***Chapter 287 The Boy and The Onee-san - First Half***

The Black Flag Swordsmanship Training School, located in the castle town of the Royal Capital, opened its doors to children free of charge.

Naturally, there were some requests for cleaning, tool maintenance, and chores, and instruction was basically limited to teaching how to swing a sword, but it was their policy not to refuse anyone who came.

Even so, there was plenty of space in the dojo.

When it was built, the members of the unit donated their reward money, making it the largest dojo in the Royal Capital.

No matter how popular the Black Flag Special Forces were among the people, there were only a few people who could continue rigorous training based on admiration alone. Those who want to learn swordsmanship seriously usually prefer dojos with a history.

Although the Black Flag Swordsmanship Training Hall was well-known, it had a somewhat superficial image as a dojo. Despite an unusual number of admissions, the retention rate of students was not high.

It was because of these circumstances that they could afford to open their doors to children free of charge, and the directors also liked this ‘relaxed’ atmosphere and didn't see it as a problem.

It was enough for them to have enough students to keep the spacious dojo from going into the red, and the swordsmanship dojo was originally built as a place for familiar faces to gather in a peaceful world――they loved this place more than anything.

It was in a corner of the dojo.

Around twenty children under the age of 12 were gathered there, and today the one instructing the children was Zaka, a veteran who had been with the Century since its founding.

He looked like an old man, with a rather stern face and a scar over his left eye.

His body was still that of a warrior, and when a girl with a cookie in her mouth stood next to him, his imposing presence became even more pronounced.

Despite his strict instruction, he was very popular due to his interesting stories and kind demeanor during breaks.

When he explained the day's training and asked if there were any questions, a boy named Kyuris gathered his courage and spoke up.

"Um, is Krische-sama really... I mean, is she strong?"

It was a question I had been wondering about for a while. When he said it aloud, the silver-haired girl tilted her head.

A beautiful Onee-san in an apron dress.

She was very pretty, but cute and also child-like.

Though she was said to be quite old, around 60 or 70 to Kyuris, who turned 11 this year, she didn't look that way at all.

He had never seen her wield a sword.

She was always eating cookies in the dojo, chatting with the head instructor Kalua and the director, and the veteran Black Flag Special Forces members. She was more like a next door Onee-san than a warrior.

The burly ex-members who teach them looked much stronger, and in fact they were strong.

Their sword was so fast he couldn't even see it, and he could see how impressive the abilities of the head instructor――Kalua, nicknamed the Black Cat of Alberinea, were, as she easily handled those members.

However, it was hard to believe that this strange Onee-san was so strong that Kalua could not be a match for her.

Moreover, Kalua and Krische were like an aunt and niece in everyday life.

She would sit on Kalua’s lap or be held by her and be pampered, showing no sign of a warrior's spirit or pride.

"Kyuris! You――”

"Hii"

"Zarka, don't shout."

"But..."

Zarka glared at Kyris upon hearing his words.

Krische, not particularly bothered, told Zarka and then thoughtfully traced her lips with her finger.

"Hmm... Krische is fairly strong, I suppose."

"Fairly... So does that mean that Master Zarka and Master Kalua are stronger?"

"You idiot. I've said many times that not only me, but even Kalua is no match for her."

"Um... but Krische-sama is just as small as me, so I wonder if that's true..."

Far from being strong, she looked weak, but Kyuris decided to be considerate to Zarka.

Speaking of Alberinea, everyone knew that she was the greatest hero on the continent.

She could cut down any monster with a single swing. There were countless tales of her exploits, such as when she threw a spear that broke down a castle wall, or when she single-handedly cut through an army of 10,000 and sliced the head off an enemy general.

Before coming here, Kyuris had admired Alberinea and wanted to become a warrior like her, but the Alberinea he saw here was far from that story.

The only thing that matched was her beautiful appearance.

To be honest, he was disappointed because he had admired her so much.

