Side Story – A certain princess’s memories (9)

#12 Their story: A certain swordsman’s story.

“Kugh!”

I barely managed to dodge a dagger that nicked my thigh, but another dagger came flying at me in quick succession.

“What kind of servant carries around so many daggers!”

I’d lost all intentions of respecting my opponent at the continual knife throws.

What I’d been asked to do was evaluate the skills of a swordsman in the imperial court, not an a.s.sa.s.sin.

“Oh, I reported all of these to the imperial palace so there’s no problem with them?”

“Is that true, Your Highness?”

This wasn’t any ordinary place, it was the imperial palace of the giant nation called the Karuan Empire.

Possession of any weapons by an unauthorised individual was illegal.

And they allowed the personal servant of the imperial princess, a member of the imperial family, to carry around this many weapons?

“Mm, he’s probably right, gramps? He submitted an awful lot of doc.u.ments when we authorised him to carry around weapons…… to be honest I thought he was getting approval for his spares in advance.”

“But still… wait, you’re attacking while I’m talking with Her Highness! Do you have no sense of etiquette towards your master!”

“Yep, gramps. Unfortunately Ast says he doesn’t know anything like that.”

To think a person who could make those words come out of the emperor’s favourite princess actually existed.

I realised once again in my first visit in a while to the imperial palace that the world was wide and there were many lunatics.

“Then.”

To this upstart who didn’t respect his sword, this wouldn’t be a bad opportunity to teach him about the sword as a representative for all swordsment.

“Now, then… kuhk?”

“Ah, the drugs finally seem to be kicking in.”

What did this little s.h.i.t just say?

“Your Highness?”

“Sorry. I knew he was a lunatic but I didn’t think he was this bad.”

Even Her Imperial Highness couldn’t face my eyes, and had turned away.

Not a swordsman but a servant?

Fine, that was understandable.

And so therefore he relies on throwing his weapons as his primary method of attack?

Fine, that was also understandable.

But, but!

“To think you would use poison as a servant of the imperial palace!”

It was not a very strong poison.

It wasn’t a poison designed to kill, but simply limit the movements of the body.

But a poison is still a poison.

That was not something that a person working in the imperial palace would ever use.

“I’m sorry? As far as I’m aware, there’s no place that utilises poisons more than the imperial palace……”

“That, that’s……”

When he answered back with a questioning look, I couldn’t offer my own reply in turn.

“According to the history of the imperial court, on average 2.8 people per month were killed by poison, and among members of the imperial family, those numbers rise further to four out of every ten deaths being attributed to poison.”

“No, that’s not what I meant……”

Poison was actually very used commonly among n.o.bility to a.s.sa.s.sinate their enemies.

But what I wanted to say was as a servant of the empire, and a direct subject of a member of the imperial family, using poison was something to be ashamed of!

“Ah, well, I more or less understand what you want to say. What I suspect you meant was that as Her Highness’s servant I should be ashamed of using poison and bringing shame to her name.”

“Y, yes, that’s it!”

I thought he had finally understood my intentions but that was a very large error on my part.

“That’s something for Her Highness to be ashamed of, that’s not particularly something I should be embarra.s.sed about, now, is it?”

“What?”

What the h.e.l.l did this man say just now?

“An opening!”

“Kgh! Y, you… do you understand what it is you are saying!”

He’s openly slandering a member of the impeiral family.

And his own lord at that… while she was watching him!

“Ast, no matter how generous I am, don’t you think you’re going too far?”

“If you have any problems with my conduct then please fire me, Your Highness. When I first came here all I wanted to do was work quietly and normally as one of the many servants in the palace.”

“Normal? You? You prepared this line to make me laugh, didn’t you? Is this the part where I’m supposed to laugh?”

A conversation flowed between the two of them that did not at all feel like one between master and servant.

If there was a place where it felt like it could have belonged, it was a cheap tavern.

The sight of drunken tales being regaled and exaggerated over a mug of cheap wine was showing itself in the imperial palace.

“I’m perfectly ordinary?”

“No, Ast. You understand yourself far too little. I can guarantee it. Among the many lunatics and deranged people I have seen, you are the most insane of all the lunatics in the imperial palace.”

“No, Your Highness. I believe that you… cough cough. Never mind.”

