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36. Engagement – Squire

“Ouch. Looks like your chest is split open. That must hurt.”

Lena and Leo arrived at the military camp and received treatment.

Lena only needed a simple treatment since her injuries were minor, and Leo’s wounds weren’t serious either.

He had a deep laceration on his chest, but that was something military doctors dealt with frequently and easily.

The military doctor who had previously stitched Leo’s finger gathered his surgical tools and said,

“It’s going to sting quite a bit. Do you need any alcohol? But if possible, just bear it. Drinking will slow your recovery.”

“…No. I don’t need it.”

“Good choice. This might ruin your teeth.”

The suturing was done quickly.

The military doctor stitched like he was patching a torn fabric, and Leo endured what felt like eye-watering pain.

Once the procedure was finished, the doctor praised him as though he were comforting a child and, as a bonus, lightly spread honey over the herbal paste that was applied on the stitches.

“Usually, you just stitch it up and receive a healing spell from a priest, but this is unfortunate. I’ll wrap you up in bandages later. Once I put honey on, it’ll sting like hell when we cover it. Hahaha.”

He gave Leo’s back a hearty pat.

“Once it heals, I’ll remove the stitches. Be careful not to reopen the wound. And no drinking.”

“Understood.”

Leo walked out with a stiff posture. As long as he didn’t move his upper body, it wasn’t difficult to walk.

Outside, Lena was waiting for him.

“Leo, did the treatment go well? Let me see… Looks well stitched. Thank goodness.”

Lena approached Leo and inspected his wound from various angles, then smiled mischievously.

“You’re going to have a nice medal!”

The Ainar Tribe thought scars were cool. Lena’s father, Dehorman, even complained about not having any scars on his body.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. A little spit will do for this. Oh, by the way, I just met with the Administrator, and I think I’ll be promoted to Hundred-man Commander.”

“Wow, congratulations!”

“…Can you sound a bit more sincere in your praise?”

When Lena had been severely injured and received treatment, Leo had also met with the Administrator. He praised Leo’s contributions highly but regretted that Leo had lost his thumb.

At that time, Leo didn’t get a promotion.

Leo made an exaggerated gesture to Lena, who had a pout on her face.

“Really, really congratulations! Our Lena is amazing, after all!”

“…Alright. Enough with that.”

The two reassured each other of their safety and moved to the hospital room.

*

Leo recuperated in the hospital for several weeks.

Since Lena’s injuries were light, she returned to the battlefield, but she called back after just three weeks.

Prince Anolf de Klaus reappeared.

Upon arriving at the front lines, the prince held a parade to boost the morale of the soldiers, and during the parade, Lena and Leo were widely celebrated as warriors of the Ainar Tribe who had captured a knight.

Leo wasn’t a tribe member or a warrior, but personal details of individuals in the military were often overlooked. As far as the higher-ups were concerned, he was a warrior.

On the parade platform, Lena and Leo paid their respects to the prince in line with Acaian Empire military customs. The prince accepted the rare courtesy with pleasure.

Leo felt proud that he had correctly taught Lena about the Empire’s etiquette.

“Impressive, a soldier catching a knight. I heard you two took down a knight together; is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“But you were referred to as warriors of the tribe… Where did you learn your swordsmanship?”

“My father taught me. He was a knight of the First Knight Order. He’s retired now.”

“Aha! I see. That explains it.”

Their achievements were indeed exceptional. While it’s common for isolated knights to be beaten by soldiers, it was rare for a small number of soldiers to capture a knight.

The prince nodded with a content smile and asked,

“So you both aim to become knights, then?”

“Yes!”

“…Yes.”

Lena answered eagerly, but Leo felt a bit disappointed.

He had introduced Lena to the prince, but it was too formal of a meeting for any personal connections to be made.

“I will appoint you both as Squires. If you accumulate more achievements, it will aid in your knight appointment. Best of luck.”

“Thank you!”

“…Thank you.”

The parade concluded. The injured and the celebrated relished their generous rewards, and Lena excitedly grabbed Leo and shook him.

“Oh my! We’re Squires! I thought it would take at least ten years to get knighted. If we work hard, we might make it back as knights!”

“Uh-huh. Good for you.”

What concerned him more than such prospects was the prince’s behavior.

The prince seemed uninterested in Lena. Of course, the prince wouldn’t fall in love just because he saw her at the parade, but there was something irksome about it.

The prince was interested in Leo, not Lena.

