"......"

"Well done. Next time, pay a bit more attention to defense."

"...Thank you."

The sword sparring session with Harold, who had been dragging things out by going easy on me, ended in a rather anticlimactic way.

Just as I let my guard down, irritated by his lazy parries, Harold struck lightly, breaking my protective barrier.

When I was focused on defense, he didn’t even try to break through, but the moment I dropped my guard, he immediately went on the offensive, as if to lecture me. His intention was painfully obvious.