Chapter 113
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 113 – How to Spend The Time Until Afternoon
Chris’ influence was significant.
Ain felt it more than those around him.
She saved him last night. “Saved” might not be the right expression, but he couldn’t find the right words.
“Hoam… So sleepy…”
Unusually, he stayed up until sunrise.
Not only Ain, but Chris and Krone as well.
After last night in the audience chamber, just as she said, Chris had gone to Krone’s room.
Krone was also awake and working, so she immediately answered Chris’ call. What was going on at this late hour? She wondered at first.
Ain wanted someone to talk to. When Krone heard this from Chris, she left her work, quickly got ready, and went to Ain’s room.
“What is it, Ain? Are you thinking about something?”
“Krone! I’m so sorry for worrying you!”
The moment she entered the room, Ain got up from the sofa and apologized to her.
At that moment, Krone could tell that Ain was feeling a little better.
“Are you okay now…?”
She asked him just to be sure, and Ain replied with a worried look on his face.
“H-hmm… I’m still thinking about it. But maybe the time for worrying is over, I’m really sorry.”
He still looked a bit down.
Still, as if the guilt had disappeared, they spent some quality time together.
They prepared some light food and sipped some unusually light drinks.
The time they spent talking in a good mood pa.s.sed quickly, and before long, it was getting bright outside the window.
“Well then. Today is…”
Today was also a school day, but Ain had planned to take a day off. And he had decided to ask Sylvird to give him some time to think and… solidify his thoughts a bit.
——Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me, Ain-sama. I’ve brought a reply from His Majesty.”
“Thank you. So, Martha-san, what did Grandfather say?”
Just before dawn, he had asked the servant who was working at that hour to deliver a message.
The person he wanted to deliver the message to was Sylvird. He asked if he could have some time off for the day.
If it were Ain’s usual time, he would have gone to school by now, but for this errand, he was leisurely spending time in his room.
“His Majesty said he would see you around noon. He said he would call Ain-sama as soon as he could spare the time.”
“I understand. Then let’s have a meal or something first.”
“Do you want to eat in your room?”
“No, I will eat in the dining room today. In the knight’s dining room.”
Martha did not show much expressions. But perhaps because they had known each other for so many years, he had learned to notice even the slightest change in her expression.
“For the first time in a long time, I’m going to attend the Royal Knights’ training. I’m going to do some training, then I’m going to eat, and then I’m going to clean up and go to my grandfather. Is that okay with you?”
“Very well. I’ll tell His Majesty.”
“Yes, please. I’ll be downstairs as soon as I’m ready, so if you need me, just come down.”
“I understand. Please be careful not to hurt yourself.”
He wanted to clear his head so he could think more easily.
The Crown Prince waved his sword to clear his mind. At first glance, it might not seem like a wise gesture. But for Ain, it was the most effective thing he could do.
Aware of this, Ain decided to stay like this until it was time for the appointment.
“But something about my body feels better than usual…”
As he reached for the sky, he could feel his body being enveloped by a certain contentment.
Perhaps the change in his mental state had affected his body, but despite his mental state, Ain was in good physical shape.
＊＊＊
“Hmm… Ain-sama? It’s rare to see you here. Good morning.”
“Good morning, Lloyd-san. May I join you?”
“Of course you can… but what’s the matter with you all of a sudden? More importantly, the school…”
The training school for the Royal Knights. Lloyd-san was present, which was also unusual.
He was also a very busy man and didn’t come to the training very often. The same went for Dill, and these days, the Glacier father and son rarely came to the training grounds.
“I decided to take the rest of the day off because I need to talk to Grandfather about something.”
“I see. So that’s what this is about.”
The scene in the audience room last night came to Lloyd’s mind as he uttered this.
Lloyd felt that Ain was trying to move forward, and he made a suggestion.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to be your partner.”
For Ain, it was a good match.
He was the one who beat him more than anyone else, which meant he was the perfect partner for him right now.
He would use Lloyd to clear his head. It was too extravagant, but for once, he would take advantage of the kindness.
“Father. In such a place… isn’t it, Ain-sama? I didn’t expect to see you here… Good morning.”
“Good morning, Dill. Actually, I was just about to ask Lloyd-san to join me now.”
Lloyd may have had something to do. The proof was that Dill seemed to have been looking for Lloyd.
Ain knew this, but only for today, Lloyd would deal with him. He tried to put himself first by saying.
“W-what are you doing here… at this hour?”
“I just feel like exercising for a bit. Sorry, can I borrow Lloyd-san?”