"Indeed, Krische is small, so in that sense, you could say Krische is not very strong. It's true that being larger is advantageous... People who can't defeat Krische simply lack skill and experience... Hmm, if you ask Krische again if Krische is strong, Krische doesn't think Krische is that strong..."

"K-Krische-sama... Please have confidence. Otherwise, we will lose face."

"But Kyris is right. If there were a bigger Krische, she would be much stronger. Considering that, Krische who is under five shaku tall (~<150cm) isn't very strong..."

"Uhh, Such an unrealistic scenario is..."

Krische pondered while tilting her head, and Zarka repeatedly tried to convince her that she was undoubtedly the strongest.

Seeing this, Kyuris grew more skeptical.

Just by looking at her, he could tell she's a very kind person.

The queen's older sister and a military officer with a rank second only to the marshal. Even though she was supposed to be incredibly important, she was polite to everyone, humble and friendly, which was very admirable.

He could see that the other members of the unit , the Black Flag Special Company, made up of commoners, have a strong respect for her.

There was no doubt that their success was thanks to Krische, so it didn’t seem strange that they would exaggerate how amazing she was to repay that kindness.

She was a kind princess and master of the teachers, so it was understandable that they wanted children like Kyuris to like and respect her.

Furthermore, it was a fact that she was an incredible person who had never been defeated in war――when she was in a position to command tens of thousands of people, the strength of her sword was a minor issue.

Although it was better to be strong, Alberinea was still Alberinea even if she was weak. She was a hero of the kingdom.

Even if it was acceptable to embellish a bit, pointing out such things in public might not be good.

Seeing Zarka trying to assure Krische of her unmatched strength, Kyris bowed his head.

"Um, um... sorry. I said something rude..."

"...? No, don't worry about it. As Kyuris said, it's only natural that bigger people are stronger and have an advantage, and combat techniques are for weaker people to beat people stronger than them. Objectively speaking, a small Krische isn't strong, and would lose to a bigger person of equal ability."

Nodding seriously, she continues, as if convinced, that Krische is an adult who can properly acknowledge her own weaknesses.

Zarka was massaging his forehead next to her.

"Zarka, what's wrong?"

"*Sigh*..no, it's that stupid Kyuris..."

Then the head instructor of this dojo, Kalua, appeared.

There were small wrinkles on her beautiful face, but even in old age, she still has a dignified beauty.

Known as the Black Cat of Alberinea, her hair was mixed with some gray, but her lit posture and movements give a clear air of a strong woman to Kyuris.

Perhaps it was because he knew the speed of her sword.

Just thinking about how she could unleash a storm of swords in an instant from this relaxed posture sends chills down my spine――her aura was completely different from that of the Onee-san in the apron dress.

Zarka briefly relayed the story, and Kalua laughed happily as she patted Krische on the head and looked at Kyuris.

Krische took Kalua's arm with a happy smile and immediately embraced her without any embarrassment.

As expected, she had no warrior's air about her.

"I see, I see, so it’s about that time for Kyuris as well."

"That time..."

"Buck and Boji said something similar when they first came."

"Buck and the others did the same thing as me...?"

Buck and Boji were senior disciples who were also assistant instructors at the dojo.

Buck in particular is an incredible person who had become an assistant instructor only with his skill, without any special talent for magic――he was respected by most of the students.

Kyuris was somehow happy that she made the same point as those two, and his eyes shone.

"All right, all right, raise your hand if you think Usa-chan looks weak. It's okay, I won't get angry."

The children around Kyuris look at each other at Kalua's words, and one by one, they raise their hands, until almost all the children have raised their hands.

Krische looked at them with a carefree look on her face, and Kalua laughed until her shoulder shook.

Zarka sighed, making a frown saying

“I always try to teach them not to be fooled by appearances, but..."

"Well, they are children after all. Do you think Usa-chan looks strong, Shelicia?"

The cute brown-haired girl――Shelicia nodded, watching the other children.

