77

Sect 12. Swordsmanship

"What did you say? Tell me again. His Highness made it to the semi-finals of the sword fighting tournament? Not in the preliminaries, but in the finals?"

Elena, who had been restricted in her activities as Lucia, was finally able to meet with Khalif. Elena, who had heard about the situation in the meantime, was surprised by the news of Sian that came by chance.

"Have you been deceived? How many times do I have to tell you he's reached the semi-finals."

"Lies."

"If you don't believe me, go outside and ask anyone passing by. If I am right or wrong."

Khalif protested strongly as if she was unfair, but Elena couldn't hear.

'What happened?'

Elena couldn't quite understand it. In the original history of the academy, Sian had never been ranked high or shown any significant ability in the sword fighting department. During her time at the academy, she had been around Sian all the time, so she knew him better than anyone else.

'In the semifinals, he's as good as any of the other knights, so… what's going on? Why?

Elena was confused by the results, which were so different from what she remembered. Elena knew that the current students of the School of Swordsmanship were no slouches when it came to swordsmanship. Elena knew this, but she couldn't help but be suspicious.

"Did you hear how he won? Maybe there was a fluke…"

"Hey, His Highness would be disappointed if he heard you."

"That's not what I meant."

Khalif shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I only heard the results."

"It's exactly this way. Cutting the front and back and only knowing the pieces."

Ignoring Elena, who shed her eyes, Khalif turned the conversation to the origin.

"Not that. I said I met His Highness by chance just before the semi-finals."

"You think you did."

"Don't be crooked. His Highness asked me to give you a message."

"To me?"

When Elena responded, Khalif squinted his eyes and looked dreary.

"You're gonna die wondering what it is, aren't you?"

"Do you not want to see me for the rest of your life?"

Elena's face turned serious for a moment when she talked about Sian. It was a stern look that she had never seen before, and it made Khalif flustered.

"D-don't be so hard on a joke."

"Go ahead."

"Please come see me when I get to the finals. He wanted me to tell that to you."

"… He really said that?"

Elena asked again as if she could not believe it.

"It's true. I'm telling you, I talked to him. So there's no doubt."

"…"

Elena had her head blanked as if the accident had ceased. Please come to see me. She didn't know how to take it. The Swordsmanship Festival is a competition that determines the final grades of the Faculty of Swordsmanship. It was a long tradition that participants in the Swordsmanship Festival invite their family and loved ones. But Elena was neither family nor a lover. She was a junior in high school. Still, Sian told Elena to make sure she came.

'I don't know what that means.'

One assumption passed through Elena's mind, which she tried to ignore.

'Hope to be closer… No. That can't be true.'

After watching Elena in confusion, Khalif began to be mischievous.

"Why did His Highness invite you? I think I know."

"…"

"Don't tell me you don't know something that I know and that everyone else knows too? Or are you just pretending not to know?"

"Can you stop making fun of me?"

Even though Elena stared at him, Khalif spoke out as if a spring had burst.

"Sometimes you're only strict with His Highness."

"What do you mean."

"What do I mean. It feels like you're drawing a line. Did His Highness commit any serious crime to you?"

"T-that…"

Elena was speechless at the moment. She couldn't find the right answer as if she had been caught off guard. Because Khalif was right in every word. Khalif clicked his tongue and said,

"I can guess what's wrong with you. It's because of the difference in social status, right?"

"…"

"You know what. Why don't you be honest at least once?"

'Be honest?'

Come to think of it, Elena had never faced her feelings about Sian. She escaped the shadow of the past and recognized that the current Sian was completely different, but that was all.

'… I don't hate him.'

This was for sure. Sian was no longer a hateful or fearful being. It was good to run into him and talk to him, and it was good to be reminded of him from time to time. What was clear was that Sian was no longer an object to be pushed aside and turned away from by Elena.

"Senior, do you know when the semi-finals are?"