“No problem… it’s a matter of course. If you don’t mind this father of mine, please feel free to use him.”
Lloyd was not happy to be called like that, but he suppressed his feelings in front of Ain.
He looked a little displeased but started to look for a wooden sword for training.
“Ain-sama. What kind of sword do you want to use?”
“Then let’s use this one for today.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lloyd showed Ain several swords, and Ain took one of them.
It was a longsword, just like Ain’s new partner. He chose a sword that was different from the one Mouton had made but similar in its own way.
“It’s going to be tough if I have to deal with Lloyd-san right away, so I’ll just have to deal with some people first, right?”
“Of course. …Actually, I’ve been having a hard time dealing with Ain-sama lately because I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to keep up with you.”
“What are you talking about, Lloyd-san? I’m in the habit of not making such pretenses… Then I’ll call on you when I’m warmed up, Lloyd-san, and you can get ready for a bit!”
Then Ain got ready and walked to the training ground energetically. Dill watched in amazement, wondering what was going on.
“…Dill. You will be my partner.”
“Huh? What’s going on all of a sudden?”
“I have to have a high quality of training, or there could be a risk of injury.”
“You mean you’re going to hurt Ain-sama?”
That was a big problem. Dill thought so and hurriedly moved to get ready.
The usual Lloyd would have gone easy on him and continued to train Ain with exquisite strength. But Ain kept growing… fast enough to leave the people around him behind.
“…No, it’s not. Just in case I get hurt.”
Lloyd’s voice never reached Dill’s ears as he prepared.
＊＊＊
“Then, Ain-sama. It is one round as usual. Are you ready?”
“No problem. I’m ready when you are.”
The winner was the one who hit the armor. Other parts of the body were not allowed to be attacked.
The rules were simple, but the refereeing was quite strict because even if you get hit on the back of the hand, you lose.
“Dill. You will be the referee, okay?”
“Understood.”
Ain and Lloyd have been training for a few minutes.
They were sweating lightly and getting ready for the training of their main mission. And this main course was about to start.
“Hmm… H-huh…?”
“Dill. What’s wrong?”
“N-no, it’s nothing… I thought I was looking at the wrong thing.”
The person in front of him was supposed to be Ain. Still, he felt something strange.
He didn’t know what it was. But for a moment, he remembered the long journey to Euro.
“Well, that’s okay then. Are you ready?”
“I’m fine. I can start anytime.”
Lloyd looked at Dill with a doubtful expression on his face.
Dill regained his composure and uttered the word “it’s okay” with a strong voice.
“…Begin!”
Ain and Lloyd. Dill, who had been watching them, gave the signal at the right moment.
“…..!”
Ain closed the distance to where Lloyd stood and swung his sword.
“It’s a big swing, Ain-sama… Then there is nothing to fear!”
Ain’s usual approach was a bit more cautious. He did not make big swings out of the blue; in other words, he was very cautious.
However, today’s Ain was different from the “usual” and seemed to be full of audacity.
“But I defended it with both hands. It wasn’t surprisingly easy, was it?”
Hands, feet, shoulders, chest. Ain changed the point of attack several times, attacking in a different and more detailed way than before. Lloyd was impressed by his dexterous swordsmanship, even though he used a long sword.
Transfixed by the training of the two knights, the surrounding knights also stopped moving involuntarily.
“Well, I don’t know what it is…! But I don’t want to be left behind! …Zeaaaa!”
And then he took a huge swing. He swung his sword as if he was reaping from below, and it went towards Ain.
“Heavy…”
There was a big difference in physique between Lloyd and Ain. Perhaps because of the weight difference, Ain could not catch a big swinging blow like Lloyd.
And Lloyd had more power. Even if it was just a big swing, it could be a hard hit if Lloyd was involved.
“Fuhahahaha! But you caught it well! I’m not done yet!”
He was a big man, but his swordsmanship was quick. The sound of the sword slicing through the air echoed through the training grounds, revealing the severity of the blow. Was it really acceptable to use such a sword on the crown prince? The attack was so strong and powerful that the surrounding people thought so. It was a powerful and merciless attack on Ain’s body.
“Hmph… hmph!”
Today’s Lloyd was strong. To put it bluntly, he had always been powerful and dominant.
But today, Lloyd was even more powerful and attacked Ain more than usual.
“H-hey, is this okay…?”
“I feel like it’s dangerous… but I don’t really understand what’s going on.”
The Knights, who were watching the mock battle, began to express such concerns. Lloyd was so different today that it was understandable why they felt this way.
(…It’s certainly disturbing. But there’s something more unusual going on.)”
