift] that can change the length of things I touch. Like this.”

The wooden sword Bianca was holding extended slightly by about five centimeters. Then, it became shorter. Also about five centimeters. For something called [Elasticity], the range of stretching and shrinking is narrow. Probably because the level is still low.

“I see, so that was it… The dodging distance was off, so I thought it strange. If used well, it is a [Gift] useful for swordsmanship.” “Yes. But I can still only extend things like cloth or wood. I would be happy if I could at least extend metal…”

It’s okay. Ten years later, you were able to extend metal swords too. I think the extendable length was about double what it is now? Since it was only used once in the game, I don’t really know.

“I understand the current abilities of you two. Bianca-san seems to have sufficient ability as an apprentice knight. However, the sword of the Knight Order and the adventurer’s sword I teach are somewhat different. Are you okay with that point?” “No problem. If I can become strong.”

Bianca answered Julia‘s words firmly. Right, normally Bianca was supposed to learn the Knight Order’s sword all along. Probably from her father, the First Knight Order Captain. With this, how will Bianca’s ability change compared to the game Bianca…? Even her Knight Order Captain father couldn’t teach her directly every day, so the possibility that she becomes stronger this way is not non-existent…

“As for Lady Sakuraile… first is building physical strength. We must start from there.”

Ah, as expected? Since I was raised in the slums, I was confident only in running away, but I am aware that I lack stamina. And muscle strength. Well, around here, I hadn’t eaten decent food until I came to the Ducal House… I’m short, and my chest… is still in the future, I think. Yeah, in the future. Stamina, height, and chest. The game’s Sakuraile, being the representative villainess, had quite a good figure. I want to believe I will become like that in the future, but I must not spare effort. I will train from now on and obtain a nice body!

“Presumably, if you gain physical strength and muscle strength, the recoil from using the [Holy Sword] will be less.”

Yeah, I think so too. Once I gain some physical strength and muscle, I intend to train to master the [Holy Sword]. The reason being, Sakuraile‘s destruction flags include the so-called ‘getting caught up in things’ type, and there are scenes where military power can manage the situation. Even the curtain call where I get arrested by Bianca in the Jean route could have been turned around if I had the ability. Well, I want to believe that route is gone, but… There’s also the possibility that Bianca gets fed up with me and quits being my personal attendant… Let’s do my best not to be abandoned. First…

“What is this!? It is delicious! Too delicious!” “I heard about it from Estelle, but it really is delicious…! This red sauce and yellow sauce bring out the flavor of the wurst.”

For lunch, I treated Bianca and Julia to hot dogs from the kitchen car. Of course, Estelle too. First, grab their stomachs! Get friendship and loyalty! Just kidding. I’m not thinking that far ahead, though. At least I have to make sure they don’t become hostile. If we can become friends, that’s even better.