The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 139
EP.139 Rival (1)
"The world has advanced quite a lot."
As we waited for departure, the Sword Saint looked at the airship and shared his thoughts.
"Back in my youth, I never would have imagined that humans would be flying through the sky like this."
Hadn’t people relied more on swords than guns during the Sword Saint’s younger days?
A few decades ago, swordsmen who could wield aura had been much more dominant. Firearms and cannons had existed back then, and guns had already used cartridge casings. However, since mass production was only beginning to take shape, bullets had been far more expensive. As a result, most armies had preferred single-shot firearms. That was also why they had insisted on including cumbersome mechanisms like 'magazine cutoffs' in their weapons.
Things had changed in modern warfare, where fighter jets soared through the skies, steam-powered tanks rolled across battlefields, and machine guns laid down suppressive fire. Thankfully, the northern warlords had yet to gain access to such cutting-edge weaponry.
"Even so, Sword Saint, your magnificent swordsmanship will never lose its brilliance."
"……."
The voice dripping with flattery came from beside us. It was Jayden. He had been eyeing me and Alice for a while now, clearly hoping for an introduction to the Sword Saint. But I had no intention of talking to Jayden, and Alice… Alice was still furious. She was likely fuming because I had called Jayden " big brother" before I ever called her "big sister."
I wanted to say it out loud, but I had no idea how Alice might explode if I did, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Instead, she had found Jayden as a convenient target to vent her frustration.
"I am Jayden Fangriffon, commander of the Griffon Knights."
"So, you're a prince as well."
The Sword Saint glanced briefly in my direction before speaking.
"Unintentionally, I ended up taking both of your younger sisters as my disciples."
At those words, Jayden’s mouth fell slightly open. His gaze toward me became unbearably intense, so I averted my eyes.
"I-Is that so?"
A flicker of expectation crossed Jayden’s face.
Since the Sword Saint had already accepted two of the Emperor’s children as disciples, he must have been wondering if he, too, might have a chance.
"Seeing how well you've grown, it must run in the family."
Then, the Sword Saint glanced at Alice and me once more. The way he looked at Alice and the way he looked at me were noticeably different. He had likely discerned something from my movements during training earlier. While he hadn’t seen Jayden’s skills firsthand yet… If he had already seen through my tricks, then he would naturally be curious about Jayden’s abilities as well.
For the Sword Saint, this was another clue to solving a puzzle.
It was just like him to approach things this way.
"Hmm."
The Sword Saint let out a thoughtful hum before speaking again.
"A knight order’s commander, huh?"
A sly smile crept onto his lips.
"I’d like to see for myself whether the Empire’s knightly swordsmanship has been maintained."
If this were a game, a massive exclamation mark would have popped up above Jayden’s head at that moment.
"It would be my utmost honor to welcome you anytime!"
…Hmm.
As I watched the two of them interact, one thought crossed my mind. Once I gathered all the information I needed, I was definitely resetting time to the beginning. If those two ended up getting along, it would be a much bigger headache than simply calling Jayden "big brother."
*
The airship, now emptied of its supplies, moved faster than when it had been laden with cargo. Though the difference in speed wasn’t dramatic, the fact that it didn’t have to stop along the way and wasn’t affected by road conditions—unlike steam automobiles or trains—meant that it reached the capital far more quickly. Well, considering that an average steam locomotive ran at about 100 km/h, an unburdened airship was naturally much faster in absolute terms.
There wasn’t any grand welcoming ceremony when I departed or when I arrived. Though I was a princess, arranging a formal reception every time I traveled would have been excessive, given how often I moved around. The same went for Alice, the so-called “only true-blooded” imperial princess.
However—
"…What is all that commotion?"
The Sword Saint asked as he peered out the window of the descending transport ship.
Outside, knights in crisp white uniforms stood in formation. There were about twenty of them, a mix of younger and older individuals. Though some appeared to be more seasoned, all were clearly younger than the Sword Saint. Beyond the knights, rows of soldiers in standard military uniforms were standing at attention.