Dill was a little worried, too, but he was thinking about something other than these knights.
It was not about Lloyd but about Ain, who was being attacked by Lloyd.
“(He takes everything. Even though Father adjusted it, it would have been difficult to receive such an attack… if it weren’t for Chris-sama.)”
Although he sometimes took it dangerously, today, Ain took Lloyd’s attack.
Suffering from the huge height difference, Ain continued to stand in front of Lloyd, skillfully shifting his center of gravity.
“N-nggh…!”
Dill muttered in his mind.
Lloyd was beginning to struggle with the attack. But if he swung any harder, it would surely lead to injury. So, it was something that could not and should not be done to the Crown Prince.
When did Ain acquire such strength? Even Dill, who was always with him, did not know.
“Lloyd-san. I knew it, you’re amazing… so powerful and I still can’t see the bottom of it”.
“And you continue to take it in. These words are hard…!”
Ain was strangely not out of breath and just continued to accept the sword calmly. It gave the impression that Lloyd was not there beyond Ain’s gaze.
Lloyd has been swinging his sword for a while, so he was a bit out of breath, and the contrast between the two was very striking.
“Ain-sama. …Do you want more than this?”
Lloyd suddenly lowered his sword carefully. He stepped away from Ain and looked at him with a slightly worried expression on his face.
“…If I ask you, will you show me?”
“Kuku… hahaha! Ain-sama, it’s a difficult thing… no matter how much Ain-sama “asks” me…”
“Then, Lloyd. Is it okay if it is an order?”
The air in the training ground stopped with a snap. It was as if every hour had been frozen, so much so that even the air felt like it was getting colder.
“Ain-sama. It’s not like you don’t know what that word means, is it?”
“…I’m really going too far, aren’t I?”
He had a worried look on his face, but as for Lloyd, he couldn’t calm down inside. In other words, what Ain wanted was an attack that Lloyd would unleash against the enemy. Ain wanted Lloyd to deliver a punch that was even better than the one he had been trained to deliver.
This meant that the current training was not enough. Lloyd could guess what he meant.
“Ambition is a good thing. But… too much interest will hurt you.”
The sharp eyes and the strong tone of his voice. His earlier exhaustion gone, Lloyd raised his sword and put it on his shoulder. It was then that Dill noticed. A moment later, the sound of Lloyd’s sword was heard.
He wondered if it was even faster than he could see, and his eyes were caught by the phenomenon his father had caused.
“I thought I should leave it at that for today. But Ain-sama doesn’t seem to hit enough… I’ll take the last one for you. I hope you’ll understand.”
Even Lloyd, who said this, was inwardly fighting a burning pa.s.sion. He wondered if the Ain standing before him was really the Ain he knew.
Lloyd could tell he was beginning to peel off his skin mentally. But was it enough to make him look so different from his usual self? No matter how much he thought about it, he could not find the answer. But he could understand that the Ain before him was stronger than usual.
“One?”
“Yes, one. I will accept Ain-sama’s full power now, and I will take it head on. Please do not hesitate to come at me!”
“Thank you, Lloyd-san.”
Checking his grip on the sword over and over again, Ain swung it lightly. It could be said that his appearance was the most unusual of the day, but as he continued, swing after swing, the sound of his swings changed.
The first swing was the usual Ain. The second swing added a little more sound to it. And the third time, it would be closer to the sound that Lloyd… he would make during practice.
And then there was the fourth time. …Dill and Lloyd’s eyes saw Ain’s gesture as a momentary delay in sound, just as Lloyd’s had just done.
They have no idea about this phenomenon. Was it possible to grow just by repeating a few naked blows?
On the contrary, he didn’t think the word “growth” was appropriate, but rather “evolution.”
After all, the fifth time of pretending was never done. But if there was a fifth time, what kind of territory would it be? Lloyd’s heart began to beat so strongly that he looked forward to such a thought.
“Well, Ain-sama… please, whenever you are ready.”
When was the last time he had sweat pouring down his neck from nervousness? Looking at Ain now, it wasn’t fear but forced tension.
His hands were sweating more than usual, and he checked his grip on the sword several times. Just when he thought he had found a grip that felt right, a feeling of uneasiness. .h.i.t him as if he had misplaced a b.u.t.ton.
——Suu… haaahhh…
He breathed in fresh air through his nose and let it circulate through his body.
He started to feel more blood flowing into his arms as if every cell was starting to activate.
Ain, on the other hand, standing in front of Lloyd, seemed oblivious to his nervousness and just stood there with a relaxed look on his face.
