Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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By now, it was an obvious fact that going up against either Adele or Diane was far too easy for me.
Even without any particular talent, my physical abilities were exceptional. Of course, compared to a typical Delkis individual, I was lacking, but it was more than enough to handle someone without the blood of the giants.
“Haah… Haah… Haah…”
Two overlapping breaths echoed in the air.
Amelia, exhausted long ago, was sitting off to the side, while Diane and Adele took turns charging at me, only to retreat and catch their breath.
Both of them, in my opinion, had considerable talent.
While I merely brute-forced my way through swordsmanship with strength, both Adele and Diane had developed commendable skills. They knew how to use their strength, what posture to take for smooth transitions between moves—things that required a certain amount of innate aptitude.
Unfortunately, it seemed they still hit a wall when faced with overwhelming strength.
Even so, after just two exchanges of swords, the two of them were already attempting to find openings in my stance.
As for Adele, her naturally likable personality and her role as the heroine gave me a good impression from the start. Diane, on the other hand… her persistence in not giving up, even after crossing swords with me several times, left a favorable impression as well.
Although, judging by the way her gaze frequently fixated on Adele, it seemed her determination stemmed less from personal ambition and more from a desire to surpass Adele.
Did it bother her so much to be compared under the same teacher? And the comparisons weren’t even explicit—just casual remarks like “this one’s a bit more skilled.”
Well, if we’re being technical, the problem started when those remarks reached Diane’s ears.
“...Haa, huu…”
The first to steady her breathing was Adele.
Standing upright and briefly closing her eyes, Adele wore a thoughtful expression. Then,
“...Lady Hoover.”
She suddenly called out to Diane.
“What is it?”
Diane, looking slightly startled, responded. For a moment, she seemed to forget her fatigue.
“I have a request to make.”
Adele’s words caught not only Diane but also Amelia and me by surprise.
No matter how good-natured Adele was, she didn’t seem particularly fond of Diane.
Although, recently, their interactions had softened a little, likely because circumstances forced them to spend time together.
“...As the daughter of a Count, I can entertain a common noble’s request. But is this really the right time for such a discussion?”
Diane’s words, spoken as if she intended to provoke, only made Adele frown slightly. She didn’t retract her statement.
Rather, she said instead—
“It pertains directly to the current situation.”
Ah.
I could guess what Adele was about to say, and I had to stifle a grin, pressing my lips together to suppress my amusement.
“...”
Diane didn’t respond, nor did she reject the suggestion outright.
“No matter how much we attack individually, none of our blades will reach Lady Delkis.”
Diane remained silent, but her expression suggested she silently agreed.
“So, wouldn’t it be better if we joined forces, even if only briefly?”
“...”
To defeat a stronger enemy, even those who disliked each other would band together.
It was a classic scenario, where rivals, rather than mortal enemies, join forces. Come to think of it, the two weren’t exactly mortal enemies. At most, they were rivals who hadn’t reached a breaking point.
“Do as you please.”
Diane hesitated for a moment, showing a conflicted expression, so I decided to provoke her pride a little.
…If Adele were to gain another friend—someone who would demand her attention—it would be advantageous for me.
Of course, this situation might be temporary. Things could worsen between them, or even if they managed to grow closer, their relationship might remain awkward.
The ideal outcome would be for them to bicker endlessly as frenemies… though that’s not something I could control.
“I don’t believe the two of you attacking simultaneously will lead to my defeat.”
Grit.
Eek.
I turned my head toward the source of the sounds.
Was that the sound of teeth grinding just now?
Diane’s expression remained calm. In fact, her reaction was far more intense than when she was catching her breath or when Adele spoke to her.
Was it due to her noble pride, or was it just her personality?
Well, it didn’t really matter.
“...Lady Carlins.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s cooperate.”
“Very well. May I take the right side?”
“Hmph.”
At Diane’s scoffing response, Adele’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Well, I’m confident no matter which side I take.”
“...Fine.”
As Adele and Diane exchanged words, I waited leisurely, lowering my sword rather than raising it.
It wasn’t as though I swung my sword mindlessly every day.
To maintain my dignity as their teacher, I needed to understand how they wielded their swords.
I wasn’t skilled enough to truly call myself their mentor, but considering I was teaching three people, including Amelia, I had to keep some level of face.
I glanced over at Amelia.
She waved her hands lazily, signaling she had no intention of continuing the sword training due to exhaustion.
Sweat glistened on her neck and chest, reflecting the light. For a moment, I found my gaze drawn to her, but I quickly forced myself to look back at Adele and Diane.
“Well then… Here we come!”
With that shout, Adele and Diane charged at me simultaneously.
Their spirit was quite impressive.
Their strategy of spreading out and approaching from opposite directions wasn’t bad either. Considering they managed to coordinate without much communication, it seemed both of them had a fundamental grasp of tactics.
After all, they had briefly shared a teacher in the past. It made sense for their thought processes to align to some extent.
From my left, Adele advanced, while Diane approached from my right.
I raised my right hand, which had been relaxed at my side, and moved it toward my left shoulder. Then, as if swatting away someone tapping my shoulder, I swung my sword from my body to behind my back.
Thwack!
“Ack!”
Adele’s sword was deflected downward.
Immediately, I shifted my arm to the right and made a wide swing.
“Eek!”
Diane let out a startled cry as she bent her body down in a hurry. My sword sliced through the air where her head had just been, making a sharp whooshing sound.
Her sudden, desperate movement caused the position of her sword, which had been aimed at me, to go astray.
To be honest, this wasn’t swordsmanship or anything like it. It was merely using brute force to block their attacks in succession.
Perhaps dissatisfied with this fact, the two narrowed their eyes sharply, adjusted their stances, and immediately aimed their swords at me again.
If their swordsmanship styles had been more varied, it would have been harder for me to respond.
I hadn’t met their teacher, but their technique was upright and honest. In truth, given their skill level, they’d likely be able to cut down most ordinary bandits with real swords. Their style minimized fancy techniques, instead focusing on channeling all their strength into their swords.
However, channeling all one’s strength into a sword also meant that if they lacked the strength, their blade would never touch their opponent.
The sound of wooden swords clashing echoed continuously.
After blocking Adele’s attack, I immediately moved to deflect Diane’s strike. I felt a bit guilty for thinking this, but it was almost like playing a rhythm game.
Was it easy? Not entirely. Both had developed quite refined swordsmanship. Objectively, Diane’s technique was a bit more polished due to longer tutelage under their mentor, but in terms of sheer strength, Adele had the upper hand.
If Adele and Diane were to wrestle, wouldn’t Adele overpower her without much trouble?
Of course, swordsmanship talent isn’t determined by strength alone. You need to be as intelligent as you are strong. It’s necessary to study how to connect movements and quickly decide on the right action for any given situation.
That’s where I lacked talent. Instead of thinking about how to connect my moves, I just changed my stance. This negated the purpose of learning swordsmanship.
Perhaps because I kept deflecting their attacks, they became even more frustrated, and their strikes quickened.
Hmm… At this point, maybe I should let them land a hit.
After a moment’s deliberation, I nodded inwardly.
Yes, I’ll let them hit me once.
Not because I felt sorry for them, but to solidify their bond.
Defeating an opponent they couldn’t reach alone by working together with a friend?
It would be foolish to pass up such a perfect trope.
Besides, Adele is someone who could potentially “like women.”
Wouldn't it be good if she took an interest in Diane? After all, she wouldn’t end up with Amelia, right?
Whatever happens between Adele and Diane afterward is their business. At the very least, it won’t involve Amelia.