Chapter 24

#24 Episode Tin Knight and the Lion Duke’s Bloodline (7)

Finding the Lenart Dojo was a breeze.

The path wasn’t that complicated, but even if it had been, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.

– One, two! One, two! One, two!

There were loud and boisterous guides cheering and leading the way, after all.

However, there was a slight problem.

These sweaty guides didn’t even check if the guests were following behind them; they just took off running among themselves.

So, the Tin Knight had a simple solution.

[“The Tin Knight suggests running together!”]

“Excuse me?”

Adel felt a bit bewildered.

Was there really a need to chase after them when she didn’t even not know the way?

Didn’t he just say moments ago not to be a nuisance in the middle of the road?

Running right in the middle of the street like this was so uncouth for a noble… wait, she’s not a noble lady right now, just an apprentice, so maybe it’s fine?

Could this be some kind of training?

A flood of question marks swirled in her mind, leaving her as dazed as a buffering video.

If it had been Dorothea, she would have smacked the Tin Knight on the head for talking nonsense, but for a novice like Adel, that was a bit much.

Clang!

Thus, the Tin Knight began racing down the street without any kind of restraint.

“Hey, wait! Knight!!”

Adel finally snapped back to reality and raised her voice urgently, but the Tin Knight showed no signs of slowing down.

Clang, clang, clang!

The noisy sounds from behind turned some of the trainees’ heads.

“What the hell is that?”

And they saw.

A knight scattering blue flames from the crevices of his helmet, along with a girl with flowing blonde hair trailing behind.

This bizarre duo was running after them.

Soon, the commotion spread, and within ten seconds, every trainee witnessed the strange sight.

‘What the heck is that? Why are they chasing us?’

‘Is it an ambush? No way. In broad daylight, just the two of them attacking?’

‘Are they just insane idiots?’

The trainees’ gazes shifted towards their instructor.

Whatever it was, they were clearly asking him to handle the situation.

“Hahaha! Awesome! Great! Kids! If you’re challenged, shouldn’t you respond? Another full lap! Whoever gets left behind by that knight won’t have free time today! And think for yourselves if you fall behind the lady back there!”

What on earth are you saying, instructor?

At that moment, the trainees’ hearts united, but they failed to articulate their collective sentiments into words.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

As if they could hear their instructor’s words, the Tin Knight started sprinting like crazy, and fleeing was the only option, leaving any questions as a luxury.

The flames didn’t just ignite under the trainees’ feet.

[“The Tin Knight warns! If he doesn’t overtake them, starting today, running training will level up to running with backpacks!”]

“What the—”

Adel gasped.

She was so shocked that even her way of speaking fell apart.

Just the regular sprinting had her seeing stars, and now they wanted her to lug around a backpack?

Absolutely, absolutely unacceptable.

‘Aaaaaaah!’

‘Kyaaaaa!’

The trainees ran, and Adel ran.

And the instructor and the Tin Knight were just beaming with pleasure.

***

Total annihilation.

30% survival.

That’s what the trainees of the dojo managed against both the Tin Knight and Adel.

It wasn’t exactly a good score, even on a good day, but the instructor wasn’t feeling too bad.

After all, it had started as a handicap match, and their competitive rival was one of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline, so he had excuses at the ready.

Of course, feeling good about it and increasing the training volume were separate issues. The instructor firmly believed that was a trait of a good coach.

Inside the Lenart Dojo, reception room.

As he served tea to a precious guest who had come after a long time, the instructor spoke up.

“Ruben von Lenart. I’m the instructor here. So, you’re the daughter of Lord August?”

Adel’s face brightened at the warmth in his tone as she replied.

“Yes. I’m Adelheid von Lenart. Do you know my father?”

“Well, we both have our roots in the kingdom, and while we’re somewhat distant relatives, there was some degree of interaction. He was a man strict with himself and kind to those he had to look after—a true knight. It’s unfortunate to hear he has undergone such a tragic incident. … Though, coming from me, being of the same household, it might sound a bit sarcastic.”

“Oh, no. That’s not how I see it.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”

As Ruben took a sip of tea to gather his thoughts, Adel also took a sip of her own.

It wasn’t the warm tea she was used to but a cold brew that carried a chilling essence.

The sweet yet sour taste seemed to seep deep within her.

Ruben opened his mouth once more.

“Are you aware of what the ‘exam’ at Lenart Dojo entails?”

“I’ve heard it’s a custom where each dojo sends their apprentices who they believe will hold their own outside, and the receiving dojo assesses their skills through proper examinations.”

“Exactly. But in your case, you don’t actually belong to any dojo. In other words, our dojo has to guarantee that you’re ‘good enough to not disgrace us’. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“If our dojo guarantees you, and then you end up failing miserably elsewhere, that’s a matter of pride for us. So, you’ll be taking the exam just like the other apprentices—strictly. No complaints?”

“Uh, none!”

“Is that so.”

Despite answering energetically, Adel couldn’t hide her trembling eyes, and Ruben felt a pang of bitterness upon seeing her.

She was truly innocent, completely unaware of the world’s harsh realities.

In a way, he found her character quite appealing for not scheming complicated plots or relying on privileges.

But.

‘… She doesn’t seem like someone who could compete against Gisel and come out on top.’

Ruben glanced briefly at the letter from Gisel that Adel had received.

