“… … I am not Amerian.”
Mustafa answered my question with silence. I got close to Mustafa.
“Are they Amerian at first glance? Self-denial is not good.”
He looked up at Mustafa right in front of him and said teasingly. Dark skin color, brown eyes visible through slender eyes, and braided hair reminded me of Native Americans. Was that the motif the actual artist intended? A red tattoo on his cheek would suit him very well.
“I have abandoned all of my Amerian identity. I am only an iron-blooded soldier.”
“Even though you say you abandoned it, I see you as an Amerian.”
I denied it with a snort at Mustafa’s calm denial. Mustafa was silent. It was an attitude he was used to. It was probably an insult that the Knights often suffered.
“So, why would you reject my swordsmanship instructor?”
“It’s a lack of ability.”
Mustafa answered briefly. And in my interrogative gaze, the reason was released.
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“I have no magical powers. All I learned was swordsmanship. The Crown Prince’s theory of teaching is not suitable.”
It was true. Mustafa did not have magical powers. Even in iron blood, only noble blood possesses magical power. There is no way it could be for the Amerians of the periphery.
Also, because they have ‘something else’.
“As a swordsman teacher, isn’t that enough? I had no intention of asking you to teach me about magic.”
“Even if you only learn swordsmanship, there are many people in the Knights who are broader and stronger than me. It will be much better than learning from someone like me.”
Logically, it’s not that wrong. Even so, I have no intention of looking for someone else.
“I heard that you are quite versed in swordsmanship. Was that a rumor? It would be a very dishonorable thing for someone with no magical powers and poor swordsmanship to become a member of the Knights.”
“I am only familiar with swordsmanship. I cannot be the one to teach the Crown Prince.”
I said it slightly provocatively, but Mustafa didn’t give up easily. I sighed.
“Was it all a lie to say that the Amerians were brave?”
Sadly, it seems we have no choice but to go aggressive.
“Are you running away when the son of the enemy of the nation is in front of you, Amer?”
Mustafa, who had been pretending to be calm, flinched and shuddered.
“Even though there might be an opportunity to kill me? I will go back to the Knights and continue to live as an enemy Sangvis dog, right?”
I went up to Mustafa and pushed hard with my finger on his stomach to provoke him. The corners of Mustafa’s lips twitched. You can see tendons rising from the neck.
“… … I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mustafa asked in a trembling voice.
“There’s no way you can defeat the crown prince with just swordsmanship. The Crown Prince has inherited the power of the Emperor’s thunderbolt. Even if the swords touch, the opponent will miss the sword.”
Katyusha took it, but that’s okay. Well, it was an attack launched on the premise that it could be read to some extent. The Assassin class is also good against the Swordsman class.
“I have never had such a disrespectful thought, nor am I incapable of doing so.”
“well. I don’t think so.”
I immediately denied Mustafa’s infidelity. Mustafa was silent.
“Are you saying I’m thinking blasphemous thoughts?”
Then he asked with a troubled expression.
“I don’t think there will be a complete lack of disrespect. But what I denied is about ability.”
At my words, Mustafa’s slender eyes widened very slightly.
“If you use the secret art of the earth.”
The earth magicians were tied only to the maintenance of the rose garden, and the Amer people were slaughtered in an extreme manner unlike other peoples. The reasons for the two seemingly unrelated incidents were the same.
“Isn’t it easy to nullify lightning strikes?”
Because they could resist the emperor’s lightning strike.
It is said that the secret art of dealing with the earth, handed down from generation to generation by the Amerians, can block swords, spears, and bows as well as lightning strikes.
Therefore, the Amer people were most thoroughly exterminated directly at the hands of the emperor.
“I don’t know how to write!”
Mustafa shouted. It was the loudest voice of the day.
“… … All records of the secret arts of the earth were burned. The reason I survived even though I am an Amerian is because I do not know the secret arts of the earth.”
The erasure of Amerin was terrifyingly systematic and precise. Their civilization that remains today does not even have a single song left, and perhaps the Amer people in front of them who have denied (even though eventually admitted) that they are Amer people may be the last.
