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Main residence's training grounds.
The knights couldn't hide their surprise when Sion and I showed up there early in the morning without any prior notice.
"Wait, isn't that...?"
"Isn't he the young lord from the annex?"
A senior-looking knight quickly approached Sion and greeted him with proper courtesy.
"Greetings, young lord. But may I ask what brings you to this place...?"
Sion didn't spare even a glance at the watching eyes around us as he replied flatly.
"I want to use the training grounds. Is there a problem?"
"N-no, of course not! I'll inform the knights immediately. Please use it freely."
The senior knight promptly retreated and quickly dismissed the knights who had been lingering in the training grounds.
Watching all of this unfold from inside Sion's robe collar, I spoke proudly.
"Hmph, look at them moving efficiently on their own now. I like this."
When I first met Sion and left the underground prison with him, all I saw were the uncomfortable, discriminatory stares directed his way.
Dishonorable illegitimate child. An unwelcomed outsider. A troublesome existence.
That was how people looked at him back then.
But now, having been officially registered in the Grand Duke's household and formally enlisted in the First Knights Division, there was no one left who dared to treat Sion disrespectfully.
Click.
Sion casually slipped off the robe fastened to his shoulder ornament and drew the sword strapped to his back.
"So then, Lin."
He swung his sword and asked.
"Why did you insist on coming all the way to the main training ground to warm up, when we could've just used the backyard of the annex?"
"Hm? Did I say that?"
"You did. You were even singing it into my ear last night before bed."
Sion spoke between calm, steady breaths as he traced the arc of his blade through the air. To outsiders, it probably looked like he was just mumbling to himself, but he clearly didn't care what others thought.
"Well, to tell you the truth..."
I scratched my cheek and confessed.
"Since we're heading out on an expedition soon, I thought it'd be good to leave a strong impression of how amazing you are."
That was the first reason I had in mind.
Actually, the knights and attendants who had retreated earlier were now sneakily watching Sion from afar, their eyes full of curiosity, scrutiny, wariness, and even admiration.
"Also... Genevia will be showing up here later."
That was my second reason.
"You mean Genevia Lilo, the priestess?"
"Yeah. I have something to say to her, but I haven't had a chance to meet her."
Ever since our last conversation, Genevia seemed to be genuinely upset. She hadn't shown up at the annex even once.
So I had no choice but to be the one to come looking for her this time.
"I saw her here the other day. She was practically volunteering herself to exhaustion."
"Volunteering?"
"Even people who weren't all that sick were lining up to demand treatment from her, acting like total brats. And she kept treating them all until her face turned pale. It was awful. Plus, that senior priest or whatever seemed to be dumping all the work on her too."
"...How pathetic."
"Right? That's why, Sion, let's help her this time. We need her too, don't we?"
Sion didn't respond.
He didn't look particularly convinced by what I'd said, but he quietly continued with his training without protest, as if choosing to go along anyway.
Some time passed.
"Young Lord."
A group of young knights approached us.
At the front of the group was a youth with rather striking features, walking with a confident stride.
He looked to be around Sion's age and spoke with a polite smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Young Lord. I'm Dyke Heksel, second son of Sir Dawood Heksel, commander of the Inner Castle Guard."
He moved with disciplined grace, but in his overly polite manner, I sensed a deliberate message, he wasn't going to show any more respect than strictly necessary.
"I heard you recently joined the First Knights Division. Congratulations."
"What do you want?"
Apparently picking up on the same off-putting vibe, Sion ignored the formal pleasantries and got straight to the point.
For a moment, Dyke Heksel's smile twitched.
"If it wouldn't be too presumptuous... may I request a sparring match with you?"
"With me?"
Sion actually looked intrigued.
Dyke's eyes briefly gleamed with satisfaction as he continued,
"You may recall, but I also participated in the coming-of-age ceremony this winter, along with you. And I've also officially enlisted in the Third Knights Division."