“You were just about to say that I’m crazier than you are, weren’t you?”

“Me? Of course not, Your Highness. How could I ever make such an offensive description of my master, Your Highness.”

“You could at least lick your lips before making such an obvious lie? One would think you’re a truly loyal servant.”

The servant who had a look of pure exasperation on his face and the master who found the whole thing incredibly hilarious.

And…

“Your Highness, just why did you call me in?”

So I said, finally putting down my sword, as the person caught in the middle and providing them with this line of conversation.

“Mm? Officially, it’s to check gramps’ skill as the person who’s going to teach me swordsmanship.”

“And what’s the real reason?”

“Of course it’s because Ast was giving me what for so I wanted to give him a what for as well?”

“Your Highness……”

Her Highness’s appearance as she cutely said so with her tongue sticking out slightly had the playfulness of a girl her age, but.

“I think I was the only one that was given all the what for……”

“Sorry, gramps.”

“Haaa……”

I couldn’t hold back a sigh.

Imperial family or no, anyone would have long since stormed out if they were given this treatment.

But the current emperor had saved my wife’s life in the past.

I could not cut off that relationship just like that when his daughter had asked so pleadingly.

“Next time I would appreciate it if you were honest with me from the start, Your Highness. Moreover… more so if it involves fighting with a man as ridiculous as this.”

“I understand, gramps. Honestly I was shocked as well? Who knew he’d be so brazen about using poison in the imperial palace… behind you!”

Clang!

“What are you doing!”

I parried away the dagger thrown at my back and spun around.

“Me? Well of course I’m attacking, aren’t I?”

“Has the match not already been decided!”

“No one has admitted their defeat, and was it not you that arbitrarily decided to lower your sword and talk with Her Highness?”

“Did you not also stop attacking at that moment?”

“Ah, I was running out of weapons so I was just taking the opportunity to restock again.”

The many daggers that had been spread across the ground had disappeared.

As I faced off again against my opponent who was once again holding the short sword he had thrown at the start of the match, I glanced over at Her Highness.

“Your Highness, are you really going to continue employing this b.a.s.t.a.r.d as your personal servant?”

“To think he made you curse like that, gramps…… I think I underestimated Ast’s abilities.”

Seeing her giggle at my curses in sheer mirth, she is very much hopeless.

It seemed that this aspect was very much carried through their bloodline.

“Sir Reia, as Her Highness’s bodyguard, are you going to continue to leave such a dangerous individual alone?”

Then I needed to change targets to a different person.

“Sir Ast is saying he desperately wants to quit but the person who’s refusing to let him go is Her Highness so there’s nothing I can do about that, either.”

“She’s right. I too, want to quit this personal servant role as soon as possible and clean the imperial bathrooms as an ordinary servant.”

When my gaze fell on Sir Reia, she answered so in a fl.u.s.ter, but it didn’t seem like she was of much help.

“Please admit your loss. Honestly, you already have paralyzing poison circulating through your system and the situation isn’t going to change very much either, so weren’t you trying to end it quietly by talking with Her Highness?”

Honestly, I did want to end this match.

But that was only because I was speechless at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

I was not so untrained as to lose to this petty person simply because of a petty paralyzing poison.

“Her Highness is not a person who turns back on her word, but in cases where there hasn’t been a definite outcome such as this she latches onto the lack of a conclusion and creates more annoying incidents…… so good things being good things, admitting your defeat here would be the most beneficial option for all parties……”

“My defeat is not a good thing.”

“I’m sorry?”

Very seriously, for the first time in a very long time, I was serious as I held up my sword.

“It is not a good thing. Although I didn’t want the t.i.tle, I, as a representative for all swordsmen……”

“Uh, Ast. I think gramps’s gotten serious?”

“A, Sir Ast……”

“What the heck, Your Highness! What’s with that expression of yours that you’re finding this so hilarious! And why are you looking at me with such a look of pity, Sir Reia?”

Having sensed something was odd, he continually threw dagger after dagger at me, but none of them even grazed my body.

“Even like this, I am the one called the Sword Heaven, the one whose swordplay reaches the skies.”

“Ah, wait, hold on, Your Highness? Isn’t this going too far?”