"Um... my father once saw Krische-sama on the battlefield... he saw her slashing dozens of enemies..."

"I see, so that's the direction you're heading. Do the other two who didn't raise their hands feel the same way?"

The other two who didn't raise their hands also nod.

The three of them, including Shelicia, were children whose parents were in the military.

Shelicia in particular always looked at Krische with a strange look on her face, and he, but that was probably why.

Certainly this 'Onee-san' didn’t look like someone capable of killing dozens of enemies.

"Alright, next, raise your hand if you think Director Mia looks weak."

This time, Kyuris raised his hand, and Shelicia and the others did too.

It was unanimous.

"Hmm, this is a serious situation. Zarka, haven't you been slacking off on their training?"

"...Maybe I focused too much on making it an amusing joke. It was well received, though..."

"Usa-chan. Apparently they think Usa-chan is as weak as Mia."

"Hmm, just as weak as Mia..."

"Yeah. Same as Mia. As an Alberinea of the kingdom, I think we should change this perception... What do you think? How about joining us for a little training camp?"

"Training camp...?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking about going to the nearby forest for a change of pace for about two nights and three days, and I also wanted Usa-chan's permission for that..."

Kalua then dragged Krische away while saying something.

Zarka sighed and scratched his head, saying the talk was over and began to instruct Kyuris and the others.

They had already finished some light warm-up exercises, and started with a hundred practice swings each.

Downward swing, cross, sweeping, upward slash, and vice versa.

For the time being, the children's training focuses on getting used to swinging the sword, and by the time they finish this they are usually exhausted, so after a break they begin training in the Lorka style――a form of battlefield swordsmanship in which the left hand is placed forward.

Children could receive instruction for free, but the training itself is quite hard.

Quite a few students gave up and went home after the endless practice swings.

Students were free to join training any time the dojo was open, but that also means that no one would complain if they skipped.

It took a lot of willpower to voluntarily go to a rigorous training session without being forced to do so.

It's usually more fun to play outside with other children, and half of the children quit on the first day.

Of the ten who joined, only one or two remain six months later.

Kyuris has been there for two years, and so was Shelicia.

She has been training here since she was nine years old, making her a fairly veteran among the children.

Her abilities are also among the best, and he was often paired with her for demonstration and combat practice.

It could be said that half of the reason Kyuris has been able to continue this far was thanks to Shelicia.

She started at the same time and continued to attend the same classes, and although she had a slightly mysterious air about her, she was smart, cute, and serious.

He started this because he admired Alberinea, but before he knew it, half of the reason for it was to spend time with her.

"Do you really think Krische-sama is strong, Shelicia?"

"...No private talk."

"The instructor is over there, so it's fine."

She dodged her horizontal slash by lowering her body――Shelicia has good eyes.

Her movements were always meticulous, calm.

She never swung her sword recklessly, her strikes are sharp and quick, always lethal.

Most of the time Kyuris would either win by forcefully pushing through, or lose.

Their strength was almost even, but――

"Ugh."

"I win. ...That's what happens when you lose focus."

More often than not, Kyris would lose when he was not fully concentrated.

With a sword pointed at his neck, Kyris raised both hands in surrender, and Shelicia sighed, ‘Good grief’, as she glared at him.

Even when she's angry, Shelicia was cute.

Shelicia, looking resigned, began to swing her sword slowly.

Kyuris moved slowly to match her movements, dodging the sword.

The practice was designed to swing the sword slowly to check each other's movements――but it was also good for a little chat.

Shelicia liked this practice anyway, and it goes without saying that Kyuris wanted to talk to her.

If offered the opportunities, she would respond positively when asked.

"...When I told my father that I met Krische-sama at the dojo, he told me many times with a scary face that I should never make her angry. You know my father, right?"

"Aah, yeah... he's a scary guy."

There were many wild guys at the dojo, but Shelicia's father was no less intimidating.

He'd been in the military for nearly forty years―since the Dismantling War and was a centurion who rose up from rank and file soldiers, he seemed like a man who wouldn't understand jokes.

