Siesta gave a small yelp. She touched the sword of the fencer doll that began to move suddenly. Her finger got cut, and blood started dripping out.
“Don’t touch Alviss' with your hand.”
Louise kicked the doll to the ground with her feet.
“Lets go,” Louise urged Siesta, and they returned back to the tent.
Watching Louise’s and Siesta’s figures disappear, the hooded woman smiled.
Quietly, she lifted the hood up.
Ancient runes could be seen on her forehead.
When she gripped the Alviss', they started to shine.
It was Sheffield.
Chapter Nine: Myoznitnirn
Louise and Siesta were standing on the hill where Saito fought, looking down at the wide meadow below.
The morning sun rose from the other side of the mountain range, and light cracked through a crevice between the mountains, making the scenery more beautiful.
The previous day, both of them had walked almost 50 leagues. Even though the tent was put up and they slept at night, their legs still felt like a pair of sticks.
However, the spectacle before them was like medicine for their exhaustion.
With the mountain range far away, the faint fresh green grass was everywhere and contrasted it. It seemed unbelievable that this place, just one month ago, was a battlefield. The spectacle in front just could not be related with a tragic feast of iron, blood, and magic.
However, Saito held the enemy back, here.
“…Saito attacked 70,000 here.”
Here, my shield took my place.
What was he thinking?
The wide forest line could be seen off to the side. After explaining the issue, Louise borrowed a map of Albion from the Academy of Magic, made by the Tristain Academy of Geography.
Siesta looked over her shoulder.
“This is a map of the whole Albion continent.”
Louise cleared her throat and folded the map.
“I wonder if there is a village nearby…”
Siesta looked into the distance and pointed at the corner of the forest.
“There is a path there.”
There was a path that they didn't notice at night.
“It leads into the forest.”
“It’s easy to miss, but it doesn’t disappear within the forest.”
Though the path was not wide enough for a carriage to pass, it was wide enough for a person, and it seemed it was tread down rather firmly.
“Someone lives in there.”
Siesta said.
During those days…
In the forest of Westwood Village, Agnes and Saito set up their wooden swords.
Though Agnes said that technique was not important in war, she taught Saito some techniques. Techniques for rolling, cutting swords, and using swords; also the way to feint.
And now… Agnes talked about an ‘examination’.
Saito was told to use all the tricks and techniques he was taught in this one.
“Then, I will call you by name.”
Until now, Saito has always been referred to as ‘dog’.
“What is needed to be done?”
“Imitate actual combat, naturally.”
Then Saito inhaled deeply and lowered the sword.
“…What? This stance…”
Then Saito scooped the soil off the ground with the point of his sword, and threw it, aiming at Agnes's face.
“Teyaah!”
But… Agnes stood stone-still.
“Uh.”
“The soil won’t be caught into one’s eyes as easily as sand.”
“Sossu.”
Saito put on a serious look on his face and set up his sword.
And for a while, the feud continued.
“You are not charging in? Then, I will go.”
Agnes took a wide swing.
Fast… however, he did not hesitate.
Saito was moving according to it.
Once it started, he decided.
First, taking full-length swings with his sword…
Agnes taught him that striking from the beginning may not always pass. As taught, he kept dodging and adjusting his timing.
Therefore, long swings with the sword.
Bonnnn! The sound of a wooden sword hitting a shoulder echoed.
Garan! Followed by the sound of a wooden sword falling to the ground.
Saito dumbfounded, stared at his own hand.
It was firmly gripping the wooden sword.
Looking up… He saw Agnes kneeling on one knee and picking up the dropped sword.
“A-are you all right?!”
Saito ran up panicking. Agnes calmed Saito by standing up.
“I’m all right.”
After that, Agnes gave a smile.
“Surely, I'm matched with your sword's full-swings…”
“I thought it was the only chance of winning.”
Saito said in disbelief. He was really excited to be able to take out the musketeer commander.
“Moo, as promised, now I will call you by name, Faito.”
“It’s Saito.”
Said a disappointed Saito.
Leaning against a tree… Saito and Agnes were having some rest.
Agnes began to talk.
“Now then… since you passed the examination, I have one more thing to tell you.”
Saito turned.
“What?”
“The techniques I taught you have one thing in common.”
“Fmm?”
“They are all useless.”
“What?”
“In actual combat, an opponent is not always armed with a sword. You’ll never know, it could occasionally be a spear or a gun. Or a frightening mage. It may not even be human to begin with. You will not know if it’s a magical beast or demi-human. Even more, it could not be a one on one situation to begin with. If so, how long could you hang in there dodging? Sword fighing is not always useful.”
“Then what…”
“What did you do when you attacked me the first time?”
“Erm… I swung and lowered the sword.”
“And?”
“I pierced.”
“That’s right. This is the basic movement of real combat: swing, lower, pierce. It is good. Yet, you have to adapt to the situation.”
“Situation?”
“First of all, a surprise attack. Try to hit from behind. If it fails, and you have to fight face to face, wait for a chance. Search for a chance. Create it if there is none.”
“…And when I cannot create one?”
“Give your life up.”
“Really?”
“No, in real combat if you think you are defeated, you will be defeated. Technique and skill are worth nothing without self-confidence. So fake it, convince the opponent that he won. Lure him out of reality. This is the essence of victory.”
“Then, now…”
Saito recalled Agnes's swinging. Somehow, it felt as if it lacked his usual speed. In other words, Agnes…
”Of course, the purpose of it was to build up your confidence. Yet, that technique was worthy of victory.“
Saito face glowed.
“Thank you!”
“Now if you understand – wash your face.”
As said, his face was covered with sweat and dirt.
“Yeees!”
Saito cheerfully ran up through the field towards the stream.
“Fuah,” Agnes sighed shaking her hand, and Derflinger, who was leaning against the tree, asked.
“Pretended, really?”
Staring at Derflinger,Agnes answered.
“…Mo, it is still too early to evaluate his progress. But he has already forged a year's worth of practice, that of a considerable fighter.”
“Of course. He has more actual battle experience than you do. Even if the head does not remember, the body still recalls the threat on his life.”
Agnes quietly watched her hand, and then shook her head.
“Well… I went 80 percent. Yes.”
“80 percent?”
“Well, I may have gone fierce and went out 90 percent. Maybe.”