Chapter 226 The Gift of Teaching
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
From the morning, Ayumu had been watching over Crown Prince Aare’s sword practice. He had heard the rumors, but the truth was harsher than expected—Commander Sergei of the Royal Knights was merciless.
Facing a twelve-year-old child, barely two years older than Sasami, Sergei’s words rang like steel:
”Your Highness, training without pain is no training at all. Drills are battle in disguise, and only those who suffer them may survive the battlefield.”
And with that, even though the prince wore a child-sized suit of full plate and held a wooden sword, Sergei struck him again and again without restraint.
Unable to endure the blows, the Crown Prince turned to flee.
”No good, Your Highness! To show your back to the enemy is unworthy of a man!” Sergei shouted, lashing at the boy’s retreating back.
Even Ayumu found himself recoiling. The prince, desperate, ran crying into Empress Sarendra’s arms.
”Enough! I don’t want Sergei’s lessons anymore! I hate it! Sanai, you teach me instead! Sanai!”
Ayumu stiffened. Why me?!
Sergei’s brow twitched, a vein standing out.
”Oh? That my guidance is inferior… to this greenhorn? Very well. You there! Boy! Train His Highness in the martial arts, if you dare!”
A chill swept through Ayumu. If Aare failed under his teaching, whispers would spread: The Honorary Count’s poor guidance doomed him. And should the Crown Prince fall in a real war, the mob would cry for his head. Execution! Execution!
He tried to deflect. “Ah—Your Highness, this cannot be! The Commander far surpasses me in skill. Surely you must reconsider!”
But the prince only shook his head, tears shining.
And so, before the fuming Commander Sergei, Ayumu found himself unwillingly stealing the honor of teaching the heir.
He began carefully.
”Your Highness, to find a weapon is one thing. To wield it well is another. Without strength, you cannot harm your foe. With too small a frame, the weapon will drag you down. You understand, don’t you?”
Aare nodded.
”Sergei sought to remedy this by forcing harsh drills. But instead of endless pain, let us start with the foundation—meals rich in protein, steady building of muscle, stamina from the ground up.”
Even Sergei, watching, gave a grudging nod. Aare, embarrassed, looked down.
”Meanwhile, in practice we focus not on striking first but on defense, toughness against blows, and when you cannot guard—on evasion.”
Soon Ayumu taught him the basics: weapon blocks to stop a swing, parries to redirect force, and sweeping deflections against thrusts and overhead strikes.
”Now, let’s try a bind!” he called.
[T/N: In European swordsmanship, a “bind” refers to the locking of blades or hilts in close struggle.]
From there, he instructed Aare how to cut at wrists or joints to instill fear, how to target weak points in the body, even methods of breaking joints cleanly to disable a foe.
At first, Aare whined. “Ehh, Sanai, you’re making me train too?”
But gradually his tone shifted. “Sanai, your lessons are so easy to understand!”
Even Sergei, arms folded, finally muttered, “Hmph. Unexpected. You have a rare gift for instruction.”
And indeed, Aare’s growth was swift. He had begun to exchange blows even with larger opponents.
Ayumu’s reputation soared, his chest swelling with expectation. Surely a fine reward awaits me now…
As if answering that hope, Sergei himself later penned a recommendation. Thanks to his teaching, Ayumu’s long-desired transfer to the Foreign Negotiation Department: Armed Reconnaissance Bureau was no longer far away.
To be continued…
Notes:
• Sergei – Elderly but towering commander of the Royal Knights, hawk-eyed and authoritative. Holds powers equal to a Defense Minister, trusted by Emperor Rai as his most loyal and stabilizing force.
• Sasami – Birene girl, small and sharp-eyed with messy brown hair | First in Ch.126 | Servant maid from the slums, does chores with chaotic energy | Has many starving siblings she secretly sends wages to | Bonds with Cocoa as her junior but constantly drags her into trouble | Meets Ayumu as part of the first servant group, wakes him with flying tackles and endless pranks | Unique note: loudmouthed gremlin who hides deep loyalty and homesickness behind mischief
• Empress Sarendra – Aare’s mother who expresses quiet resentment towards Aare’s existence. But still love him.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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