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“Sir Elliot.”

“Yes.”

“You are a genius.”

That was what Cecilia said on the fourth day of our training.

With a rather frustrated expression for reasons unknown, she bit her lips while staring at the four flower buds I had just conjured in thin air.

“I have been the Knight Commander at the Ice Palace for over fifteen years, teaching the swordsmanship of apprentices.”

“You told me that before.”

“Every apprentice learns the sword techniques of the Ice Palace. Since childhood, in fact.”

“You said that too.”

“Just listen for a moment. Anyway, most of those apprentices, even now as official knights, struggle to raise a single flower bud. It’s not really the instructor’s fault. The average for my peers is two.”

“…So, am I just fast?”

“Not just fast; it’s in a league of its own.”

Cecilia sighed deeply as if the ground was collapsing beneath her, then swung her sword through the air.

Four Ice Flowers began to bloom one after another.

“Sir Elliot, try to follow along.”

It wasn’t difficult.

After all, I had dedicated every moment except sleeping and eating over the past four days to bringing forth these flower buds.

Finally, Cecilia let out a sigh as she looked at the four golden flower buds that had bloomed from my sword’s path.

“…I truly do not understand.”

“Why not?”

“No matter how talented a knight may be, it typically takes years to master this technique. To polish it to the level that could be counted among the Knight Order’s history in just four days— that’s not realistically possible.”

“You’re seeing it with your own eyes, aren’t you?”

“True. But that’s why I can’t even believe my own eyes. Is it really correct that this technique is encountered for the first time right now?”

Under Cecilia’s intense questioning, I looked at the hand holding the sword.

How would I know?

All I recall in this world is just the horrendous past of rolling around to survive in the northern Mercenary Group.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“…My body just moved naturally.”

“…”

“As Cecilia said, I’m somewhat of a genius.”

Cecilia seemed eager to press further but fell silent once I cut her off sharply.

Unlike others, she was a quick-witted woman.

“At this moment, I have nothing to teach you, Sir. In fact, it seems I learned from you, Sir Elliot.”

“Learned from me?”

“The strike you just executed, while it may lack power, was an incredibly swift cut like no other. It’s a level I cannot reach myself.”

“Hmm…”

“Thus, Sir Elliot has forged an entirely different path through my teachings. You can be proud of that.”

Once again, I recalled that the owner of this body had some impressive talent.

Cecilia didn’t stop praising me for a while.

“By the way, I’m actually quite stingy with my praises. So, Sir Elliot can take pride in that too.”

“It does seem that way.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah, just, it does.”

How could I not know? Cecilia’s voice trembled, and her fingers, pressed tightly against her waist, were entwined in anxiety. I could feel her unwillingness to acknowledge someone like me.

In this regard, she was indeed a woman of strong pride.

“Anyway, I feel I must apologize.”

“Apologize? You, Cecilia?”

“Yes.”

Cecilia said that and then lowered her head.

“I had been somewhat mistaken regarding the hero and the individual known as Sir Elliot. However, the Elliot I have met now… is indeed a splendid knight. Please forgive my rudeness graciously.”

“…Mistaken? Did you have some strange thoughts?”

“To speak honestly, yes.”

Cecilia nodded gravely, but I could only furrow my brow.

“Just for reference, what did you think of me?”

“A scoundrel. One of a kind.”

That was a straightforward answer.

*

The lessons with Cecilia concluded today.

Though I would have loved to engage in a practice duel, I feared the repercussions of accidentally winning against her. Given Cecilia’s personality, she might hang herself out of shame for losing as a knight.

Instead, I unexpectedly ran into someone in the corridor outside the training grounds.

“…Ophelia, why were you hiding there?”

“Ugh.”

She might have thought she was completely concealed behind a pillar, but not even the peacock feather gently swaying on her hat could be hidden.

“Ophelia, have you perhaps changed your occupation to that of a thief instead of remaining a cleric? I would support it, but I wonder what the saints of the continent would think.”

“What?”

“By the way, isn’t your love a bit excessive? Following me like that.”

“Shut up! That’s not it! And who says it’s love!”

Reluctantly, Ophelia pushed her upper body out from behind the pillar.

Her face was adorably puffed up.

“Well then, why are you here?”

“Th-that’s…”

Ophelia trailed off, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Her eyebrows formed a straight line.

“…Y-you were not doing anything strange to that female knight, were you? I was keeping an eye on you!”

“Doing something strange?”

“Of course! You’re a scoundrel, so I… I’m watching you!”

“…Oh.”

Seeing her spouting nonsensical claims, it seemed the usual Ophelia was intact.

I spread my arms wide.

“Cecilia will soon become our companion. What reason would I have to make a move?”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“Ugh, okay.”

Not believing her instincts, I squinted one eye.

“Ophelia, didn’t I tell you? I’m far too busy of a person to have the leisure to seek after women.”

“Nonsense. You lecherous creep. You touched me, didn’t you?”

“…Me?”

As Ophelia stammered, I tilted my head.

Before long, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and muttered in a wet voice.

“You saw me when I was… you know.”

“…When you were undressed?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot…?”

“…Ah.”

I wondered what she was talking about, and then it hit me; it was about the city’s Fireworks Festival.

If I left things as they were, useless rumors might start swirling, so I decided to cut to the chase.

“Ophelia, the clothes you wore that day were soaked with liquor. I couldn’t let you catch a cold.”

“You should have called a maid!”

“If we had done that, your personality means you would have torn that maid to shreds the next day.”

“….”

Once I presented that logic, Ophelia became dumbfounded. Still, she glared at me with a severely displeased expression.

That face was just too irritating, so I decided to land a finishing blow.

“And unfortunately, I have no taste to be intrigued by Ophelia’s slender figure.”

“…S-skinny? You think I’m skinny?”

“Yes.”

Ophelia’s eyes were shaking.

Of course, it was a lie to say I had no interest.

But for Ophelia, it seemed that my comment was akin to a thunderbolt.

“If I’m skinny… what kind of body do you…”

“Hmm. Well, I guess a little more plump would be better. That’s what the general male preference would be.”

“I’m not skinny at all!”

That was indeed correct.

Although she was slender, I thought her figure was well-defined enough.

However, isn’t there a stark contrast with the comparison subjects?

Just looking at Emily, she had a curvier body than Ophelia.

“Moreover, in Erwin’s case…”

“Why is that old hag’s name coming up?”

Ophelia yelled in anger.

“Weren’t you! saying you prefer younger girls!”

“Tastes can change at any time.”

“….”

Ophelia dropped her pointing finger.

“Y-you…”

“You?”

“How could you do that to me!”

For some reason, Ophelia, looking very angry, stomped over to me and began to kick at my shins repeatedly.

Of course, it didn’t hurt at all, but I pretended it did by pulling my legs back slightly.

Eventually, it seemed she got tired of it; with teary eyes, Ophelia glared at me.

“Damn you…”

And with that, she turned away and fled as if running away.

“…Hah.”

Should I say it was reckless?

It was just another day in my life.

And the way to settle this mess, of course, was a bribe. I supposed I should buy some fish dishes that Ophelia liked from outside for dinner tonight.

“How amusing.”

Indeed, the thrill of teasing her was abundant.

The satisfaction was so great that I felt shivers running through my whole body.

I turned to conceal the sly grin on my face…

“…Hmm.”

Only to see Cecilia looking at me with a ghostly expression.

I hurriedly tried to revert my face, but Cecilia had already caught me smiling.

“…How much did you see from the beginning?”

“From the beginning.”

Cecilia’s eyes were paler than ever.

I cautiously said.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“No.”

That was her immediate response.

 

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