“okay? I think you know the truth.”
But i know That the secret art of the earth remains.
“I do not know.”
That, without being recorded anywhere, it would remain in Mustafa’s head and lead to the protagonist of the original story——Eugene.
“is it. Then you are useless.”
But Mustafa didn’t seem to want to accept him easily. Then there is only one way left.
“Let it die.”
If I don’t get it, I have no choice but to get rid of it.
I pulled out the rapier I was wearing around my waist and stepped on the steps. Then, he shot at Mustafa’s chest.
“Hoo. That’s a good reaction rate. Excellent.”
“… … .”
The tip of the rapier, thrown at high speed, was blocked by the blade of Mustafa’s half-pulled sword. It was a quick defense.
“Then let’s see how far we can stop it!”
I drew my sword and stabbed again. This time he aimed at the neck. Mustafa, completely pulling his sword out of its scabbard, bounced it aside. It was a longsword that was several times heavier than my rapier, but its movement speed was second to none.
‘what the. There is no one who is truly weak, even though he says he is weak… … !’
The difference in skill was to be expected. If it was a pure swordsmanship battle excluding magical powers, there would probably be few people within the knights who could beat Mustafa.
If so, I’d like to know what the difference is. I continued to attack. Recalling the experience gained from sparring with Katyusha, he attacked with sincerity.
Chaeng, Chaeng. Every time my rapier and Mustafa’s longsword collided, sparks flew and a sharp metallic sound rang out. A completely different feeling from when dealing with Katyusha resonated pleasantly in my hand.
“The story of swordsmanship, I guess it wasn’t a bluff!”
Mustafa was always defensive, as if he couldn’t bear to attack me, the crown prince. I threw an onslaught with all my might at such a Mustafa, but——.
“… … ! Kut!”
“Please calm down. Crown Prince.”
I couldn’t even score a single hit. The last blow, which I thought was barely aiming for an opening, bounced back the moment I tried to reach it, and my posture was disturbed.
“It is excellent swordsmanship. You deserve to join the Knights even without magical powers. To be honest, I can’t hurt you at all.”
The moment I lost my posture, I instinctively felt that if Mustafa had really wanted to kill me, he would have done it. A little bit of cold sweat.
“It’s a little embarrassing to see this happen after bluffing about killing.”
“… … I am okay.”
Mustafa straightened up and said. It’s like dealing with an immature child.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re fine or not. I am not okay.”
I checked my skills enough. Swordsmanship seems to be a difficult path to learn in the future. But since the original work hasn’t even started yet, I think there’s plenty of room for it.
“From now on, go seriously.”
I wrapped my rapier, no, all over my arm with electric shocks.
“… … !!”
Mustafa widened his eyes in amazement. It was natural.
Right now, I was raising the output of my magical power several times as much as when fighting Katyusha. The sleeves of his clothes were completely burned, and his skin and muscles were paralyzed, making him feel as if he would drop the rapier at any moment.
“Princess! Calm down!”
It was an unreasonable output to the point of losing an arm. Also, even if blocked, the output was enough to burn the opponent’s nerves.
“If you can stop it, stop it, if you can’t, let it die!”
I lowered my stance and took a step. Then, at an angle that could not be avoided, he threw a rapier at Mustafa.
It was the most powerful blow I could use at the moment.
Fuuk, and the rapier penetrated. I felt the sensation of penetrating something solid in my almost numb arm.
“… … indeed.”
Mustafa stiffened with one hand outstretched forward with an expression of mistake. I removed the electric shock from my body and looked ahead.
“Is this the secret art of the earth?”
My rapier was stuck in the wall of the earth that had formed in front of Mustafa. With the power of his tattered arm, he couldn’t even pull out the rapier from there.
“You lied to me. Isn’t it a dangerous secret if known?”
“… … Keugh.”
“However, I am satisfied.”
I approached Mustafa beyond the wall. And with a tattered hand, he asked for a handshake.
“Welcome to be my swordsmanship teacher, Mustafa.”
With this, I got my hands on a way to defeat the emperor someday.