[ Achievement: First Meeting with the Prince – Gained slight affection from all princes. ]

[ Achievement: Met Anolf de Klaus – Gained slight affection from all nobles serving the Klaus family. Gained slight affection from Anolf de Klaus. ]

It must be due to the achievement from last time. So, he casually granted the title of Squire… thinking back, the prince had previously given him the honorary knight title on a whim.

Leo dove into his thoughts.

He has something that accumulates through repetitive scenarios, but Lena had none of that.

She had to finish everything in one go.

‘For now, surviving the war is the goal, but… is there really a way to make Lena a princess with this?’

Meeting the prince seemed pointless. Thanks to the military context, he could easily meet the esteemed prince, but similarly, due to the military, it seemed impossible for him and Lena to grow closer.

There might be an event on the battlefield where he saves the prince, leading to a connection with her…

‘But the prince is stationed in the rear. We have to be at the front. Will we meet in the retreat after a defeat?’

He still needed to keep an eye on the situation.

‘Or should I become a knight in the war and then find her afterward? I think early war’s end makes it possible.’

He needed to hurry if he wanted to make Lena a princess. She had already entered the marriageable age.

Feeling frustrated, Leo returned to the tent with Lena.

Having been promoted to Hundred-man Commander, she used a tent on her own, but Leo seamlessly joined her.

“Hey! Step out. Let’s have a match.”

“Sure. Should we practice a bit after a long time?”

Leo took her provocation as usual.

The stitches on his chest had been removed long ago. Although he still felt a bit of the sting, he considered himself healed enough.

As he gathered his sword, he heard Lena’s suppressed giggle behind him.

“Hehe.”

“…What’s up? Why are you acting like this?”

“Draw your sword. It would be wise to get tense. Are you ready? Here I come!”

Lena lunged at him the moment he raised his sword.

“Whoa?!”

Leo was taken by surprise and jumped back.

The strike was heavy, making him almost misread it as a light feint; he nearly lost hold of his sword.

“This is…”

“Not finished yet!”

Lena rushed in again, and the outcome was instantaneous.

She struck him on the head with the flat side of her sword.

“Your swordsmanship is…?”

“Hehe. So, what? Isn’t it cool?”

Lena had gotten stronger. And the sword technique she had just executed was not her father’s. This was… Katrina’s Swordsmanship.

Twisting her sword, Lena continued.

“I tried following that female knight, and it seems to fit me well. I think I understand now why you changed your style. Uncle’s swordsmanship is… well, how do I say it… a little sneaky.”

Noel Dexter’s swordsmanship was stable. Having perfected his techniques in the brutal civil war, he always concealed a surplus of composure.

In a war where no one could be trusted, it was not uncommon for someone you thought was a comrade to stab you in the back, and thus, his swordsmanship developed toward stability and caution.

Lena’s stamina, which allowed her to charge even after losing an arm, came from this.

She threw herself at Katrina with the hidden excess of composure.

“Was saying sneaky a bit too harsh? This swordsmanship has a lot of tricks. It can be a strain on the body.”

On the other hand, Katrina’s swordsmanship was aggressive. She was adept at hiding powerful strikes behind light feints and skillfully mixing real attacks with fakes to ensnare her opponents.

Feeling captivated by Katrina’s techniques, Lena blended Noel’s swordsmanship with Katrina’s style to showcase a new form of swordsmanship.

Leo sincerely admired her and requested a rematch.

“Whoa… Amazing. Let’s have just one more round. I couldn’t see properly earlier because I was too surprised.”

“Anytime.”

Now reinvigorated, he faced off against Lena again but… lost.

Lena’s skill had far surpassed him. It wasn’t surprising since it was a one-on-one duel without Leo being able to use {Pass Rate}.

“How about that! Pretty useful, right?”

“…It’s just that your skills have improved.”

Leo flopped down onto the grass, reflecting on the recent duel.

He hadn’t lost because of Katrina’s swordsmanship. Lena had grown stronger by learning new techniques. Her sword now embodied both composure and trickery.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Lena plopped down beside him.

She smelled a bit like sweat.

“Leo.”

“What?”

“…Never mind.”

“Why did you start speaking and then stop? That’s boring.”

A breeze brushed past them coolly. Lena repeatedly called Leo, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

*

Two flags were raised at the Austin Kingdom military base.

One belonged to the prince, and the other to the Swordmaster.

From early morning, the camp buzzed with activity, and the soldiers’ footsteps echoed with excitement. The presence of the nobility instilled confidence in victory and influenced the battlefield.

The Swordmaster was, needless to say, even more so.

