Chapter 11

In any case, having safely gotten through my meeting with Miel, the very next day I was diligently alternating between horizontal and vertical slashes under Carusien’s guidance.

However, perhaps because I had been too nervous meeting Miel yesterday, the fatigue accumulated in my body hadn’t fully dissipated, which translated into stress and fueled my dissatisfaction.

‘Argh, I should have just spent Sunday rolling around all day. Well, it’s not like I didn’t want to meet Miel, though.’

Was this what it felt like to date? You want to meet them, but you’re exhausted once you do, yet not meeting them feels a shame… Well, since I’d never had a girlfriend before, I wouldn’t really know.

As I was having thoughts like that and swinging my sword half-heartedly, an unpleasant voice echoed from behind me.

“You have strayed thoughts in your sword. Focus, please. My lady.”

A guy like a ghost.

Normally, Carusien’s words would have helped me snap back into focus, but today, with my lingering fatigue and accumulated stress, things were different.

[Ugh, I can’t do this! No, I’m not doing it!]

My heart wanted to toss the wooden sword aside, but if I did, that damn Carusien would sneer and say something like:

[Was that truly all you were capable of? Just as expected of Lady Armienne.]

To avoid hearing crap like that, I was going to swing this sword no matter what.

Just imagining Carusien’s face plastered right onto the face of the scarecrow in front of me made strength I didn’t even know I had well up inside.

“Hup!”

Thwack-thwack—!

I smiled as I watched the wooden sword strike cleanly. It felt like some of my stress was melting away.

“You don’t necessarily have to make such weird battle cries.”

Sensing something change, Carusien stiffened his face and spoke, which only made me shout even louder.

“Haiiiaah!! Oh ho! This is great!”

Swish-swish-thwack-thwack-thwack—!

This was actually pretty decent. I should make frequent use of this from now on.

“Uhm….”

Watching Carusien unable to say much while I swung my sword with gusto, I even felt a tiny bit amused now. Still, I had no intention of stopping here. Wielding the wooden sword, I spoke to Carusien, who was watching over me.

“I want to go on a vacation trip.”

The moment I brought it up, our genius of the sword uttered the exact line I had anticipated, as if he had been waiting for it. It really felt like he had been waiting ages for me to say those words.

“Ha, I suppose it was truly impossible to teach you swordsmanship seriously after all. Go wherever you like if you wish to go. In exchange, I will no longer teach you.”

Right, I knew you’d say that, buddy. So what if you’re a genius with the sword? When it comes to everything else, I’m way better.

“No, Teacher Carusien. You have to come with me, too.”

At my words, Carusien let out a huff, looking as though he couldn’t believe his ears. Insane, even when a handsome man huffs in annoyance, somehow it still looks like a picture. Did that make Carusien look cool, though? I could proudly answer no. If anything, he was just infuriatingly cocky.

“Ha! I am speechless. I am literally speechleeeess.”

Was that some newfangled slang? Or a fresh pun on being speechless?

“………….”

“Why on earth should I go on a trip together with you?!”

Watching the rude Carusien blatantly point his finger at me now, I calmly maintained my poker face. He probably figured he’d piss me off enough so I’d quit these swordsmanship lessons right on the spot. But there was no way in hell I was going to let you get your way.

“It’s not just Teacher Carusien who’s coming. Grandpa Capeldeor is coming, too.”

“Ngh, you really are impossible to reason with. I am asking why on earth I, of all people, must tag along on a trip with you—no, with the young lady.”

At his question, I let out a dry chuckle and swung the wooden sword toward him. Naturally, there was no chance he’d actually get hit by my wooden sword, but perhaps finding it unbelievable that I dared swing a weapon at him, he flared up in anger.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?!”

“Teacher Carusien is my swordsmanship instructor. Am I right?”

“That may be so, but….”

“Then shouldn’t you naturally follow along and teach me when I go on a trip? Do you have neither a sense of responsibility nor duty as an educator!”

At my words, Carusien was now genuinely speechless, leaving his jaw hanging wide open without being able to say a thing.

“No, what kind of absurd forced logic is that?”

If I concede here, I lose. Rather than backing down, I cut him off and shouted even louder.

“No! Forced logic, you say? I’m truly speechless. I’m practically speechleeeess!”

“……….”

“If you’re a teacher! A proper teacher, that is, isn’t it only natural that you follow your student all the way and look after them!”

Prompted by my loud voice, the knights who had gathered one by one began to chuckle and started throwing their weight behind my words. Seeing how hard I’d been taking my swordsmanship lessons lately, it seemed they had developed a bit of a favorable impression of me.

“That’s right. The young lady’s words are entirely correct.”

“Carusien, is it enough just for you to be handsome and swing a sword well?! You need to teach well, too!”

“True! True! If a teacher—no, if a man is asked to go on a trip by the most beautiful young lady in the entire world, he shouldn’t refuse!”

What the hell kind of nonsense is that? Who said that last part?

I clearly memorized the face of the male knight who interpreted my words as if we were heading out on a date. He was a knight named Charles, without a doubt. Good, your salary for this month is getting cut.

I certainly hadn’t asked to go on a trip together because I liked Carusien. If anything, I hated the guy, so I suggested a trip both to give him a hard time and to blow off some steam for myself.

Before I knew it, completely cornered by the atmosphere, Carusien gave a reluctant, stiff nod.