He turned his head slightly and then bent over, and it was clear that he was toning his body.
This was a situation that even made people wonder which one of them was the higher-ranked one and who was helping with the training.
“Well, I’m coming, Lloyd-san.”
“Yes, by all means.”
He held the sword in his right hand and lowered it at an angle as if to weaken it. Then, slowly, step by step, as if biting the ground… Ain gradually approached Lloyd.
Gradually, the sword in his hand began to look up, and he began to move to swing it down on the creature at the end of it.
But only slowly, and with a sense of weakness, as if there was no energy to waste, it began to approach with a strange rhythm.
The last few steps were blindingly fast. Lloyd was able to follow it with his eyes, but he couldn’t help but be taken aback for a moment. He lowered his center of gravity and took a defensive stance as Ain began to swing his sword.
“Ain, sama…?”
The sight of Ain’s figure was an action full of déjà vu for Dill.
At that last moment, he remembered what it was. It was on his way back from Euro. The red fox carved a wooden figurine… and Dullahan’s reaction to it looked exactly like the behavior back then.
“Kuh… Nggh…!”
Finally, the sword swung down and reached Lloyd’s defense, which was positioned directly in front of him. The two clashed head-on, but there was an impact as if something had exploded, centered on Ain.
And after a moment, a loud, angry scream… could be compared to metal being torn apart. Such was the sound of the impact.
——Lloyd was forced to take several steps back from where he was standing.
He struggled under his clothes, straining so hard that many of the veins in his lower body were exposed. From the soles of his feet, through his shins and knees to his thighs. And from both legs, which were slightly open, the power of the earth rushed up to the waist.
But how, without the power of the earth, he fell back because of the impact that Ain had given him.
This was the first time Lloyd had ever received such a shock. In his mind, he was tormented by much confusion, but he did not put his body on the ground, even if he wanted to.
“…I think this is probably the best I can do right now.”
Finally, the shock was over. It was less than a few seconds, but Lloyd, who received it, could not believe it was only a few seconds.
“But sorry. I think I broke the practice sword.”
Ain then said that he had broken his sword.
However, from the point of view of Lloyd, Dill, and the others, the sword was there as usual.
——But…
“A-Ain-sama? It doesn’t look broken to me…”
There were other things to ask, no doubt. What on earth was that? Was the body alright? …There were numerous questions, but apart from that one, Dill just couldn’t say them out loud.
It was not long after that. When Ain gently lowered his sword and said again, “It’s broken.”
Like the sound of dead leaves falling, Ain’s sword was slowly being torn to shreds.
“Dill.”
“Y-yes…!”
“I’m sorry, but may I ask you to clean up the mess? I’ve got to go meet my grandfather after this, so I have to eat, but I also have to get ready. ……I’m sorry for what I’ve done, but can I leave it to you?”
“Y-yes… of course. But…!”
He wanted Ain to explain what he had just done. However, Ain looked as if he had just let the puddle go, with a look of satisfaction on his face and sweat on his forehead.
…Seeing Ain in such a state, he hesitated to open his mouth any further for some reason.
“Sorry, I’ll leave it to you then. …Thank you too, Lloyd-san, I feel a little better thanks to you.”
“Fu-fufu… that’s good to hear.”
His son, Dill, could tell. Lloyd was smiling as if he was enduring something.
Dill felt that Lloyd was forcing himself to smile by holding something back. Dill couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Lloyd.
“I’m going to get lunch at the dining hall, then I’m going to get ready and go see my grandfather. …I’ll see you later.”
An ran off after saying that. Ain turned around and left the place with a satisfied smile and a few drops of sweat.
“Fa-Father…! What in the world is…?”
After confirming Ain’s departure, Dill hurried to Lloyd’s side.
Then Lloyd, holding his left shoulder and with sweat all over his face, uttered the following words.
“I’m sorry, Dill. But I’m going to have to take the day off from work.”
“What’s wrong with you that… you suddenly want a day off?”
Dill looked at Lloyd, who was repeatedly taking short breaths… and asked him what he really meant.
“Also, I’m sorry. I need you to do one more thing for me.”
Before he could respond to Dill’s words, Lloyd immediately began to talk about his own demands. Dill was somewhat dismayed by Lloyd’s aggressive att.i.tude.
“I’m sorry, but could you please take me to Varra-dono’s place…?”
“To Varra-dono’s place?”
A rare talent Ain brought with him. Why did he ask him to take him to Varra, who had the ability to heal? Dill wondered.
“My left shoulder is broken… or maybe my bone is shattered… I’m sorry, but I need to heal it as soon as possible.”