Chapter 233
“Wendy. I think swordsmanship is essential for you.”
“Huh? Swordsmanship…?”
Blanshe brought this up when Wendy had reached a level where she could at least defend herself. Having watched Wendy grow while occasionally teaching her martial arts, Blanshe pointed out Wendy’s flaw.
“Yes. Your despairingly short arm length… To overcome your reach, swordsmanship is a must.”
“Master… Are my arms really that short…?”
“Despairingly so.”
“I don’t think they’re that short…”
“Despairingly short.”
“Twice… Ugh…”
Wendy shrunk under Blanshe’s relentless criticism.
In truth, Wendy had noticed it too.
Even during simple sparring, her punches often didn’t reach Blanshe.
Blanshe was taller than most adult men, so no matter how much Wendy stretched her arm, she couldn’t reach Blanshe’s face.
She tried jumping and struggled to overcome the height difference, but it wasn’t easy. Knowing Wendy’s struggles, Blanshe suggested swordsmanship.
“No need to be so gloomy. Wendy, you’re quite tall for your age, so you’ll definitely grow more by the time you’re an adult. Then the problem will naturally resolve itself… but for now, it’s a bit of a shame.”
Blanshe handed Wendy a wooden sword from the dojo.
“In that sense, a sword is a great tool. Just holding it increases your attack range and gives you the advantage of keeping your opponent at bay.”
“B-but I’ve never handled a sword before…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”
“Huh? But I’ve never seen you use a weapon, Master Blanshe…”
“Hmm. Since my specialty is close combat, it’s understandable that you’d think that. But as a bodyguard knight, swordsmanship is essential.”
With that, Blanshe pulled out a dagger from her pocket.
“See? I always carry a sword with me.”
“Wow… Is it for self-defense?”
“Yes. If I run into some thugs, I can just slash their throats…”
“Eek?!”
“Just kidding.”
“Phew…! You scared me…”
“I don’t even need a sword to handle a human throat with my bare hands.”
“W-what do you mean… Eek…”
Blanshe patted Wendy’s trembling head.
“Anyway, what I’m saying is that for you, Wendy, it’s better to handle a weapon than to fight bare-handed. And I strongly recommend the sword.”
“Y-yes! If you teach me, I’ll do my best to learn…!”
“That’s the spirit.”
Satisfied, Blanshe nodded and picked up the wooden sword.
“Before I teach you swordsmanship, there’s an important point I must mention.”
“An important point…?”
“Yes. Not just for swords, but for all weapons, no… perhaps for all fights, there’s a universal formula.”
Gulp…
Wendy swallowed hard at Blanshe’s serious expression.
“W-what is it?”
“It’s distance control.”
“!”
Blanshe extended the wooden sword, pointing it at Wendy. The tip of the sword was just within reach of Wendy’s nose.
“Always measure the distance. Not too far, not too close. To do that, you need to know your reach when holding a weapon. If you wait patiently at that just-out-of-reach distance…”
Whoosh!
The wind brushed Wendy’s cheek.
In an instant, the wooden sword that had been near her nose was now resting on the back of her neck.
“Gaps will always appear. If you control the distance well, even a sword master won’t be able to underestimate you.”
*
Wendy slowly opened her eyes and adjusted her grip on the wooden sword.
The sword she held was the standard length used in class. By now, it felt familiar in her hands.
Still, just in case, Wendy arrived early at the dojo to practice. She swung the sword at the wooden dummy repeatedly, gauging her maximum and minimum reach as Blanshe had taught her.
“Surely they didn’t specify which students to nominate, but I never thought a student would nominate me…”
“S-sorry…”
“What’s there to be sorry about? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Princess Bella Izakhel, dressed in a pure white uniform, smiled. Though she couldn’t openly show familiarity in front of the students, Bella’s sparkling expression made it clear she was happy to see Wendy. Her smile reached her eyes, confirming it.
“Hehe… I welcome it. I like students with a challenging spirit. Even if it’s a reckless challenge.”
Bella said it playfully, but to Wendy, it didn’t feel like a joke.
It really was a reckless challenge. Bella’s swordsmanship was on a level that was almost unreachable. She was already at the level of a master.
For Wendy, who had only learned swordsmanship from Blanshe for a few months, it was a hopeless fight.
In that sense, her master, Count Tristan, was truly remarkable.
Tristan had never formally learned swordsmanship, yet he had reached a level where he could compete with Bella. And that was after just a few sparring sessions. He was in the realm of genius.
In contrast, Wendy was no genius. She knew she could never be like Tristan. She hadn’t held a sword as long as Bella, nor had she handled as many weapons as Blanshe.
But…
Wendy had done her best during her time learning swordsmanship from Blanshe. That much was certain. Even Blanshe acknowledged her efforts.
‘I want to test my skills…’
She wanted to show her skills to one of the top swordsmen in the country.
She wanted to show her best.
She wanted to show her desperation.
Bella smiled and said.
“Alright. I’ll accept Wendy’s sparring request.”
“T-thank you!”
The surroundings buzzed with excitement.
“What?! Really?”
“Princess Bella and Wendy are sparring?!”
The sudden match drew the attention of all the students.
Perhaps because she knew how strong her opponent was, Wendy, who usually avoided being the center of attention, strangely didn’t mind this time.
