“What is that garbage?”
“That’s my shield!”
Pastel proudly held up the round shield.
A reliable friend.
The demon felt pity.
But in a firm voice, he said,
“Throw it away.”
“I-I can’t do that.”
“Have you ever used it?”
The shocking truth.
Pastel had never used the round shield properly.
She looked down at her friend with trembling eyes.
“Were you really reliable all along? Did you lie to me?”
“A heavy one-handed shield is actually a hindrance. It drains your stamina and forces you to rely on your arm strength.”
“But the opponent is a knight! I mean, if it’s been beast-like until now, wouldn’t it be different if they wield a sword?”
“What will you do if the opponent kicks you? Are you going to stumble and die?”
“After dropping the shield, I’ll respond, ah…”
Pastel decided to retire the round shield.
Yet, you gave me the courage to fight on. That’s enough to qualify you as a friend.
Rub rub.
The demon said that no structures come to this mansion.
Unless Craft’s head of the family permits it, no external force can intervene here. It was a privilege guaranteed by the royal decree.
It was a right obtained to maintain the tradition of choosing heirs through kin murder. Thanks to that, the only legitimate heir became a mouse in a trap, but still.
“Have you really never learned swordsmanship?”
“No.”
“Then show me a stable sword stance.”
A stable stance?
Shouldn’t be too hard.
Pastel held the longsword with both hands.
One foot stepped forward while the other extended back to maintain a solid center of gravity. She aimed the sword straight ahead.
Hmm, it feels a bit awkward since she hasn’t experienced real combat.
Refined imagination of unexperienced realms isn’t her strong suit.
“You have the sense, but the theory, haah. As an heir, this is something you should have learned. I’ll teach you from the basics.”
The demon’s gaze of sympathy intensified.
Regrettable.
“Give me the sword.”
Pastel willingly handed the longsword across the bars.
The demon’s finger flicked the sword blade.
“110cm, 1.3kg. Is this a small size? Not bad for a kid to use.”
Wow, adjusting that with just hand sensitivity and eye measurement?
Is this the dignity of the Great Demon?
Is this person going to be my swordsmanship teacher?
Oh yeah.
“Watch closely.”
It sounded as if the sword showed her. The finger pointed at the blade.
“The longsword has a cross shape. The blade can be divided into the tip, middle, and root. The root has a crossguard horizontally, and below that is the grip.”
“That’s too basic, isn’t it?”
“Are you treating me like a child?”
“You need this explanation because you haven’t learned the basics. Understanding the cross shape is essential for minimal application. Let me show you the differences.”
The demon assumed a sword stance, mirroring Pastel’s posture.
“The vertically raised blade is an easy vertical obstacle for the opponent. You can ignore quick vertical slashes and repel strong horizontal ones. Stabbing is a given.”
The blade tilted diagonally.
“This stance requires the sword to start from the right hand and be placed in front of the left shoulder. That way, you can respond diagonally to all attacks.”
The demon extended the tilted crossguard like a shield.
“Diagonally is also the blocking area of the crossguard. Because the longsword has a cross shape, if used well, it can be more useful than a shield.”
Whoa.
Is it really just the cross shape that has this meaning?
“I get it for sure!”
Pastel raised her hand like a model student.
“Maybe I’ll handle the sword decently now?”
The demon eyed her skeptically.
Confident, Pastel demonstrated.
Her body moved in accord with her confidence.
Sensation and intuition took control of her stance. Utilizing her stance, she swung the sword and stepped forward. Creating modified stances, she smoothly linked her strikes.
In the first, she imitated; in the second, she applied; in the third, she completed it.
With just a single precedent, she painted the canvas of swordsmanship.
In the basement, a silver sword trail curved gracefully. Her pink hair danced.
The demon’s eyes gradually went blank.
“Why, why have you not learned until now?”
Seriously, why?
Did I live too much like a model student?
Being kind-hearted is also a flaw.

[…skip to the end…]

Pastel wiped her mouth and stood up.
She rubbed her grinning mouth.
If food is this delicious, it’s a problem.
I want to eat more.
The sound of armor echoed from behind.
The black knight approached, now more ferocious and fierce than before.
Ah, I see now.
You ate your fellow kin?
No wonder the room was empty of monsters.
“Hello, friend.”
Pastel aimed her longsword.
“Shall we mix our swords?”
The red glow flashed.
The armored knight charged in. The heavy weight stomped on the broken ground. The black sword rose high and swung down. The air ripped apart.
The trajectory aimed fiercely at the girl.
There’s a big difference in muscle power.
The demon’s voice echoed ominously in the air as Pastel felt a rush.
“Time to show my skills for real!”
“Let’s go!”

The battle continued…