Vacation is essentially just a holiday for working people.
Of course, compared to that of laborers, it was much longer, and children with enough social standing to attend the academy generally had more leisure time during their break rather than working.
Claire and Leo were no exception to this rule.
However, both were highly motivated. Neither Leo nor Claire hesitated to train hard throughout the vacation to improve their sword skills.
Moreover, they had met the ‘Sword Saint’ during the term. Although the time they could learn was very short, both received the title of ‘disciple’ from him.
They were also told they could come anytime to learn.
Therefore, the vacation was obviously a great time for that.
Having thought this way, Leo and Claire quickly planned to head north right after the Crown Princess’s visit.
Of course, it would be nice if life always went according to plan.
“Claire, you stay behind.”
Naturally, that was never the case.
“Mother?”
But, things didn’t always roll along as one expected or desired.
“It’s good to inherit the Grace-style swordsmanship. If you have a good teacher like the Sword Saint, it would be wise to devote yourself to swordsmanship with gratitude. Such opportunities aren’t given to just anyone.”
“Mother, then—”
“But.”
Baroness Grace let out a small sigh and spoke to Claire.
“Claire, you’re now at an age where you should start preparing for marriage.”
“…What?”
Claire’s face went blank. Staring at her mother with slightly parted lips, her expression was one of ‘What is that?’
“I’m not saying you should get married right now. It’s something you can think about slowly after becoming an adult. However, even so, you should at least have the basic knowledge.”
As Claire listened, her face gradually turned red.
“At the very least… I should definitely be raised to be a ‘young lady’ in terms of manners. Let’s focus on that during this vacation.”
“But, Mother—”
Though Claire spoke with a whiny expression, the Baroness seemed firm in her thoughts.
“Claire, aren’t you a daughter of our house? I believe you should receive proper education so that nothing will tarnish your reputation when you marry someone.”
And there was unmistakable affection in her words.
Claire found herself lost for words.
Seeing Claire’s bewildered expression, the Baroness spoke with a small smile at the corners of her mouth.
“However, if you can improve your manners enough to represent our family during this vacation, I can allow you to go north for sword training in winter.”
“Really?”
Upon hearing that, Claire’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Is it true? Really, Mother?”
As she bounced in her seat, the Baroness let out a small sigh.
“…Yes, but first, let’s work on your rather clumsy mannerisms.”
“Heh heh….”
Hearing Leo’s story, Sword Saint Frederick chuckled helplessly.
“It seems that people’s perceptions are not so easily changed over time.”
He shook his head in dismay.
“Even in such a enlightened family, they have to think that way.”
Frederick mumbled on,
“Of course, even if one thinks it doesn’t matter personally, other nobles might think differently.”
He nodded as if he understood that one of his disciples hadn’t shown up.
“Well, it’s fine. That kid can easily overcome that kind of adversity. Let’s hope I can teach both of you properly during winter.”
Frederick uncrossed his arms and continued.
“So first, shall we calm our hearts through meditation?”
“Understood.”
With a serious expression, Leo nodded and sat down.
This happened at the end of July.
Under the Sword Saint, a month is a very short period. The Sword Saint had spent his entire life, meaning decades, honing his swordsmanship, and naturally, it would take a significant amount of time to master that skill in its entirety.
However, that doesn’t mean there’s no progress with just a month.
Leo was able to aim for swordsmanship with more certainty and calmness, and the tip of his sword became much sharper and more accurate. If before, his sword skills were nearly equal to Claire’s, now he felt he could win by a slight margin.
Even though the weather had improved, staying in a cabin built in such a rugged location helped as well. After all, living in a place that barely offered any protection from the wind, especially in a perilous area, served as a training in itself.
So, even if the body felt uncomfortable, Leo felt a sense of satisfaction, realizing he was indeed growing.
“Hmm.”
As he was soothing his mind through meditation as usual, he heard the Sword Saint issue that sound.
Slowly opening his eyes and looking up at the Sword Saint, he saw him resting his chin in hand while gazing at the thin walls of the cabin. He wasn’t looking at the wall itself, but rather what lay beyond it.
“It seems we have an uninvited guest.”
Sword Saint Frederick said that, then placed his hand on a basket filled with herbs resting on the table.
“Could it be Jennifer?”
“That’s not her footsteps. If it were, she would have come loudly without hiding her voice. Plus, she wouldn’t be this unsteady.”
Frederick’s eyes narrowed. It was the first time he heard that sound, but he didn’t think it was from a formidable opponent that could threaten the Sword Saint.
In contrast, he felt hardly any killing intent. Normally, those who lack skill can’t hide their murderous aura and end up failing in stealth. If someone were skilled, they’d conceal their presence and take down their target with a swift strike.
Could it be that a visitor really has come? Or perhaps someone lost while climbing the mountains for fun?
Well, it didn’t matter much.
Gripping the basket tightly, Frederick thought.
“….”
The visitor approached the Sword Saint Frederick’s cabin without hesitation and boldly opened the door.
Frederick gauged the timing as the door opened and immediately threw the basket.
As the door opened, the basket flew into the air, scattering the herbs inside all over—
And it precisely hit the center of the forehead of a girl who was walking in through the door.
“Eek!?”
Surprised by the unexpected cute sound, Frederick blinked in shock. Leo did the same, turning just his upper body to look at the door while remaining in a seated position.
The girl, who ended up on the floor, rubbing her head, appeared quite fragile at first glance. That’s not to say she didn’t exude any feminine charm, though.
As the girl was wiping her forehead with tears welling in her eyes,
“Sylvia?”
Leo asked in a somewhat dazed voice.
The girl called Sylvia seemed to realize only at that moment that she was sitting on the floor, blinking as if forgetting her hurt forehead for a moment.
With a momentarily dazed expression, the girl suddenly wore a shocked look and yelled—
“Again!”
And shouted that—
“Why do I keep bumping into that basket?”
Well, it had been months since she’d last visited, so it was only natural, but… it was still embarrassing.
Not to mention Frederick and Leo had seen her like that.
“Huff.”
Rewinding a few seconds, I collected myself and opened the door again.
Creak, with a sound clearly made by an amateur, the lukewarm door let out an ugh and opened.
Then what came into view was the basket flying toward my face.
I raised my hand that wasn’t gripping the doorknob to catch the basket.
Thwack.
Fortunately, they weren’t actually trying to kill me with it; I managed to catch the basket quite skillfully.
“Oh.”
Frederick let out an impressed exclamation he had heard a few times before.
“Sylvia?”
This time, his voice was surprised, not confused or aghast.
I pretended to be nonchalant and calmly placed the basket I was holding on the nearby table.
“I am Sylvia.”
Frederick made a thoughtful expression for a moment before breaking out into a somewhat fierce smile.
“I see. You must be that girl who excelled in the last tournament.”
…What could this mean?
Why was the reaction different from what it was the first time we met?
For a moment, I wondered if Frederick remembered me, but thankfully, it seemed he didn’t.
Rather,
“If you’re a friend of my disciple, it might be good to assess your skills.”
He was holding a sword.
Wait, hold on a minute.
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