"Is this because there are two princesses on board?"
"No."
Alice and I both shook our heads at the same time. Judging from Alice’s expression, she seemed to have an idea about what was going on—likely the same suspicion I had.
"…Jayden must have orchestrated this."
Even though the northern front and the capital were quite far apart, they were still connected by telephone lines.
With just a single message saying the Sword Saint was on his way, this kind of welcome would have been easy to arrange.
"Heh."
The Sword Saint let out an incredulous chuckle and turned to look at me.
"You see? This is exactly why I lived in seclusion in the mountains."
This didn’t seem like an official ceremony. More likely, it was something put together by the personnel stationed at the airbase and knights from the capital who had taken the liberty of gathering.
I suspected that many others had wanted to come but couldn’t.
As the airship drew closer to the ground, I could make out the faces of the gathered knights and soldiers more clearly. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just common soldiers standing there. Among them were quite a few officers in dark-colored uniforms that contrasted with the enlisted soldiers’ attire. And among those officers, I spotted a familiar face.
Jennifer.
She was wearing a military uniform that closely resembled my school uniform, standing tall as she looked up at us.
The expression on her face was easy to read—she was trying very hard to suppress her laughter. Seeing his excited disciple waiting to tease him, deep wrinkles formed on the Sword Saint’s forehead.
*
"The capital is as chaotic as ever."
"It has been about ten years since your last visit, hasn’t it?"
"It feels even more chaotic this time… thanks to you, Jennifer."
Jennifer, who had been in the capital for academy-related matters, rushed to join the welcoming ceremony as soon as she heard her master was arriving.
Even as she escorted the Sword Saint to his quarters, she continued to tease him.
"Who would have thought I’d see you in a place like this, Master?"
"……."
Whether he had no response to that remark or simply realized arguing would only make things worse, the Sword Saint remained silent.
"Where am I staying?"
Instead, he turned to me and asked.
"…The Imperial Palace."
At my answer, the Sword Saint’s expression became even more pronounced, so I quickly added,
"Only temporarily. We will arrange separate lodgings for you outside the palace soon."
"Oh, come now, Master. Where could be better than the Imperial Palace? After all, your achievements in the last war were—"
The Sword Saint’s hand shot out, but Jennifer effortlessly dodged to the side.
"So much for staying quiet and keeping a low profile."
The Sword Saint stared at his hand, now cutting through empty air, and let out a deep sigh.
…Should I apologize?
Then again, if we were to be honest, the biggest reason things had escalated like this was Jayden.
Sure, I had played a part, but ultimately, Jayden’s excitement in reporting to the capital had turned this into such a spectacle. If he had just kept his mouth shut, at least the Sword Saint wouldn’t be this irritated!
"Fine, then."
The Sword Saint suddenly spoke in an eerily calm voice.
"Since I’ll be staying near my disciples anyway, I’ll do my best to train you all to the fullest."
"……."
His voice and expression were far more composed than before—
—Yet, somehow, this was the angriest I had ever seen him. Was it just my imagination?
Beside me, Jennifer let out a small whistle.
"You guys are in trouble."
"……."
"When Master gets like this, he’s being completely serious. Sylvia, you should be grateful. This could be your chance to see your swordsmanship improve explosively."
…And my body would be left in tatters, as if caught in an explosion.
"Ah, well, I actually have some urgent business back in my territory—"
"What nonsense is that?"
Even I, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to these things, could sense something ominous. So, naturally, Leo—who had trained in swordsmanship for years—must have felt it even more intensely, as if his very life was in danger.
But, of course, the Sword Saint had no intention of letting him escape.
"How does it make sense for one disciple to skip training while the others undergo instruction? Wasn’t it your plan to spend the rest of the break honing your skills in seclusion? What happened to that?"
Then, with a gentle smile, the Sword Saint turned to Alice and me.
"There must be at least one more spare room in the Imperial Palace, right? It is the palace, after all."
"……."
…Yeah.
He was definitely serious about this.