“What was too far was all your action until now. It’s alright, Ast, you won’t die. But you do need to be punished.”

Together with Her Highness’s barely-controlled giggles, that man’s face also hardened.

“Sir Reia, would you please lend me your sword? You can just toss it to me if you wish.”

“Eh? My sword?”

“Yes, well, he’s the Sword Heaven, the one deemed the skies by swordsmen… can’t I get serious?”

“Well, but borrowing my sword is a bit……”

“Didn’t you say that you’d grant me a wish if I made you beat Her Highness that last time? I’m cashing that wish in now.”

“Wa, wait……”

Sir Reia hesitated briefly before handing him her sword, half in tears.

“It’s a sword that His Majesty bestowed onto me himself, Sir Ast. So please don’t throw it or anything……”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t just try your best…… actually please don’t do anything……”

As she looked at her sword with uneasy eyes and retreated, he turned to me and smiled as he said.

“Thank you for waiting for me.”

“Are you not scared?”

“Why would I be scared. As a swordsman, how many opportunities would I have to fight the Sword Heaven without my life on the line.”

“Did you not say that you weren’t a swordsman only recently?”

“I’m wielding two swords, isn’t it a bit incorrect to say I’m not?”

“Hooo……”

The force he was emanating was completely different from before.

His appearance as he held up a sword in each hand with dead seriousness was that of a first-cla.s.s swordsman if you went by appearances alone.

“So you really are someone trained in the sword.”

“Trained would be an overstatement. I simply learned it to survive with how harsh the world has been of late.”

“I will be the one to evaluate that.”

“Although as far as I remember I’m supposed to be the one doing the evaluation here!”

Sword met sword.

No further words were needed.

Swordsmen were people who spoke through their swords.

The moment blades clashed, there was no need for any more words.

‘Unlike what I expected……’

His swordsmanship skills were exceptional.

Unlike the majority of knights who had a poor grasp of basic skills behind flashy techniques, this man who so often used poisons and plots had an extremely solid foundation of the basics?

“Where were you taught?”

“I did my best on my own!”

Each strike was heavy.

The technique of putting power and weight behind one’s blade was not something that could be acquired in a short s.p.a.ce of time.

‘He wastes very few movements as well.’

He evaded attacks with a single, even half-step margins, and was always ready to counter attack.

“Were you a mercenary?”

“I did my best in order to survive.”

And his movements as he lightly drew his steps across the ground were ones commonly used by mercenaries.

Unlike sword ki which usually didn’t fit the person using it, his skills were right for him.

‘How confusing.’

The majority of sword techniques were designed to fight against humans.

But his movements seemed to have been designed to fight monsters rather than humans.

Especially the techniques which were used by people who fought monsters on a regular basis, skills they used when fighting beasts greater in size than they were, yet despite this there were no traces of awkwardness in his technique when he fought against a human.

“How old are you?”

“I’m still twenty-six!”

“Ho ho, how odd. How odd indeed.”

Every now and then you get these people called geniuses.

People who improved at speeds unimaginable to the ordinary person.

But because they grew too quickly, the majority of the time, they lacked experience.

But this man is different.

He is no genius. No, I was a.s.sured of that. This man is ordinary.

But the years expressed in his sword carried countless experiences that belied his age.

From this fellow who wasn’t even half my age… I felt as if he had experienced a similar number of years of life as I had.

“As expected of Her Highness’s subject… is it?”

“I thank you gladly if it means something good!”

“It’s praise, it’s praise indeed!”

How many people were there who had acc.u.mulated this much experience at such a young age?

“Then I won’t hold back either!”

“Yes, come!”

The paralysis poison pulsing through my body?

His previous filthy attacks?

His att.i.tude that was completely uncaring about his lord?

None of that mattered.

Right now, he was simply another swordsman fighting against me!

A battle decided purely by skill with the blade!

“Dwarven-style, ultimate move.”

“Hm?”

Dwarven style? Had he even learned the swordsmanship of the dwarves!

Not even I had fought against a dwarf, so just how much experience had he gained in his life!

But at his following words.

“Knife blade, fire!”

“You son of a biiiiiiitchhhh!”

As he shot a hidden blade shot out of his shoe, I realised once again that this was no swordsman but simply an a.s.shole.(1)