"My father doesn't lie, and honestly... I feel like if I attacked Krische-sama, I’d be easily defeated."

"Well...sure compared to us, she’s..."

"No, not just that. Even when she's hugging Instructor Kalua, even though she looks so full of openings, I feel like that's not the case... I mean, the other instructors don't show any openings in the first place, right?"

Shelicia whispered as she swung her sword diagonally.

Kyuris blocked it with his sword, sweeping it to the left.

"Getting countered by someone with no openings is normal, but it's weird to think someone who looks full of openings would counterattack, so I think she must be really strong..."

"Maybe you're just getting scared from hearing stories like that?"

"...Maybe."

The children were free to attack the instructor or assistant instructor at any time while they're in the dojo.

There's a strange rule like that here, as part of the training.

For example, even during an explanation like the one before, or when their arm was taken by Krische, they wouldn't be scolded if they attacked.

Only the mischievous kids who've just joined the dojo――and Kyuris was one of them in the past actually do this, and they stop soon after realizing that the instructor didn't show any weaknesses, but even now, regardless of whether they do it or not, it's considered good to look at the instructor in that way.

That said――

"Does Shelicia always look at Krische-sama with that in mind?"

"O-only sometimes. Not all the time..."

That's limited to the instructor and assistant instructor.

As expected, there were no children who would slash at Alberinea.

One reason was that she was an incredibly important person, but the main reason was that she was too vulnerable.

Even if it's for practice, even a child could tell that if the wooden sword hits someone and injures them, they would definitely be scolded, so in a sense, they were able to slash at the instructor because they feel safe knowing that they would be fine.

Injuries were inevitable when practicing swordsmanship, but that didn’t mean that people would intentionally injure others, and if they did, it would be frowned upon.

If you could strike at a small opening shown by an opponent with no openings, you might be praised for being great, but no one would call you a great person if you strike at an opponent with only openings.

That's why he was a little surprised that Shelicia was thinking such things while looking at Krische.

"She's always so full of openings, I've never thought of her like that... She's an important person..."

From the corner of his eye, he watched Krische sitting on Kalua's lap in the corner of the dojo, talking to the director Mia, who had appeared without him noticing, and he imagined himself hitting her on the head with his wooden sword.

He could see her tilting her head in confusion――Kyuris frowned.

"Hey. It's fine to talk, but focus."

"Ah, ah... sorry."

Shelicia, who seemed annoyed, reprimanded him, and Kyris realized he couldn’t imagine Krische being hurt.

He could only picture her beautiful face looking at him curiously.

For some reason, even in his imagination, Kyuris sword couldn’t hit her.

For some mysterious reason, Kyuris sword would be cutting in a different direction, and that purple face was looking at him curiously.

――Yes, curiously.

Not angry, not surprised, just as if asking, ‘What's wrong?’.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand why.

But for some reason, Kyuris just couldn't imagine his sword hitting her.

A month later, the swordsmanship training camp, called the ‘Swordsmanship Exchange Camp’, took place.

It was held in a small forest north of the capital used by the Black Flag Special Forces for training, lasting three days and two nights.

It was a joint event involving not just the Black Flag Swordsmanship Dojo but also other dojos in the capital.

With the military training ground nearby, it was technically a state――military-owned area.

Even though it was run by former private soldiers, it would be unfair to open the place up to one private dojo free of charge, so other dojos were also invited.

In addition, active military personnel were allowed to participate if they wanted to――the sword dojo itself has over 100 students, but with nearly 300 people from the military and other fields gathering, it became a fairly large training camp.

This was probably because there was talk of Alberinea also attending incognito.

It was said that there were particularly many military personnel who wanted to participate, so a lottery was held to select those who wanted to participate.

Mia, the director of the dojo, had dark circles under her eyes because she was very busy with this project that started with Kalua's idea, but the children, including Kyuris, who had been allowed to participate with permission from their parents, were in a festive mood.

