9 – Guardian Knight – (3)

Milia Liantour had a diligent personality.

Whatever she did, she walked out first. Because if I didn’t, it was clear that I would fall behind.

Even in the long-historic Liantur family, he was born without any special assortment. Compared to a prominent family, her talent was not great. No one expected her.

But rather, it became a huge motivation for Miria. As much as the family did not expect from her, she tried herself. He swung his sword day and night and devoted himself to training.

It was the title of Guardian Knight he had obtained. It would have been impossible without bone-breaking efforts.

The effort continued even after becoming a Guardian Knight. Millia was behind the other Guardian Knights in terms of skill and experience. In order to stand shoulder to shoulder, I had no choice but to reduce my sleep.

It was safe to say that no knight in the Royal Guard slept less than her. That’s how hard she was.

In the early morning when such milia takes place, it was common for no one to be present at the parade ground and only a chilly wind to linger around.

“Strange.”

that would be normal

What has that man been doing since the wind in the morning?

Milia thought that while looking at Fried.

Before the sun rises, I spend time swinging a sword with a soldier at the parade ground. After sparring all morning, I thought I would go back to my inn in the afternoon, then I walked out again and swung my sword at the scarecrow until evening. That man had been repeating such a life for three days.

Painful effort could be said to be the virtue of a knight. Millia, who is nothing short of an icon of hard work, had no intention of denying that.

However, the sword he wielded did not contain any skill or conviction. A movement no different from that of an ignorant child swinging a toy.

At first, I watched it because I was curious about what it was, but now it has become one of Milia’s daily routine.

“Milia, you’re here.”

“Sir Lautrec.”

Before I knew it, Lautrec approached and took a seat next to Milia.

“Were you watching Fried?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Did you even become interested in it? Did you usually hate it so much, but ended up following a handsome guy?”

Jerrit, when I looked at him, Lautrec sighed.

“It’s not like that. I just wondered if it was right to abuse my body like that without putting on mana. Without even showing my skills.”

“Well, of course you would think so.”

The blue spirit riding on Lautrec’s shoulder gently shook his legs.

When Millia’s eyes met, the spirit quickly averted her gaze.

After a while, Lautrec opened his mouth.

“The decision of the meeting is starting to get a glimpse.”

“What about the result?”

“Well, as expected. Princess Lynchia will be the next empress. Of course, the ceremony will take place after the coming-of-age ceremony. Before that, the consent of the Senate must be obtained unconditionally. At the same time, the news of the death of the emperor will be announced to all the people of the empire. It is.”

“That’s what it is.”

“Yes. Everywhere, they’ll try to tear us apart. From now on, you can’t try to think finitely. Because the enemy is everywhere.”

Lautrec smiled bitterly.

In fact, the moment the crisis in the imperial family was announced, they would draw their swords. From the church’s point of view, it was obvious that they would prepare a new attack on the news that the bloodline of the imperial family, which should have been slaughtered, remained.

Of course, since she has already done a great job once, she will not try to launch an all-out war, but she has to protect the empress candidate from the enemies’ sneaky and meticulous operations.

There are many enemies of the empire besides the foreign denominations. In the meantime, other countries and other evil forces that have been suppressed by the absolute authority of the emperor will raise their heads and jump into this chaos to secure their share.

But the enemy is not just outside. From now on, you will have to deal with the enemy within.

Miria was overwhelmed by the terrible situation that was about to unfold and bit her lower lip hard.

“In that sense, Fried probably knows what I’m doing best.”

“That one?”

“It may seem pointless, but look at that soldier.”

A soldier sparring with Fried. A soldier with a slender body and a neutral appearance.

“Doesn’t a soldier who was burdened with swordsmanship not too long ago fight quite well now? It doesn’t seem like he’s being pushed back in a power struggle against a knight.”

“That’s where it goes.”

“Because Fried fought roughly?”

Lautrec, anticipating what Milia said behind her back, struck first.

“If you don’t fight lightly, you won’t be an opponent in the first place.”

“Do you want to say education at eye level? Sir Fried is nurturing soldiers? That person thinks and acts that far?”

“I don’t know. Fried is a guy who jumps out all over the place. It could have other meanings. Maybe it’s just interest.”

When Lautrec trembled, the spirit on his shoulder, Sylphy, laughed at Milia.

Sylphy used to show such a rude attitude whenever she saw Milia.

but can’t be tracked For Milia, who had low spirit affinity, seeing only her appearance was the limit. You can’t even hear it when you talk.

Lautrec said with his eyes fixed on Fried.

“But what’s certain is that Fried is doing something. In this situation.”

this situation now.

The Emperor died, the Royal Guard was destroyed, two Guardian Knights died, and the only thing left was Princess Lyncia, who was not old enough.

Could there have been a darker and more desperate period in the history of the Empire?

There won’t be any in the future.

“So, Millia, don’t bother pretending to be with him and accept it as much as possible. One skill is a certain knight.”

Lautrec was right.

Because Fried’s skills were unparalleled. Right away, even at the time of the terror, it was said that he had beaten the assassin who killed Oswald with his bare hands. I had no intention of denying it.

“But.”

The head understands, but the heart rejects it.

Miria took a deep breath and continued.

“I still cannot acknowledge him as a colleague.”

The memory was still vivid.

On the first day he had just been appointed as a Guardian Knight, the day he thought his efforts had been recognized, Fried called Milia.