“Shall we start right away? It’s an exam, after all.”
“Y-yes, please take care of me…”
“Hehe…”
Bella looked at Wendy with a gentle gaze. To anyone watching, it was the look one gives a cute little child, not a sparring partner.
At that moment, Wendy could predict it.
Bella probably wouldn’t fight seriously.
It wasn’t that Bella was underestimating Wendy. During their time together, Bella had treated Wendy like a younger sister, and she likely still saw her that way.
But Wendy wanted to bring out Bella’s true strength.
Even if it was just for one second out of five minutes, she wanted to spar with her seriously.
“The time limit is the same as the other students, five minutes. During that time, Wendy, use all the swordsmanship you’ve learned to attack me.”
“…Yes.”
For that, there was only one thing Wendy could do.
She had to give it her all. Pour everything she had into it.
“Then… begin!”
Wendy adjusted her grip on the sword and took a step towards Bella.
*
‘Ah… Wendy is just too cute…’
Bella was at a loss for words as she looked at Wendy in her uniform.
Was there another creature in the world as cute as this?
Her slightly curly twin tails and her big, round eyes made her look like an adorable squirrel. If there were no students around, Bella would have hugged her tight already. Cuteness was Bella’s weakness, after all.
‘But… Wendy has grown quite a bit, hasn’t she?’
Even when they first met, Wendy had a mature appearance for her age. But now, her height had increased, and her chest had started to fill out, showing the faint signs of a girl turning into a woman.
Of course, it was just a baby squirrel growing into an adult squirrel…
Anyway, Wendy had challenged Bella to a spar.
At first, Bella was a bit surprised, but she gladly accepted the challenge.
“Ha!”
Clang!
Bella easily blocked Wendy’s swing.
The speed was neither fast nor slow. But Bella couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘So precise…’
Out of all the students she had tested, Wendy’s posture and movements were the most accurate. The basic swordsmanship class taught by Bella was the ‘Imperial Swordsmanship,’ a style that anyone could easily follow. While it had the advantage of being simple, it could also seem a bit dull due to its lack of complexity.
Because of this, students tended to add their own flair to the Imperial Swordsmanship, swinging their swords as they pleased. But basics are basics for a reason. They form the foundation of almost all sword styles, making them the most important.
In contrast, Wendy’s ‘Imperial Swordsmanship’ had no tricks or embellishments. It was just straightforward attacks.
Seeing Wendy’s textbook-perfect swordsmanship, Bella felt a sense of joy.
Clang!
The two locked swords.
It was a kind of strength contest, pushing against each other with their swords. Considering their physiques, Wendy should have been pushed back, but surprisingly, she held her ground.
“…Impressive, Wendy.”
Bella spoke in a voice only Wendy could hear.
Given the difference in their abilities, the outcome of the spar was obvious. But this wasn’t a spar to win. It was an evaluation.
‘At this rate, I’ll have to give her a good score. Hehe…’
Bella was inwardly impressed by Wendy’s skill.
But then…
“I-I’m not done yet…”
“Huh?”
Wendy pushed Bella back and quickly swung her sword.
Clang!
Clang!
The exchange continued. Bella hadn’t expected this much, but Wendy was blocking her attacks better than anticipated. Moreover, she kept pressing forward, trying to break through Bella’s defense.
But her opponent was too strong.
Bella didn’t allow any of Wendy’s attacks to land.
Instead, she started to counter Wendy’s attacks defensively.
“Ugh…!”
About three minutes had passed.
Wendy’s posture began to falter slightly.
Seeing Wendy sweating profusely, Bella’s heart softened.
‘It’s time to wrap this up.’
Using magic would end it instantly, but that was too extreme. Instead, Bella chose to swing her sword a bit more boldly.
Whoosh!
Bella blocked Wendy’s sword and immediately struck back, aiming for Wendy’s unguarded wrist.
But… there was nothing where her wrist should have been.
“?!”
Bella’s sword cut through empty air.
Seizing the opportunity, Wendy pressed forward.
And then…
Crack!!
It happened in an instant. Until then, Wendy had only used basic body strengthening, so Bella had let her guard down.
In that brief moment, Wendy’s strike, infused with magic, slammed into Bella’s sword.
“Ugh?!”
The impact caused Bella to drop her sword.
If it were an ordinary person, that would have been the end. But Bella was a seasoned swordswoman.
She quickly reached out with her right hand and caught the wooden sword mid-air. Without a moment’s hesitation, she swung it at Wendy.
Clang!
“Ugh…!”
The series of movements was so fast that Wendy, who had successfully landed a hit, almost got countered.
“Hehe… That was a surprise.”
Though she spoke casually, Bella’s heart was racing. She had completely let her guard down and almost paid the price.
‘I can’t believe she made me drop my sword…’
Of course, it was clear that Wendy had been aiming for this all along. She had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Even though her decisive blow had failed, Wendy didn’t give up.
“I-I won’t lose…”
“Wendy…”
“Please show me your true strength, Princess…”
Wendy’s big, round eyes were filled with determination.
The cute little squirrel had bared her sharp teeth.
But seeing that, Bella couldn’t help but smile.
“Ah… Wendy, you’re just too cute…”
“Eek?!”
