Not the Female Lead, But An Extra - Chapter 19. Enchanting People
Chapter 19. Enchanting People
It was a day with slight overcast.
I came out to the training ground early in the morning to warm up.
“One-two! One-two!”
Stretching, sitting down and standing up.
I always felt nervous on the day of the weekly real sword sparring with Johann.
After all, it’s a real sword, so I’m scared.
Of course, I wouldn’t leave a scratch on Johann’s body. He wouldn’t hurt me by mistake either.
The skill gap between us was enormous.
The purpose of this sparring was just for me to properly clash with Johann’s sword.
With my daily improving reflexes and dynamic vision, I had already clashed with his sword a few times, and just crossing swords with a hero-class ability user was a great help in awakening my sword skills.
“It might be tough, but I think I can enjoy the sparring.”
I just had that feeling.
He seemed to like the gift I nervously gave him yesterday too.
Feeling somewhat proud, I looked at the knights training in the distance. How do they manage such intense training every day?
Looking at them made my training seem like child’s play.
Though it’s tough enough for me.
Just then, I saw Johann approaching from afar. He was coming this way, dressed smartly.
By the way, when training with him, I wear full armor, but he comes dressed as usual. It made sense. After all, he wouldn’t even break a sweat against me.
While continuing my warm-up, I unconsciously looked at his chest.
<I prefer this one more to my taste.>
Those words kept echoing in my mind.
I kept thinking about it until I fell asleep last night.
“……?!”
But it was empty.
What? Why didn’t he wear it?
It’s not like he was wearing any other accessory either. His chest, which he usually adorned moderately, was bare.
“You’re out early.”
I blinked at Johann, who had already arrived in front of me. His atmosphere seemed… a bit different from usual.
How should I put it?
It felt a bit chilly.
Did I do something wrong? I thought we parted on good terms last night…
Maybe he had some unpleasant business with Jesuf. I glanced at Jesuf training with the knights in the distance. He seemed normal.
“I felt like my body might have stiffened after a day off, so I came out a bit early to warm up.”
I smiled even more brightly.
Lighten up, you. It’s scary.
Fortunately, my smile seemed to have an effect as Johann’s expression softened a bit. He stared at me for a moment before drawing his sword.
“Let’s start right away.”
“Yes!”
“Jesuf said you succeeded in deflecting a sword.”
“That’s why I got a vacation.”
My shoulders rose proudly. But they quickly dropped again at Johann’s next words.
“Let’s see if you can succeed against Marseus as well.”
As if I could!
While Jesuf taught like a good teacher at my level, this guy just swung his sword mercilessly. Of course, from the perspective of a knight using enchantments, he might be going easy, but it was still overwhelming for me.
Just clashing swords makes my arms tingle!
But whether he knew of my struggles or not, Johann beckoned me to come at him.
Ugh.
Let’s give it a try.
I took a ready stance and raised my sword. I focused on the target with my eyes wide open. I’ll charge in and cut Johann down!
Whoosh! Swish!
My sword cut through the air.
It was a familiar occurrence.
Johann was as fast as the wind, and to his eyes, my sword must be as slow as a turtle. But if I focused on one point, there would come a moment when he couldn’t dodge and had to block my attack with his sword.
I do as I’ve been taught.
Maintain my breathing so the sword doesn’t waver. Focus on my steps and movements. Just like I practiced hundreds of times with Jesuf…!
Clang!
My sword clashed with Johann’s.
Over the crossed blades, his blue eyes looked down at me.
“Not bad. Your strength has increased.”
Even though it seemed like the same clash, he noticed the subtle change. Encouraged by the praise, I decided to launch another proper attack.
Pushing the sword towards the opponent while stepping back.
Whoosh!
Having created some distance, I rotated my sword once above my head to regain my stance.
That’s when it happened.
Saaaa.
The golden sun emerged from between the clouds and poured down on me. It started warming from the top of my head.
For a split second, I had the illusion that Johann’s pupils dilated.
I swung my sword as planned and thrust it straight at him.
And then…
“Gasp!”
“Ah…”
Riiip.
Johann’s clothes, who dodged my attack half a beat late, tore lengthwise. I froze in the position I finished my attack, too shocked.
Our eyes met.
“Why didn’t you dodge?!”
I was so surprised that I forgot he was the emperor and asked as if scolding him. Johann just stared blankly at his torn clothes.
Ah, really!
How could a hero not dodge even this?! Didn’t he say I couldn’t touch even a thread on him even if I attacked with my eyes wide open?!
