IBDFSML Chapter 63

"Ugh?!"

I bumped into something hard, like a wall, and bounced backward.

"Urgh… what's this, so solid…?"

When I lifted my head, I realized the 'wall' was none other than Sion's chest.

With his arms crossed, Sion was looking down at me expressionlessly, and our eyes met.

"So this is where you disappeared to this morning…."

"Oh, Sion!"

I beamed and quickly hopped onto Sion's shoulder.

But his gaze, fixed on me, carried a hint of displeasure.

"Why were you in the conference hall?"

"Ah, well, I was tailing Theon and somehow ended up going in by accident."

"……"

"Oh, right! By the way, did you see Theon?! I lost track of him the moment I looked away for just a second!"

Sion's reply came a beat late, his voice noticeably colder than before.

"…How would I know where that guy is. I'm heading to the training grounds now."

"Huh? Training grounds? I'm coming too!"

"…Do as you like."

Besides, Theon might just happen to be there, and honestly, I planned to take the chance to heal my heart a little by watching Sion's cool figure in action.

Sion began walking quietly.

***

Not long after, we arrived at the training grounds, where Garen and Diene had already gotten there before us.

The two were completely focused on their sword training, sweat dripping as their blades clashed.

Each time their swords met in the air, a clear metallic ring echoed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"C-Could you go a little easier, Diene?"

Garen asked, panting.

Diene laughed brightly and shot back, teasing him.

"Getting tired already just because you're a little older, Garen? Push yourself harder!"

The two exchanged blows for a while longer before finally halting their spar.

The victor was Diene.

"Losing your balance at the last moment… looks like your skills have really regressed, Garen!"

"It wasn't my balance, it was my focus that slipped. With those clear eyes of yours charging at me like a madwoman, how am I supposed to tell if this is training or an assassination attempt?"

"Hmph, sounds like someone has a lack of fighting spirit!"

Though they bickered, their exchange carried a friendly, almost playful air.

Across from them, Deputy Commander Ulrich Thurman sat at an angle, casually watching the two.

When Sion approached, Ulrich greeted him with calm respect.

"Good to see you again, Young Lord."

"I came to use the training grounds."

At Sion's words, Ulrich Thurman's eyes lit up, like a man who had just stumbled upon something intriguing.

"Now that you mention it, I've heard that both you and the first young lord once received personal swordsmanship lessons from the commander himself as children. No wonder your fundamentals seemed extraordinary, I see my eye for talent wasn't wrong."

Sion gave a short nod.

"Deputy Commander Ulrich. Would you be my sparring partner?"

"Oh, of course-"

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the entrance of the training grounds.

"I'll be your opponent, Sion."

It was Theon.

As always, Theon gazed at Sion with that gentle expression on his face.

"……"

Sion cast a sidelong glance at him, his face utterly devoid of warmth or emotion.

After a moment's thought, he spoke, his tone cold.

"Very well."

'Oh?'

I was genuinely shocked. I'd expected Sion to refuse outright, yet here he was accepting a spar with Theon.

Almost immediately, though, unease began to creep in.

'Wait… this won't turn into some kind of disastrous twist where Sion accidentally kills the male lead, right?'

Of course, Sion wasn't the type to lose control, he was always calm and principled. But judging from past experience, once a spar got heated, the outcome could spiral unpredictably.

At worst, this world, already half shifted from a romantic fantasy into more of a fantasy adventure, might suddenly veer into horror-thriller territory.

Out of caution, I leaned toward Sion and whispered by his ear.

"S-Sion, don't overdo it."

"……"

It seemed I wasn't the only one uneasy about how this duel between the two troublesome brothers might unfold. Garen and Diene stood silently as well, watching intently.

"To think we get to witness a duel between the two who will one day become the pillars of the North… This will be quite the spectacle."

Ulrich said with a toothy grin.

From a distance, Garen glanced over at us and muttered softly.

"This spar… it'll be fine, right?"

Diene tilted her head slightly and replied.

"No matter what, they wouldn't actually drive a sword into their own brother."

"……"

Even though their words were clearly audible, Sion and Theon paid them no mind. They stood face-to-face, each holding a sword.

Two brothers, blades drawn.

The air between them was heavy, colder than winter itself.

"Ready, Sion?"

At Theon's question, Sion silently nodded.

And then, the duel began.

Clang!

Steel clashed against steel.

The sound of steel striking steel echoed heavily throughout the training grounds.

With that, the expressions of both men shifted instantly, Sion's once-sharp, cold face, and Theon's ever-gentle smile.

Both brothers threw themselves into the duel with immense focus.

I could feel Sion's heightened concentration more than ever before, and I held my breath quietly, tucked inside his collar.

'You've got this, Sion! Don't you dare lose!'

This was a battle of pride.

A clash between the sub male lead Sion and the main male lead Theon, each staking their pride on the line.