Then he undermined her efforts by saying harsh words that were difficult to put into his mouth.

The next moment, she drew her sword… … .

“I’m not saying admit it. I’m saying use it.”

“that’s.”

“Anyway, I need Fried’s skills. It’s strange that they don’t cooperate. Neither do I.”

The saying that you should borrow even a child’s hand is probably talking about now.

Of course, Fried was too big for a bracken hand.

Millia sighed and lowered her gaze.

“I know, me too. But what can I say to Sir Fried now?”

Even in the hospital room, didn’t he leave a threat and come out?

We didn’t get along well, but I wondered if it was completely wrong.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if it was too much for a knight who sacrificed himself for the empire. Millia felt a bit of regret.

“Then try this.”

Lautrec unwrapped something from his waistband and handed it over.

Looking closely, it was a sword. A scabbard with silver patterns beautifully embroidered on gray steel.

It looked familiar. Because it was the sword that Fried used.

“It’s been away. It must have been lost in the middle of the chaos. I couldn’t get enough of it.”

“Why are you giving me this…”

“That’s why I’m trying to open up a conversation somehow.”

“Conversation…….”

“I’ll take care of your lack of sociability. In the sense that you shouldn’t yell at me more like last time.”

Milia couldn’t find the words to refute and mumbled. Rather, each and every one of his actions gave strength to Lautrec’s argument.

Laughing, Lautrec put down his sword and stood up.

“As long as there is no Sir Yuriard, there are only three of us in the Royal Guard.”

“…”

“Milia, you’re also a Guardian Knight. You can’t be far behind, can you?”

“……Yes.”

Her eyes glowed serenely.

*

shock.

Korra’s swiftly flying sword. I avoided it by slightly bending my head. Cora used the recoil to spin and land a second sword strike.

I put my sword in the path.

Crackle.

The wooden swords collided with each other and there was the sound of cutting wood. After a brief struggle, I twisted my wrist and deflected Cora’s sword.

Korra’s wooden sword falling down on my blade. The moment when the thorny day draws near enough to make your eyes dizzy.

Using her crossguard, she broke Korra’s sword, deflected it, and burrowed into him.

“Ugh.”

Cora didn’t lose, corrected her stance, and swung, but I was a step faster.

He grabbed the sword and thrust it into his throat.

“…was lost.”

“And I won.”

Cora dropped her sword and raised her hands.

It was already the 10th consecutive win. No, if you add up yesterday’s, it’s going to be about 15 wins in a row?

It was now the third day since I started sparring with Cora. In the process, I became quite confident. Now I have the confidence that I won’t lose a single game even if I fight 100 times.

On the first day, I was beaten behind, but from the second day, the number of wins gradually increased, and today it was overwhelming.

“As expected, since you show your true feelings, you can’t even compete with someone like me.”

After training with her, Cora seemed to realize that I wasn’t as bad as rumored anymore. Because the way you treated me made me more nervous.

I shrugged.

Of course, he didn’t show his true intentions or look after Cora.

I just grew up.

“You worked hard. It’s okay if you don’t come out tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank you!”

No, it’s hard to even call it growth.

As the time spent sword-to-hand with Cora increased, each experience this body remembered came back to life like a deep sleep.

I could sense it. While confronting opponents, I naturally realized which actions were the most effective and where I was most vulnerable. Rather, my body moved faster than I thought.

I was ignorant of swordsmanship, but in just two days, I was assured of a 100% victory against a skilled soldier.

This overwhelming achievement was by no means achieved with my own talent. Thanks to Fred’s talent. It was closer to synchronization than growth.

It would be correct to say that my mind was assimilated into his body.

Of course, this was by no means all of Fried’s potential.

I intuitively realized that I could no longer grow up to be an opponent of Korra. I had to encounter and fight a stronger enemy.

It was for that reason that Corara let go of a good punching bag.

“Then suffer.”

“yes.”

As I looked with pity at Cora’s back as she struggled to guide her wobbly legs back to the inn, I heard a loud clearing of my throat.

Then a woman’s voice followed.

“I’m working hard on training, … you’re working hard.”

I turned my head and looked towards Milia, standing there with her slightly flushed cheeks and her mouth covered.

… … You bit your tongue

Feeling ashamed, she didn’t respond and just stared at me, and she cleared her throat again.

“You’ve been guiding the soldiers. Very good.”

“……A map? This? Where did you look?”

I’m just a fan of coming as a practice partner. How the hell do you think of this as a map?

“That humility that hides my skills in line with the opponent’s level. I think it’s a virtue of a knight.”

what are you saying, what the heck

“Did you eat something wrong?”

“…”

Millia turned around for a moment. It seemed to clear my mind.

Is that why you hate this guy named Fried? When I heard the story, it was worth it.

Milia turned to me again, her lips tightly closed.

“that that.”

Her stiff body moved and handed her a bundle.

A silver steel scabbard shone through the finely wrapped red cloth.

Its identity was known without having to check it.

It was the sword I picked up and threw during the National Day celebration.

“It’s my sword. Did you find it?”

At first glance, it seemed like a precious sword, so I regretted throwing it after hitting the ground. I was at a loss as to how to find this again, but I was very fortunate.

I turned to color, took the sword, and looked at her.

Milia moved her stiff facial muscles and answered sparsely.

“That… came and picked it up.”

Why is he doing this today?

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