It contained well-mannered, elegant writing explaining why Adel had left her territory and expressing a wish for her to take the exam at Lenart Dojo.

From the state of the wax seal, there were no signs of tampering in the middle, but even if there had been, it was a flawless introduction.

Well, if it were just that one letter.

Ruben recalled another letter that had arrived a few days before Adel’s arrival through the courier.

It didn’t contain a request to make Adel fail the exam.

Gisel wasn’t foolish enough to politically burden herself, nor leave any evidence that could be used against her should the need arise.

The letter’s content concerned Adel.

It detailed who Adelheid von Lenart was, what kind of life she had led while the former lord was alive, what she faced after his passing, and how Gisel intended to treat her.

Through that letter, Ruben realized what Gisel was trying to convey.

That Adel was not the kind of person suited to the role of a lord.

This sheltered flower wouldn’t gain anything but wounds if she roamed the continent.

Thus, making her give up early and return to the territory without going through this trouble would be better for Adel.

‘So the idea is, if I fail this lady here, it won’t ruin her life, so let’s proceed justly without feeling guilty? Hah, what a kind-hearted soul I’m witnessing here.’

It was staggering enough, but the real kicker was the latter part of the letter: “Please ensure a fair exam without any bias.”

Fairness.

Ruben knew very well how that seemingly righteous word could become utterly cruel depending on its context.

Competing A and B under the same rules to select the superior one. That’s fair.

But if A is a child just taking her first steps, and B is a healthy young adult, demanding ‘fair’ competition is inherently ‘unfair.’

Evaluating a girl who’s never had a proper training session against those who’ve honed their skills for years was undeniably cruel.

Therefore, Ruben asked.

Since she’d be judged under the same criteria as the other apprentices, didn’t she have any complaints about that?

And the girl nodded.

That was that.

Though he didn’t want to feel like he was deceiving an innocent child, he knew how to suppress personal feelings as the instructor in charge.

Ruben’s gaze shifted to the knight standing slightly behind Adel.

‘…Other than the initial antics, he hasn’t interfered at all. Does he lack any skill in tactics? Or is he perhaps just watching this girl’s decisions?’

It was hard to decipher what the one with eyes resembling swirling blue flames might be thinking.

Feeling a strange discomfort about the knight, Ruben stood up.

“Then let’s begin the exam. Prepare yourself.”

***

“From now on, we commence the exam for challenger Adelheid von Lenart. The rules are simple. Engage in repeated one-on-one battles and win 10 consecutive times without losing. Your first opponent is… Paulo. You go.”

“Yes, Master.”

Paulo, a trainee from Lenart Dojo, thought to himself.

“I’ll show you what I’m made of.”

Though his swordsmanship talent was quite decent, he was often criticized for lacking perseverance and diligence.

The irritation was already building due to the obligatory extension of the running training that he disliked, and now his precious free time was being trampled upon as more extra training sessions loomed.

All of this was because of that bizarre tin can and the girl in front of him.

Even though she had a small, cute face that would typically be endearing, after what had just happened, he simply saw her as infuriating.

Paulo scrutinized his opponent.

Then he arrived at a conclusion.

‘Pathetic.’

The positioning of her feet. Her balance. The height at which she held her sword. Not a single thing was done correctly.

Above all, her violet eyes, filled with tension, unmistakably indicated that the girl was a beginner who had only just entered this path.

‘I was nervous thinking she was of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline, but she’s nothing special.’

While he had lost the running contest, that was merely a result of trying to run extra after already being tired out.

Setting aside the ridiculous tin can behind her, he didn’t believe for a second that he had lost because the girl was superior.

The fact that her status was that of a noble from the kingdom was a slight nuisance, but as long as they were competing within the Lenart Dojo, he wouldn’t have to worry about any potential repercussions.

Clap!

As the signal to start echoed, Paulo burst forward.

Based on the form he took with his sword ready, it seemed like a side slash with the wooden sword would probably knock the girl’s sword out of her hands. But that wouldn’t give him a chance for a follow-up attack, so he planned to deliver a good strike to the girl regardless.

He aimed a sharp thrust at the girl’s right shoulder—

Thud.

—But it didn’t reach.

Paulo felt instant panic.

The girl’s dodging movement was stunningly quick.

He lost sight of her for a moment and turned in disbelief, but contrary to his expectations, she didn’t attack but instead moved to his side, looking utterly confused while keeping her distance.

In that moment of shared confusion, the girl suddenly jerked her head towards…

The direction of the Tin Knight.

Seeing how impressively quick the girl had been made Paulo cautious, but witnessing her blatantly gaze away in the middle of the match made his blood boil.

Fueled by anger, Paulo charged again.

He swung down with both hands, intending to crack her skull, overwhelming her.

Instead of raising her sword to block, she turned her upper body back and let the attack glide past.

Paulo tried to lift his sword again, but before that, the girl stomped her right foot on the back of his wooden sword.

Though he fought to hold onto his weapon, that turned out to be a mistake.

She twisted her waist and swung the wooden sword with her left hand with all her strength, striking Paulo’s ear.

Paulo’s body seemingly floated for a moment as he spun partway in mid-air, and everyone inside the dojo witnessed it clearly.

Twitching and lying on the ground, Paulo seized up while the girl blinked, looking at him with a face that said, “Huh? Was that really it?”

“…Uh, what?”

10 Wins Challenge.

1 Win achieved.

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