Among the excited soldiers circulated tales of a Swordmaster from long ago who single-handedly drove out an army of five thousand.

Lena and Leo chatted as they strolled through the animated camp.

“It’s my first time attending a meeting.”

“It’s my first time at a knight meeting too. I’ve gone to meetings held by commanders under the Thousand-man Commander before.”

Squires were permitted to attend knight meetings.

But they had no speaking rights.

Squires didn’t receive assignments like knights did; instead, they were given duties comparable to regular soldiers, mainly guarding the generals or Thousand-man Commanders.

Knights and several generals gathered in one tent.

Lena and Leo revealed their status as Squires and entered inside.

The knights were arranged in a circle around a wide round table in the tent.

There were only a few chairs, so most stood at attention, and the Commander-in-Chief, whom they saw during the parade, took a seat.

Opposite him sat a man with thick hair and eyebrows standing upright, with bulging, almost lidless eyes.

He was not even wearing armor that could suit his appearance.

His clothing was fancy, typically worn by nobles, but it was comically stretched tight over his muscular physique.

“Hurry up and start.”

He crossed his legs even in front of the Commander-in-Chief (it was surprising that his pants didn’t rip) and urged his lieutenant.

But no one thought he was being arrogant.

That ridiculous attire and carrying a gigantic sword without a sheath belonged to Arpen Albasete, the leader of the First Knight Order and the Swordmaster of the Austin Kingdom.

[ Achievement: Swordmaster, 1/3 ]

Leo felt stiff with tension as he glanced at the Swordmaster. He had finally met the strongest person in this world.

The civil war in Austin & Aster Kingdom had birthed two Swordmasters.

Baron Arpen Albasete rose to prominence by revealing his identity as a Swordmaster just when the fierce civil war was ending, while at the same time showcasing a newly emerged Swordmaster from the Aster Kingdom to announce their equal footing.

Their influence likely contributed to the war concluding without much bloodshed.

If a Swordmaster moved around swinging their sword in hiding, no one would survive.

“The current situation is…”

The meeting commenced.

As a lieutenant spread a map on the wide table and began explaining the situation, the tent, packed with dozens of people in the height of summer, became increasingly stifling.

Though no one showed it, the Swordmaster could no longer tolerate the heat; he tugged at his collar and bluntly spoke.

“I understand. Then I will remain in the rear.”

“What?”

“With the prince present, I can’t leave my post. I will stay by the prince’s side. You don’t need to worry about his safety.”

“Wait, Baron Albasete. The Swordmaster from the Belita Kingdom hasn’t arrived yet. If you charge into the enemy lines now…”

The Commander-in-Chief called after the Swordmaster, who was about to dash out. But he only returned a nonchalant glance.

“I refuse. And just because there’s no flag raised in the enemy’s line, it doesn’t mean a Swordmaster isn’t present. I will stay in the rear.”

“H-However, Baron. This…”

“Do not interfere with my command. That is all.”

With that, he left.

The Commander-in-Chief, generals, lieutenants, knights, and squires all looked at the empty space where he had been with bewilderment.

“What the hell!”

The Commander-in-Chief stood up angrily.

The chair fell backward with a crash.

“I didn’t see a wink of him during the parade! This damn… Ahem! I apologize for my outburst. Lieutenant, please continue.”

The lieutenant, drenched in sweat, resumed the explanation, but the meeting ended promptly.

It was a meeting solely intended to determine the Swordmaster’s movements, and with the main subject having left, there was nothing more to discuss.

The morale of the knights plummeted as they exited the tent, whispering anxiously. Leo and Lena couldn’t hide their confusion either.

“Why is he acting like that?”

“Right? Leo, your father said he’s incredibly aggressive, didn’t he? Seems strange.”

“Did my father mention him?”

“Weren’t you next to him back then? He once said he was a junior of that guy. He seemed to take pride in it.”

With unfamiliar backstory popping up, confused Leo quickly dug up the {Noble Society} information and chimed in.

“Oh, right. I remember now. That guy was from a tribe.”

He had been the only case of a barbarian becoming a noble after the civil war. As such, he was often underrated compared to the other two Swordmasters who were noble-born.

Of course, that was a pompous assumption from the nobles.

Perhaps sensing that the pretense worked, Lena nodded and said,

“Right, they mentioned he prefers to strike directly because he’s a warrior. It feels odd though. Is there something in the rear?”

“Who knows? Probably because of the prince.”

Leo shrugged.

He thought he understood why the Austin Kingdom was losing.

Although he didn’t know the reason for it…