'…Well, that's just how it looks from my perspective.'

To the two brothers themselves, this was their first time crossing blades in nearly ten years, something far more meaningful.

'They're not only testing the decade-long gap apart, but for Sion… this duel must also be a way to vent the resentment he's held back all these years.'

Sion struck with precision and restraint, yet with no mercy in the force of his blade.

Theon parried his younger brother's attack and spoke.

"You haven't been neglecting your sword training. I could tell from the very first strike."

"……"

But Sion's eyes didn't waver in the slightest.

As if he hadn't even heard, he continued his cold, relentless strikes.

In Theon's deep navy eyes, focused on following his brother's movements, there lingered a nostalgic softness, as though he were reminiscing about their childhood together, when they trained side by side.

And then, a glimmer of light flashed in Theon's eyes.

"Well then, let's see…."

He suddenly shifted the direction of his blade mid-swing, aiming for an unexpected opening with a swift strike.

It was clear from the fluidity of the motion that Theon, too, had honed his skills through years of expeditions and battles.

But...

"…Is this all you've got?"

Sion muttered icily, deflecting Theon's blade with ease.

In the next instant, he crouched low and sprang forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Theon's eyes widened slightly.

Then, with a speed unlike before, his sword lashed out, deflecting Sion's attack.

But.

Swish~

'Ohhh!'

Several strands of black hair fluttered to the ground beside Theon's neck, sliced cleanly by the wind of Sion's blade.

Rather than his throat, Sion's strike had grazed his hair.

It was mercy, mercy from the victor.

"……!"

"……"

Confirming his victory, Sion sheathed his blade without the slightest change in expression.

As he left the training ground, Sion muttered in a flat, indifferent tone.

"…All that, just to gain such a meager level of skill."

"……"

At those words, Theon parted his lips as if to speak, then closed them again, his gaze lingering on Sion's back.

From the sidelines, Ulrich Thurman clapped heartily, his booming laughter filling the air.

"That was truly a spectacular duel for us to witness."

"…Thanks for that."

Theon gave a faint chuckle and walked over to where Sion was seated.

Sion sat in a corner of the training ground, carefully tending to his blade.

Theon dropped down beside him and said.

"You were magnificent, Sion."

"……"

"Without a doubt, Father would have been proud of you."

"……"

But Sion moved as though he hadn't heard a single word, his hand steadily polishing the edge of his sword.

Watching him from the side, Theon gave a bitter smile.

After a hesitant pause, he finally spoke again.

"That time… I know you must have waited for me. And now-"

"If that's all you have to say, then I would prefer if you took your leave."

Sion's reply was cold and even, respectful in form but utterly devoid of emotion.

Theon's faint, bitter smile faltered, the corners of his lips trembling slightly.

Meanwhile, I, still stuck inside Sion's collar and forced to witness everything, let out a small sigh.

'…This suffocating atmosphere is seriously uncomfortable.'

From what I could tell, Theon was trying to apologize and make amends for the past. But that was only his side of things, his one-sided wish.

'See? Sion's clearly uncomfortable.'

I peeked my head out cautiously from between Sion's collar.

When my eyes happened to meet Theon's, I gave him a sharp glare and said.

"You there, stop bothering Sion and just leave already. Shoo, shoo!"

Even at my rather rude gesture, Theon only let out a soft laugh.

"So the little fairy was hiding there all along. No wonder there was no watchdog around today."

"Hmph."

"I do appreciate how much you value my younger brother… but there are still things left unsaid between us as siblings."

"That's your problem. Sion's not the least bit interested in hearing your story."

"Haha, yes, it does seem that way."

Theon laughed aloud.

Then, after staring off into the air for a moment, he suddenly turned back to me, as if struck by a curious thought.

"By the way, fairy… could it be that you're the one interested in me?"

"…What?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

At that very moment, Sion's hand, busy polishing his sword, paused. Just for the briefest second.

"These past few days, you've been trailing after me from dawn till late into the night. I assumed you had something to say or some business with me. Was I mistaken?"

Theon's lips curled into a teasing smile as he asked.

'This guy, he knows I can't stand him, and yet he has the nerve to act like this?'

For a second, I almost pitied him, but no, this was the shameless, sly young grand duke from the original story showing his true colors.

"Interested in you? Ha! As if. Absolutely not! Do you have some kind of prince syndrome or something?"

"Prince… syndrome?"

Theon tilted his head in puzzlement, an oddly boyish gesture for a man his size.

And then, suddenly, his gaze shifted, past me, to the face above me.

Following his eyes, I saw Sion. He was looking down at me, as though silently waiting to hear my answer.

It was the first reaction he'd shown to any of Theon's words.

And then.

"…Ahh."

Theon's eyes sparkled, as if he'd just stumbled upon some fascinating truth. A knowing grin spread across his face.