Episode 13 – Fate (3)
“You’re here.”
“Have you been waiting?”
“I just finished warming up.”
Just like he said, the dusk-covered training ground was filled with fighting spirit.
[Not bad for a human,] Aris whispered with faint admiration. I nodded slightly without thinking.
This is thrilling… it feels like standing on the battlefield from my past life.
I’ll have to fight seriously, without holding back.
Maybe he’s on the level of Caesar or Yug… no, perhaps a bit higher.
If he used aura, then… No, I must calm down.
This isn’t the kill-or-be-killed battlefield of the past.
I had already sent Hector and the other knights away to patrol the outer grounds.
I lit the training ground torches with my lantern. It was now bright enough.
“I won’t use aura, but you can use mana if you want. I’d like to see that amazing body-strengthening technique again.”
“Thank you for the offer, but today I just want a pure sword match.”
“Haha, ‘today,’ you say? Very well.”
Without saying who would start first, we both took our stances.
We held not wooden swords but training steel swords.
The edges were dull, but they felt heavier than wood.
And they won’t break easily.
The training ground fell silent except for our breathing.
—CLANG!
!!
!?
The moment the torchlight’s shadows flickered in the wind, our swords clashed.
As expected, he has his own style.
Lena, still a beginner, used Caesar’s sword style almost exactly.
But a swordsman of his level would have developed his own interpretation.
That’s how you break through the wall.
This is interesting.
His strikes were similar to Caesar’s but carried a different texture.
If Caesar’s sword was a wild stallion, his was a disciplined warhorse—
keeping its wild nature but adding control, flexibility, and firmness.
—CHAK!
I deflected his slash along my sword’s flat and countered.
“Hm!”
He blocked it smoothly and returned a strike immediately.
!!
I deflected that too and charged in with an upward slash.
Sparks flew, and my sword rained down like a waterfall.
Impressive!
He switched stances quickly and countered. I blocked his fast horizontal slash to the sides.
The center was open—but it was a trap.
So instead, I aimed low.
My blade came down like lightning to his unguarded spot—
—KANG!
Both swords bounced apart, putting distance between us.
It had felt like hours, but it was only a few seconds.
That was just one exchange.
“Whew…”
“Hah… Young Lord, are you truly fifteen this year?”
“I’ve lived some extra years in my own way, but I haven’t forgotten how to count.”
“You saw through all my traps… it felt like I was fighting a veteran.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
We clashed again.
“Faster?” he said.
“Should I slow down for you?”
“Haha, I’m not that old yet.”
“Then I’ll go even faster!”
“This is fun!”
Soon, the training ground was filled only with the sound of clashing steel.
—KANG! KA-KANG!!
“Hah!”
I had lost track of how many exchanges we’d had.
Only the torchlight lit the area now.
My body…
My fingers trembled slightly.
It was hard to last this long without aura against someone of his strength.
“Young Lord, are you alright?”
“Haha, a bit embarrassing—I still lack training.”
Using Yug’s sword style, I was about equal with him, maybe slightly weaker.
In my past life, Yug always won between us… but he had trained for centuries.
If his descendants had kept improving the style… would the result be different?
This uncertainty was exciting.
But I don’t want to stop here.
It had been years since I’d felt this competitive.
I caught my breath and gripped my sword again.
“Let’s make the next exchange the last for today.”
“Alright. Come when ready.”
“Since it’s the last, I’ll be serious.”
“Haha… So you weren’t serious before?”
“I’ll let you imagine the answer.”
I took a deep breath.
[Will you be alright?] Aris asked.
For one exchange, yes.
I exhaled slowly, and a soft wind swirled around my blade.
“Oh my, you keep surprising me,” he said, now serious.
Recently, my sister had told me about the Tindalos family. I had asked about Howard—my past life—but she knew nothing.
If our names were erased, I’ll just carve them again.
I’ll make the ones who erased me feel uneasy when the wind rises.
“I’m coming.”
—THUD!
The ground cracked as I dashed forward.
The wind doesn’t use tricks. It simply blows—fast and strong.
And when it gathers into one line toward a single target—
“It becomes a storm!”
—KWA-GA-GAK!
My muscles screamed in pain.
This sword felt so heavy… but that meant I could still get stronger.
—KAAANG!
The storm around my blade clashed with his sword and scattered, blowing out all the torches.
Yet the training ground still glowed faintly—
“Young Lord… once more, are you really fifteen?”
“Hah… I told you, I can still count.”
His sword glowed faintly red with aura, frost forming around it.
He must have used aura to prevent my sword from breaking and injuring me.
—CLATTER.
My sword had indeed broken.
“Haha, to already have your own ‘interpretation’ at your age… impressive.”
“They call it ‘having one’s own style’ these days, I guess.”
“I mean it. I broke my promise not to use aura… I’ll count this as my loss.”
“It was an unofficial match. I’ll just accept the sentiment.”
He looked very pleased.
“Next year, when I’m an adult, let’s spar again. I’ll come find you.”
“Anytime! I’d better train more so I’m not embarrassed.”
“You still want to get stronger? I won’t be able to keep up.”
“Haha, don’t lie, Young Lord.”
He laughed, patted my shoulder, and went inside.
I left my broken sword by an extinguished torch and stretched.
[Your training paid off,] Aris said.
Yes… without aura, I could still last several exchanges. With aura, maybe five or six.
[But haven’t you forgotten something?]
“Forgotten…? Ah! My sister!”
I had promised to visit her earlier in the evening, but it was now very late.
Just then—
—CLACK.
“Are you done, Young Lord?”
She stood there in light clothes with only a shawl, holding a small lantern.
“Have you been waiting here the whole time?”
“No, I just came out.”
But her red fingertips told me she had waited long.
“Sorry… I enjoyed the match too much. It’s cold—let’s go inside.”
She smiled warmly. “You did well. The Count looked very happy.”
“Not at all—he went easy on me.”
“Then, as promised, will you give me some time now?”
“I was just on my way to you.”
She led me to her room.
It was neat and simple, just like her personality.
She brought out a wooden box. Inside was a robe and brooch with the Tindalos crest.
“I’ve been keeping these for when you take over as head of the family.”
“But I’m not—”
“You’ve already proven yourself more than worthy. I was only acting head temporarily.”
I accepted them.
She helped me put on the robe, which was enchanted to block weak magic.
The hem was too long and dragged on the floor. She laughed.
We talked a bit more before I left her room.
“Good night, Young Lord. And… thank you,” she said with a bright smile.
Back in my room, I stored the robe and cleaned my sword.
“The carriage comes tomorrow,” I muttered.
Since we didn’t have our own carriage anymore, the branch family sent theirs each year.
I decided to buy one in the capital.
“Alright… come out.”
A cold arm wrapped around my neck from behind—Aris.
“No time to play. I need to make golems. Bring out the equipment.”
She summoned weapons and armor from the shadows. I poured mana into them.
Soon, four headless knights knelt before me.
“Protect the twins, Emma, and the servants above all else. Kill anyone who threatens this place.”
They saluted silently.
I placed them by the wall and collapsed on my bed, drained of mana.
“You did well,” Aris said softly, brushing my forehead.
“Rest. I’ll make sure no one takes what’s precious to you.”
And that night, for the first time since regaining my memories, I slept peacefully.
