13. Turmoil of the Heart
As the saying goes, “A waterfall cascades down three thousand feet, suspected to be the Milky Way falling from the heavens.” A man’s feelings come swiftly and depart just as quickly. After Kephir’s complaint, I immediately shifted from my wild thoughts into a sage-like state. After all, a hug is a hug, and an embrace is an embrace; the script isn’t joking. Since Kephir suggested I temporarily cling to her, I had to take it seriously.
However, while I quickly cleared my mind of distractions, it was not so simple for Kephir.
“Right, for you, the basics of parrying and blocking are something you can barely grasp. Fortunately, Alsas is unlike ordinary swords; it won’t break when faced with common weapons. When you confront that Reife, take advantage of her underestimating you, deflect her reckless attacks, and look for openings…”
At this moment, Kephir was behind me, almost hugging me in a “coaching” posture, speaking serious words, yet her body maintained an awkward distance from mine, as if to avoid pressing against me. This awkward teaching method naturally made it seem like we were not imparting knowledge but rather practicing a tender swordplay in the early morning.
“Um… Miss Kephir, isn’t your teaching posture a bit off, a bit awkward?”
I pouted. After all, with my identity as a traveler, I had some knowledge in this area; I was quite skilled at parrying with a keyboard! Even if I hadn’t seen a pig run, I had at least eaten pork, right?
“Nonsense!”
In her excitement, Kephir’s voice took on a more youthful tone. It was clear that the earlier incident made her very conscious of our posture and distance.
“This is the posture!”
“But your nervous voice has changed pitch.”
“My voice has always been like this! You… you say it’s a bit awkward, then why don’t you try it yourself?”
I didn’t even need to look at the script to know what Kephir was thinking.
“Kephir, let’s try to… um, avoid this kind of ‘training’ in the future. It’s easy to go off track.”
“…”
The girl behind me responded with silence.
Then, as the script unfolded, she released my hand, picked up a wooden training sword, and began tapping it in her hands.
“Alright, let’s jump straight into ‘practice,’ shall we, Euclid?”
【Kephir is in a bad mood.】
No, my lady, you can practice all you want; I don’t mind how long you hold me!
Once the “benefits” are given up, there’s no way to enjoy them again. As a result, Kephir still stood opposite me. With a face full of displeasure, she finally became a bit more serious after a few huffy sighs, casting a complaining glance my way.
“Wait, we’ll teach later; let’s move on to the next step.”
You really don’t plan to give up, do you…
“About that Reife, I encountered her a few times back when I was at the Rublyanka Academy, so I know a bit about her. I’m not aware of her strength over the past year, but from the resistance she put up when I grabbed her hand yesterday, I feel that Reife hasn’t improved at all—at least not to the point where you, Euclid, would be completely unable to resist with Alsas.”
Kephir earnestly reminded me, but… it only seemed that way.
【Taking the opportunity, Kephir launched a surprise attack on Euclid, retaliating against the embarrassment of being caught shy!】
Lady Kephir… you didn’t show this little devilish side before the engagement.
As the script appeared, the next moment, Kephir’s movement with the wooden sword was quite different from her usual elusive style, giving me enough time to raise my wooden sword and block the strike aimed at my forehead.
Finally, as I noticed that this time Kephir’s “strength” had diminished a bit, I met her playful gaze.
“Rodmar’s Oqulid, are you even wary of your own fiancée?”
Isn’t that a different matter from trust? If I had been distracted just now, wouldn’t you have knocked me on the head?
After her playful pout, Kephir’s expression shifted to one of surprise; indeed, her earlier actions had been intentional.
“However, judging by the force and speed of Leif’s attack just now, you managed to react and counter even under sudden assault. I believe that Oqulid, you won’t always be at a disadvantage.”
With her strike failing, Kephir changed her stance, swinging her sword toward my side. With the script’s support, I could easily evade this level of “testing.” Watching her step forward, the distance between us returned to that initial “hair’s breadth.”
“In the practice at Rubiyanka Academy, if a winner is determined, points are awarded based on performance. But if time runs out with no clear result, both sides simply end up with a tie. To win against Leif in ‘practice’ might be a bit challenging for you, even with Alsace in hand, but achieving a tie should be feasible. You’ve already scored a few points over Leif; as long as you tie this time, you can claim victory over her.”
Finally, as if struck by a thought, Kephir set down her wooden sword, her furrowed brow relaxing the moment she looked up at me.
“If it really comes to it, conceding isn’t a problem. That Leif holds quite a grudge against us; your safety is paramount. In the end, I’ll come in…”
Before Kephir could finish her sentence, I reached out and tapped her forehead, watching her look at me in confusion, a hint of complaint in her gaze.
“Oqulid, I’m seriously telling you…”
“I know, of course.”
But once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Having decided to continue participating rather than concede and let Kephir show off, conceding now would only embarrass her further. Leif’s entanglement was the trouble Kephir faced in this “main storyline,” and if possible, I was more than willing to swiftly resolve it for her.
Moreover…
“Sometimes, a man encounters issues he cannot back down from. Don’t worry, during the upcoming ‘practice’ against Leif, I’ll act within my means.”
With a blink, Kephir smiled lightly: “Shall we begin the ‘teaching’?”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Kephir.”
Kephir once again came behind me, grasping my hands, but… this time, before the “affectionate sword” could be put to use, a sudden, loud cough from a certain corner we had been ignoring interrupted us.
“Cough cough cough cough cough!”
Alsace seemed to be emphasizing her presence with her coughs. When Kephir and I turned in surprise, she even raised her middle finger at me in a gesture of camaraderie.
“Uh. K-Kephir, let’s focus on the teaching.”
“Mm… mm!”
Noticing the glaring presence of a super blue light bulb, Kephir finally had no more mischievous thoughts.