A sword training camp where the best swordsmen from all over the royal capital gather.

No one who frequented a swordsmanship dojo would feel otherwise.

On the morning of the day, the students gathered in front of the dojo, then walked down the northern street of the royal capital to the military training center.

Just as they had joined up with the other people from the dojo and the military, a man in armor appeared in front of Kyuris, who was walking with Shelicia.

"I-it's been a while, uncle."

"Oh, Kyuris? ...You've grown so much since I last saw you."

Though nearly sixty, he still looked strong.

Even without wearing a lion's mane helmet, no one would mistake him for a mere soldier.

His stern face is covered in scars, and although he's not tall, he's muscular――the armor suited him so well that he couldn’t tell where the leather armor ends and the clothes end.

The only thing that matches the cute Shelicia was his brown hair.

Merkes stroked his short, graying beard and smiles, then lightly patted Shelicia on the head.

"You're always taking care of Shelicia. I hear your stories almost every day, so it doesn't feel like it's been that long."

"!..Otou-san”

Shelicia glared at Merkes, her white skin slightly red, and Kyuris' heart leapt at what he heard.

Shelicia, who was usually a little cold, was talking about him at home.

That alone made him incredibly happy.

Shelicia glared back and forth between her father and Kyuris, then turned away with her cheeks still red, saying that she didn’t really talk about Kyuris that much――it was cute how she looked like that.

"Are you going to join us, uncle?"

"I was a little worried about Shelicia staying alone overnight... Besides, I also wanted to say hello to the people at the dojo again, and I'm interested in the fact that master swordsmen are gathering together. I feel a little bad for those who didn't win the lottery, but..."

Generally, soldiers were selected by lottery, but soldiers who were guardians like Merkes, or who had direct or indirect connections with the people at the dojo, were given priority in attending.

That's probably what he was talking about.

"It's a rare opportunity. I want to learn as much as I can and bring it back to my unit."

"...Learn."

"No matter how much experience you gain, it's never enough. If you don't consciously learn, as you get older you will only deteriorate... soldiers especially cannot be satisfied with the status quo. Even the slightest bit of arrogance can lead to the death of your comrades."

Merkes said as he walked, as if he was remembering something.

The words of a soldier who had seen the actual battlefield carried weight.

"I heard you want to become a soldier in the future. If you pick up a sword to protect others, losing is not an option. Always learn, train diligently, and strive for more than perfect results."

"Y-yes..."

"... On the battlefield, even after all that effort, there are many senseless deaths. Remember that."

Kyris saluted in response, and Merkes smiled wryly.

"Well, under the reign of Her Majesty the Great Queen. There won't be many wars in the future, and it's not like you've decided to become a soldier... but even in everyday life, because of your sword skills, you can become arrogant and unknowingly step into danger."

Then he stroked Kyuris's head.

"...The truly strong train to understand their weaknesses. The more you learn, the more you realize your ignorance, the more you wield your sword, the more you see your own weakness. That's why you grow. No matter what path you take, never forget humility."

"...Yes."

This was exactly what a warrior should be. A soldier worthy of being called a centurion.

The hand on his head was gentle, but heavy.

Always being humble was one of the teachings of the instructors.

Even the head instructor, Kalua, laughed and said that she was still immature.

Although they hadn't spoken much, Shelicia's father, Merkes, was a perfect warrior and someone Kyuris looked up to, so his words made him feel tense.

But Shelicia looked at Kyuris as if he was a fool.

"...Kyuris and humility are like oil and water."

"Y-you..."

"Kuku, don't say that, Shelicia. Recklessness and failure are only forgivable when you're a child... Sometimes, a little arrogance can be used to motivate you, so it's not a bad thing."

Merkes laughed with amusement.

"The words I spoke in a high-handed manner were just second-hand, and I didn't really understand them back then either.... But if you remember and put in the effort, one day you'll truly understand them. Like me."