He started rattling off his résumé without being asked.
"So when I heard that you'd become the youngest member of the First Knights Division, I'd long wanted to request a spar. Not just for myself, but also for my fellow trainees here. We all hoped to use this opportunity as a stepping stone for our own growth."
It was the kind of long, rehearsed speech he'd probably practiced dozens of times at home.
I immediately got a bad feeling. I tugged on Sion's collar and, once he looked down at me, I raised my arms in an X.
'No. Definitely suspicious. Sparring prohibited.'
Sion let out a soft hum and said.
"Fine. I accept."
"...!?"
I gawked in disbelief.
'What?! Sion, it's obviously a trap!'
"Thank you, Young Lord."
Dyke Whatever and his group exchanged swift glances among themselves and headed toward the center of the training ground.
Sion followed behind them, muttering in a low voice only I could hear.
"Lin, didn't you say earlier that I should leave a strong impression of my excellence?"
His voice carried a mischievous lilt.
I shrank in anxiety and whispered urgently.
"But Sion, those guys scream suspicious! I'm sure this is some trap set up by the Grand Duchess or someone else!"
"No doubt. In a spar between knights, even if something happens, it won't seem out of place. They probably plan to 'accidentally' disable a limb or two."
"A-a limb?!"
I was horrified, but Sion remained calmly composed.
"That's why I'll go through with it. If we want them to back off for the next few days before we leave, we need to crush whatever fight they're picking now."
"......"
I was left speechless by Sion's utterly cool-headed reasoning.
A moment later, Sion looked at Dyke and the other knights on the opposing side and commented nonchalantly.
"A group battle, huh."
It was four against one.
'This isn't a group spar, it's a gang-up ambush!'
Dyke, holding a needlessly flashy sword, said shamelessly.
"I feared I might not be worthy of facing you alone. I hope you won't mind."
"Doesn't matter. Whether it's one or many, the outcome will be the same."
His remark visibly stung their pride, and Dyke and the others stiffened their expressions.
"Then... here we come!"
At Dyke's signal, their formerly polite demeanor vanished. As if they were confronting their mortal enemy, they all charged in with loud shouts.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Blades flashed around Sion from all directions, above, to the sides, front, and back. The swords aimed at blind spots with chilling precision, their intent unmistakably murderous.
Had Sion not parried each strike so effortlessly, it would've led to a serious incident.
Of course, Sion had already reached the level of aura manifestation, so it was unthinkable for him to lose to these small fries but remembering what happened in the last battle, I stayed on high alert.
'Whoever lays a hand on Sion... is absolutely going to get wrecked.'
But all my worries turned out to be unfounded.
The arrogant knights who had come in with such confidence started to drop, one by one.
"Ugh!"
"Damn it…!"
In the end, only Dyke Whatever was left standing.
"Huff… huff…"
Even he was barely hanging on, his condition a total mess after struggling against Sion.
The hair he had styled so meticulously was completely disheveled, and the smug expression he had worn earlier had all but aged into exhaustion.
Sion looked at him impassively and asked.
"Will you continue?"
For the first time, Dyke's face twisted, his pride clearly wounded.
Muttering something bitter under his breath like "That disgraceful… thing...", he shifted his grip on his sword, a sinister smirk creeping across his face.
"Hmph. I really didn't want to use my secret technique in a mere spar… but I suppose I have no choice."
"……"
"I will now show you the true power of this famed sword, Syraks, passed down through generations in the Heksel family. Let's see if you can block this as well."
After playing the role of narrator for a moment, he dramatically raised the sword that now glinted ominously. Apparently, the sword's name was Syraks.
Sion, deciding it wasn't worth a verbal reply, simply gripped his sword tighter.
"Here I come!"
With that, Dyke lifted his sword high above his head, then swung it forward.
As he did, the blade split into dozens of segments, extending outward like a whip.
"What the—?!"
I froze in place, stunned by the sight of the flying metal shards coming straight at me.
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