“How can I attack comfortably like this? I really can’t live.”
I checked if Johann was injured anywhere. His chest, just below the collarbone, was torn quite long. About a hand span in length?
Bare skin showed through his white shirt. Fortunately, it seemed the skin wasn’t cut. It looked like he dodged well by a hair’s breadth.
“I don’t want to leave scars on Your Majesty’s body.”
“If you succeed, you can consider it an honor.”
“This is not a joke.”
“Seraphina.”
He called me in a low, sunken voice. I raised my head at his voice that sounded somewhat serious.
When our eyes met, a raindrop fell on my shoulder.
Soon, it started pouring.
“It’s raining… Let’s go inside first.”
The sky had been gloomy since morning.
Since we didn’t bring umbrellas, I turned to quickly go inside the building. The knights training in the distance were still swinging their swords, as if this level of rain couldn’t bother them.
Tough guys.
Anyway, I’m different from them.
I don’t want to get soaked.
Tap.
But before I could even take a step, Johann grabbed my forearm. I turned back again.
Swoosh.
The rain was getting heavier.
“What is it?”
In that short question, my body was already more than half wet. And so was Johann’s.
Usually, I might have pulled his body to quickly go inside. But I couldn’t do that now. Johann’s expression was serious.
“…is …last.”
“Pardon?”
When I asked again at his mumbling, he spoke more clearly this time.
“I said, today is the last.”
I didn’t ask what he meant.
I could instinctively understand.
Johann voiced exactly what had popped into my head.
“Your deployment has been decided.”
“……”
It seems this isn’t just a passing shower.
By now, Johann and I were completely soaked from head to toe.
I looked at him with occasionally wavering eyes. And Johann silently looked down at me.
I knew I was going to the battlefield, of course.
But I felt uneasy.
Why am I feeling this way?
* * *
After finishing the early sparring at the training ground, Johann returned to his bedroom and washed up first.
He had informed Seraphina that she would be leaving next week. It was the result of his discussion with Jesuf last night.
It’s good.
Thanks to her working hard with pure passion, they could send her off with less worry about her getting easily hurt on the battlefield. Her purification ability should be fine.
‘But why am I so concerned?’
Something was grating on his nerves.
An emotion he couldn’t identify.
Is it because Seraphina might get hurt on the battlefield? Yes. Because purifiers are precious.
Having somewhat defined the identity of his emotions, Johann headed to his office without even drying his wet hair, trying to shake off the lingering uneasy feeling.
A moment later, seated at his desk, he began reviewing the documents Ionia had left one by one.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of turning pages occasionally resonated in the air.
How much time had passed like that?
The rain had stopped at some point.
From the garden, Seraphina’s and Jesuf’s voices occasionally came through the window, probably doing afternoon training. On any other day, he might have gone to the window to look down at the garden to clear his head, but today he didn’t.
Instead, he remained seated like a statue, not moving from his chair.
Scratch, scratch.
The quill pen moves.
Big and small matters of the empire are decided and set in motion by his hand. The night deepens, dawn ends, and morning comes again.
Knock, knock.
A courteous knocking sound echoes. It must be Ionia. Sure enough, the door opened and she entered.
“Your Majesty? Did you stay up all night?”
Johann raised his head at her surprised voice.
“Ah. I was concentrating well.”
“Oh. To see the bottom of the document pile, there are days like this too.”
Ionia exclaimed in admiration and immediately brought up the reason for her visit.
“News that the Guardian of the North will soon arrive in Elmon, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
Johann frowned at the news of an unpleasant person coming when he was already on edge.
“Why is he…”
“Your Majesty.”
But Johann couldn’t finish his sentence.
Jesuf burst through the door.
“What is it.”
“Miss Seraphina has collapsed.”
“What?”
Johann stood up from his seat in surprise.
“Why? What happened? Did she have an accident?!”
“No. She seems to have overexerted herself training in the rain yesterday, and now she has a fever…”
Jesuf trailed off, blinking at Johann’s excessive reaction. Ionia also looked surprised.
Only then did Johann realize his reaction had been inappropriate.
He cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Playing hard and then falling sick.”
Despite his gruff tone, his mind was filled with yesterday’s sparring.
The light pouring down between the clouds.
Seraphina standing there alone, swinging her sword, looked so radiant… like a celestial being…
To enchant someone even for a moment.
I must have been momentarily crazy.
He had never viewed talent in this way before.
Johann spoke in a businesslike manner, as if pushing away unnecessary emotions.
“Send a doctor to help her recover quickly. Make sure there’s no delay in her deployment.”