"Look at your sudden aggression. The day after tomorrow."

Elena nodded and remembered the date and time in her head. She'd have to check with her eyes whether Sian's semi-final run was a fluke or a real skill. Otherwise, she couldn't stand the constant twisting of the original history.

"Senior, take this."

"Oh, don't give it to me. Everything you give me is disturbing."

Khalif took over the document that Elena gave him with a big smile. From the top page, one by one, it was the personal details of future masters who sponsored and looked after L through May.

"Oh, I shouldn't have seen it. Hey! I'm still lacking at least three bodies."

"I don't want to leave everything up to senior. It's greedy to take care of all these people alone. Let go of people."

The total number of artists listed in the personal statement she just gave him and the ones she'd already mentioned would reach almost thirty. No matter how talented Khalif was at doing hard work, it was impossible for him to communicate with each of the masters in other fields, and to deeply understand and help them with the work that they had put so much effort into for the rest of their lives.

"A competent man handles his own work, but a wise man puts competent people under him. There is still a lot for senior to learn, but you should have developed a good amount of know-how, and with my father's help, you can train usable art brokers."

"What do you mean, a successor. I feel like crying. You don't know how much I've suffered from being run over by you, being nagged by Emilio, Randol's drinking binge, and dealing with Diaz's accident."

Elena felt a little sorry when she watched Khalif who was crying because he was really happy.

"Now take it easy. Now that you have a successor, I'm sure we'll have some excellent kids soon, and isn't there one kid who might rise to the position of senior?"

"You don't like me resting, do you?"

Elena laughed at Khalif's gaze, which looked at the devil.

"That's how much I believe you. They're not on the list, but there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Who is it?"

"Would you be surprised to hear it? A topic that has turned the art world upside down in recent years…"

As soon as Elena was about to introduce the atmosphere, Khalif threw cold water.

Are you talking about Raphael?"

"How did you know?"

Elena opened her eyes round.

"Why am I always surprised? You're the model for Belladonna. It's a rumor that you're the model. I saw it with my own eyes. You can't miss it."

"That's true."

"I wanted to talk about this, but I missed it because you didn't give me a chance to talk. You want me to meet Raphael? You'll have made the promise, so I see. I'll see him later."

"…"

Elena stared at Khalif. Elena stared at Khalif for a moment, pleased with his progress and yet feeling awkward and unfamiliar with him, even though he hadn't said a word.

"What's up with those eyes? Strangely, I feel bad."

"… I'm trying to understand a mother bird's mind."

It was shortly afterwards that a nervous tendon formed on Khalif's forehead.

***

On the day of the semi-finals of the Sword Festival, Elena left the dormitory as Veronica. Even though it was quieter, it was still risky to visit a crowded sword festival tournament hall with Lucia's status. In that context, Veronica's status was free.

"Sir, let's go together."

Elena suggested company.

"Me, too?"

"It's swordsmanship. You were frustrated to stay inside the academy. Wouldn't it be a good stimulus as well?"

Elena read Hurelbard's spirit, which he could not hide even if he tried. It was a kind of "knight's instinct", an earnestness to watch the confrontation between the strongest people who had made it to the semifinals.

"Okay."

"Let's go."

Elena got into the waiting carriage. The carriage moved as Hurelbard climbed next to the horseman. Elena thought, looking at the panoramic view outside the changing window.

'Only when sir goes can I understand your skills.'

Elena didn't know much about swordsmanship. She needed someone to determine whether Sian, who advanced to the semifinals, won by chance or by skill. And.

'If you get to the finals, your opponent will be Ren.'

In the original history, Ren won the swordsmanship. Not surprisingly, he was a monster who had never lost a championship since he entered the school. Such a monster was called one of the three swords of the Empire, called the wolf of the imperial power. That's why Elena decided to visit the semifinals. Sian, who was careful in everything, invited her to the finals, was as good as saying that he was confident of advancing to the finals