"... I don't think Kyuris can become Otou-san."

"You..."

Shelicia looked at Kyuris with clear doubts, and Kyuris glared at Shelicia.

――At that moment, a scream-like voice was heard.

He turned around quickly to face the back of the line, and there stood a green beast, taller than a human.

"Kyuris, Shelicia. You two look like good friends today."

“Krische-sama――”

Instead of her usual apron dress, she was wearing a black cloak, shirt, and skirt.

Kyuris was about to answer when he felt the atmosphere change in an instant, and looked at Merkes.

The smile from earlier was gone, and in a half-stiff salute, he clicked his heels. Along with him, all the military participants in the line simultaneously stopped and saluted.

"At ease. You can keep walking. Today, Krische is here incognito, not as a soldier."

"Ha!"

Merkes and the others answered in unison.

Then, seeing Krische return the salute and start walking again, everyone started walking again.

The atmosphere had been somewhat cheerful up until a moment ago, but the entire line seemed tense.

She wasn't there until a while ago――she must have been riding Suiko.

It was well known that Suiko was her mount, and it seemed that it was occasionally brought to the training center, but this was the first time Kyuris had actually seen one.

With shoulders standing over eight shaku tall and limbs as thick as logs, just being there was enough to make him feel as if his inside was frozen.

One bite would surely destroy the top half of Kyuris.

The black lines on the green fur make a pattern, and together with the eyes, it exudes a ferocious presence.

The girl on top of the monster has the same face as she did at the dojo.

She naturally sat on the side of the monster and patted its back.

Kyuris could see that Shelicia's face was pale, and his face was probably the same.

Alberinea, who looks relaxed, looks at Kyuris and Shelicia, then turns to Merkes.

"You must be the centurion from Aleha. Krische recognizes you."

"H-ha. I'm Merkes Kirsveg, a centurion of the Second Corps, Third Battalion, Alberinea. I heard from Shelicia that you always take care of her, so I'd like to thank you――"

"You don't look much alike."

Krische gives her honest opinion, gazing intently at Merkes' face.

As they walked, Merkes' face looked a little tense.

"Ah, are you perhaps the one who stumbled in the first battle of the Demolition War?"

"Y-you remember...?"

"Yes. ... As time passes, people grow beards and build muscles like you, so there are quite a few discrepancies... but you were still alive. You looked so stupid, so Krische thought you must have been dead a long time ago."

"Ha. ... I made a fool of myself back then. If Alberinea hadn't been here, I probably wouldn't have been alive that day."

Kyuris looked at Merkes and Kyuris in confusion, frowning.

"Anyway, you're a centurion under Aleha now, that's a good thing. Make sure you train your subordinates properly so they don't become fools who get ahead of themselves and stumble on the battlefield like you."

"... Ha."

"Kyuris, Shelicia, see you later. Gururun, to Mia."

She patted Midori's back, and it was over in an instant.

With incredible speed disproportionate to its size, the Suiko was at the front of the line in the blink of an eye.

Kyuris and the others looked on in amazement, then heard a sigh of relief and looked at Merkes.

"Uncle, that story…"

"Yeah, at my first battle"

Merkes gave a bitter smile,

"...I was in a hurry to achieve success and ended up falling in front of the enemy. Alberinea broke through right next to me, and I was lucky to survive because the enemy hesitated… But for her to remember the face of a mere soldier like me in that chaos, she is truly terrifying."

Merkes looked at the distant figure of Krische on the Suiko with a mix of awe and fear.

"...She's the epitome of the unreasonable. There's nothing more unreasonable on the battlefield than facing her. She cuts through enemy lines as if parting grass, and takes the heads of generals as easily as picking fruit."

Then Merkes placed his hands on the shoulders of the two.

"I've heard she's a gentle person, and I do think that’s true. But just because she appears easygoing, don't ever be rude to her. She's the most cold-hearted and merciless person when it comes to taking life."

He spoke in a gravely serious tone.