“U-u-um, well… Sigh, very well.”

“Fantastic! Then wrap up your preparations for the trip by tomorrow, show up by our usual morning lesson time, and let’s call it a day for today’s lesson. Right? Teacher!”

At my words, Carusien turned away with his face flushed red. He looked thoroughly angry.

“Understood.”

Judging by how obediently he accepted my utterly ridiculous proposal, he was definitely hopping mad. Jeez, if you had just been like this normally, I wouldn’t have picked fights with you, man.

Since I had no desire to needlessly stir up trouble, I gave a polite bow, put my wooden sword away in the storage rack, and left the training grounds.

And even after I left, rumor had it that Carusien stood there with a red face for quite a while—hearing that story second-hand from other knights made my whole body shiver.

“Whoa, he must really be furious.”

Figuring I ought to treat Carusien a bit more gently for the time being, I contacted Grandfather Capeldeor via the communication magic orb.

Lulu~ Lulu~ Grow bigger~ Lulu~ Lulu~ Grow bigger!~

The cute little wizard BGM from Loor (Lulu) that I loved so much echoed out, and a moment later, the familiar voice of the old man came through the orb.

Click.

“Grandfather!”

I called out with gladness, and at my reaction, the old man chuckled heartily.

< Oh, why hello, Armienne. Ho ho, I was actually about to contact you myself, so this works out well. >

Huh, what is this?

Suddenly, alarm bells began ringing in my intuition. I asked in a shaky voice.

“W-what’s going on?”

< Well, you see. They say a precious guest is arriving at the Magic Tower, so it looks like we need to prepare to welcome them for a while. With the Tower Master away, I’ve been put in charge of leading those preparations, you see. Ho ho. It’s a shame, but I don’t think I’ll have the bandwidth to head over your way this week. >

“Ah… ha, i-is, t-tha… t… so? I… am… fi… ne.”

I mechanically recited those words, claiming I was fine, while the old man hung up the communication orb sounding genuinely apologetic. Even just from the stray background noises bleeding through, I could tell how utterly swamped the Magic Tower currently was.

Click.

Gazing at the communication orb now plunged into darkness as the connection cut off, I slowly began to wake up to reality.

“Aaaaaah! At this rate, I’m practically going to end up traveling alone with that bastard Carusien!”

Ah, come to think of it, Yul was supposed to come. Wait, where on earth had Yul gone? She was right by my side just this morning.

I quickly went looking for Yul. If there was ever a time I thanked my lucky stars that Yul was my exclusive maid, this was it. Surely Yul would follow me on my trip.

“Huh? Where could she be?”

I wandered around here and there searching for Yul, but when I couldn’t spot her anywhere, I ended up calling out to a passing housemaid.

“Hey, you there.”

“Y-yiikes.”

Seeing the housemaid tremble violently the moment I called her out—reacting as if she had just gulped down a whole bowl of poison—I offered a bitter smile inwardly. I thought I had made a decent effort, but it seemed I still hadn’t shaken off Armienne’s wicked-villain image after just a month. Even so, tracking down Yul was my top priority right now.

“Have you by any chance seen Yul?”

“Ah, a-are you referring to Lady Yul, the young lady’s exclusive maid?”

“Yeah, that Lady Yul.”

Seeing the housemaid’s eyes darting frantically back and forth at my words, I realized Yul was hiding something from me. Furthermore, it was obvious the housemaid standing right in front of me knew where Yul was.

“If you don’t confess honestly, you’re g.o.n.n.a d.i.e, you know?”

“Y-yiiiiikes!!!”

Instantly turning pale at my threat, the maid blurted out what she knew. Hearing her words, I felt my jaw drop lower and lower as I sprinted toward the location the maid had told me about.

It was none other than the living quarters where the maids slept. Bursting the door open, I spotted someone lying in a corner, coughing softly.

“Yul….”

At my voice, the figure in the corner flinched, and I slowly walked over toward Yul.

“Cough, cough. My lady? It shouldn’t be time for swordsmanship class to end yet….”

Interrupting her attempt to scramble up right away at my call, I held her down.

“Just stay lying down. And… you need to speak up when you’re sick. No, I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner.”

“It’s fine. I’m alwa—”

“I’m not fine with it. Lie down and sleep. That’s an order.”

“Yes.”

Sigh, I felt the excitement I had built up for the trip drain completely away. I acknowledged and reflected on the fact that, like a selfish child, I had only been thinking about myself every single day. I felt like a fool for thinking, Now that I’ve become Armienne, I’ll just kick back and enjoy a fun fantasy life to my heart’s content.

Watching Yul, who must have been quite sick, start nodding off into a drowsy sleep shortly after lying down, I quietly slipped out of the room.

To avoid showing any signs of illness in the morning, she must have put on a brave face, only to be sleeping here for fear of getting caught.

A sigh naturally welled up at my own uselessness.

“I’ll need to ask the other maids to look after Yul.”

Thinking that, as I returned to my room, I finally remembered a crucial fact I had completely forgotten about.

“…Does this mean I really have to go on a trip alone with Carusien after all?”

A sweet, lovey-dovey trip alone with a damn hunk of a guy? And with that inflexible, rigid man of all people, Carusien?

This is bad. I’m already getting nothing but bad premonitions.