“Hoo.”

Lila stood alone in the empty training grounds, taking a deep breath of the crisp air. The mansion was quiet, perhaps due to the banquet that had lasted late into the night.

“Impressive.”

She lightly twirled the sword in her hand and let out a small exclamation. The dwarf craftsman had poured his heart and soul into making it, and though this was her first time holding it, it fit in her hand as if she had wielded it for years.

“The training grounds?”

“Yes, I just wanted to try using a sword. It’ll only take a moment while no one’s around.”

“Now that everyone knows of your presence, there’s no need to avoid people or be wary of their gazes.”

“But won’t they find it strange?”

“Not at all. Besides, you’re officially a member of the Eustace Order of Knights. You may not be required to participate in training as my personal escort, but…”

“So, I can use it whenever I want?”

“Of course. As long as it’s not during group training, the knights practice individually anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Feel free to use it anytime. Or shall I arrange a private training ground for you?”

The Grand Duke of Eustace had been more excited than Lila at the mention of her using a sword. As a result, she had to stop him from immediately preparing a personal training ground with an overly enthusiastic expression.

“Hmm.”

Lost in thought, Lila gazed down at the softly glowing blade. There was something unsettling about seeing a sword still untouched by any battle scars. It was also the first time she had chosen to wield a sword not for a mission or training, but simply because she wanted to.

“A sword meant to protect…”

What kind of sword is protected rather than killed? She had boldly sworn to protect the Grand Duke of Eustace, yet now, holding a sword, uncertainty filled her.

Lila recalled the crown prince and the instructor, who had been utterly shocked upon seeing her the previous night. Had she not been informed beforehand by the Grand Duke, she too might have reacted the same way. The instructor, in particular—who rarely appeared in public—had shown up unexpectedly.

“What about the Crown Prince?”

“He left.”

“Just like that? Nothing happened?”

“Yes. Nothing to worry about.”

By the time Lila returned alone, the situation had already been resolved. The Grand Duke of Eustace had reassured her with his usual easygoing smile, saying everything was fine. But she couldn’t shake her unease. Knowing the crown prince’s personality, there was no way he had simply left without a fuss. However, since the Grand Duke feigned ignorance, she couldn’t press him further.

Had he realized? With a worried expression, Lila gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. For some reason, an inexplicable anxiety gnawed at her.

“I need strength.”

Muttering to herself, she tightened her grip. Now that the crown prince had seen her face, the emperor would soon know as well. Whether her identity had been exposed or not, a confrontation with the imperial family was inevitable. If she couldn’t avoid it, she had to grow stronger as soon as possible—to protect both the Grand Duke of Eustace and herself.

“……”

Focusing her mind, Lila closed her eyes. As she swung her arm, the silver blade sliced through the dawn air. Moving as if she were dancing, she listened to the sound of the air being cleaved apart.

Light and nimble. Sharp and swift.

Sometimes, the blade fluttered like a butterfly in flight. Other times, it lashed out like a serpent baring its fangs. The silver sword followed her movements, tracing elegant white arcs in the air.

Once she had warmed up, Lila slowly began drawing out her energy. A dark aura flowed from her fingertips, enveloping the blade.

“Oh?”

“That person is…”

Knights who had started to gather in the training grounds were captivated by the aura radiating from Lila.

“Hah!”

Swoosh!

With a sharp cry, she swung her aura-cloaked sword powerfully. The air didn’t just part—it was torn apart. Thud. As she kicked off the ground, a cloud of dust rose, and a small gust of wind followed.

One by one, the knights who had unknowingly gathered let out gasps as Lila’s sword danced. They had heard rumors of her exceptional skill, but witnessing it firsthand exceeded all expectations. Even those who had reached a certain level of mastery found it difficult to track her movements.

“She’s fast.”

One knight muttered in awe. Her speed was so overwhelming that he couldn’t follow her with his eyes. To him, the black aura seemed to flicker in and out of existence midair rather than forming a continuous flow.

Unaware of the growing audience, Lila reveled in the freedom of movement she had long missed. She flipped midair before landing lightly.

“Hoo…”

As she gathered her energy and steadied her breath, she felt relieved that her body still remembered how to wield a sword despite the long hiatus. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long to become completely accustomed to it again.

“Hm?”

Clap, clap, clap—

The sound of applause nearby made Lila open her eyes. Standing at the forefront of the gathered knights was a man with a smile on his face. It was Evan, the commander of the Eustace Order of Knights.

“That was remarkable.”

“…Sir Evan.”

“It’s no wonder His Grace was so captivated at first sight.”

“Thank you. Ah—thank you, sir.”

Realizing she had instinctively spoken informally, Lila quickly corrected herself. Though she had been diligently learning etiquette from Huon, breaking old speech habits was proving difficult.

“Haha, there’s no need to force yourself to use honorifics. I’ve heard from His Grace that Dame Knox isn’t fluent in the Empire’s language.”

“But still…”

“Speak comfortably until you’re used to it. I’m not so narrow-minded as to take offense at that.”

Already aware of Lila’s true identity, Evan smiled warmly. The knights looked surprised as their tiger-like commander laughed heartily instead of scolding or reprimanding her. Some showed signs of dissatisfaction, but no one openly protested.

At this gathering, the only person of higher status than Lila, a baroness, was Evan, a count. Since he had declared that formalities weren’t necessary, no one could object to Lila’s speech.

“Well then, shouldn’t we greet each other as warriors?”

“Huh?”

A greeting? Lila tilted her head at Evan’s words. Seeing her confusion, Evan smirked. With his naturally combative nature, he had been itching to move ever since watching Lila train.

“Warriors don’t communicate with words; they speak with their swords.”

Evan drew the greatsword from his waist and, with a respectful demeanor, formally challenged Lila to a sparring match.

“How about a duel as a greeting, Dame Knox?”

“…I’m not confident in sparring.”

Could she really do this? Lila hesitated at the unexpected proposal. To her, a sword was a weapon, and training had always been real combat. Whenever she crossed blades with someone, it only ended when either she or her opponent was wounded, when blood was spilled.

“There’s no need to feel pressured. It’s just a friendly exchange of blades.”

“But what if someone gets hurt?”

“Pardon?”

“A duel isn’t the same as real combat… I thought you weren’t supposed to injure your opponent…”

“Hmm? Haha. It’s refreshing to have someone worry about injuring me.”

Evan burst into laughter, now understanding what was causing Lila’s hesitation. He was a warrior who had never known defeat since reaching the upper ranks of the Expert level. And yet, here was a girl, about the age of his niece, worrying about hurting him—it was amusing.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Dame Knox.”

“…Alright.”

With an awkward attempt at formal speech, Lila raised her sword toward Evan. If he wanted this duel so much, she had no reason to refuse.