Chapter 58
Unfortunately, even though the sparring tournament had been suddenly arranged, it didn’t provide opportunities for everyone.
Perhaps there was a separate ranking for swordsmanship among them, as only those ranked 32nd and above could participate.
The matches began by shuffling a sheet of paper with the names of the 32 participants and drawing them at random.
Bang─
It was definitely the sound of swords clashing, yet it was so thunderous that if one closed their eyes, they could easily mistake it for a storm shaking the entire arena.
Even though this was purely a swordsmanship match without using pheromones like in real combat, the intensity of the sound was astonishing.
“Wow…”
Time passed, and soon there was only a single match left.
The dazzling techniques had mesmerized everyone, making it hard to realize how quickly time had flown.
‘The long-awaited finals!’
As expected, the first and second ranked participants faced each other in the final. According to what Guard 3 quietly mentioned, these two were always competing for first and second place.
That meant their skill difference was minimal.
Which made it all the more exciting. It promised to be anything but an easy match.
“Johan, Ludius, prepare yourselves!”
At Guard 1’s call, the two knights stepped into the center of the arena.
Even though they were holding wooden swords instead of real ones, it was easy to mistake them for real swords because the aura they radiated was extraordinary.
‘Was all the sparring I’ve seen up to now just child’s play…?’
Of course, it wasn’t, but the intimidation they exuded made it feel that way.
Johan’s neatly combed-back hair emphasized his smooth forehead, while Ludius’s hair was tied high, revealing his straight neck.
I secretly wished I could appoint both of them as my personal guards, but sadly, there was only one slot.
I considered changing my mind, but with the finals about to begin, it wasn’t the right moment.
“Salute.”
After bowing, they raised their wooden swords toward each other. And then, something I hadn’t seen before happened.
Even though the arena was completely enclosed with no wind, their hair began whipping violently.
I was slightly taken aback but soon realized why. The sword energy radiating from each of them collided, creating a wind-like effect.
Even I could feel the intensity of their desire to win.
‘This… is really terrifying.’
I glanced at the guards standing on either side of me.
…Strangely, I’d never felt this from them before. Ah, except for Joshua.
Guard 2 noticed my gaze, made eye contact, and tilted their head.
“You know, I think those two might actually be stronger than my personal guard. What do you think?”
“Huh? Haha, that’s just for show.”
“They’ve never shown me that before.”
“We just haven’t had the opportunity to show you our skills!”
Their defensive voices briefly grew louder, drawing the attention of the surrounding guards.
Guard 2 cleared their throat and continued in a lower voice.
“We hardly ever go outside with you, Miss. So we’ve never had a chance to show our abilities in fending off enemies ambushing you.”
“Oh… is that so?”
“Yes…”
Even though there may have been other chances to show their skills, they seemed genuinely aggrieved, and I nodded, acknowledging their explanation.
Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong. Whenever we went out, it was always with Joshua or Hale, leaving no room for other guards to intervene.
“Begin.”
At Guard 1’s words, I turned my attention back to the match.
As soon as I looked at them, their swords clashed at lightning speed.
Kwah─!
“So that’s why I brought them here—to appoint them as my guards!”
“……”
After explaining the increase in my personal guard, I couldn’t hide the proud smile spreading across my face.
Watching me, Hale sighed once and gave the three guards behind me a disapproving glare.
Or more accurately, a scowl.
I preempted any protest from Hale.
“If I’m safe, that’s good for Dad too. It doesn’t cost extra… Oh, does it?”
“……”
“Well, Dad has a lot of money anyway, so it’s fine, right?”
I said something a bit childish out of habit around Hale, even though it was about time to stop.
No one would criticize me for it, but I worried slightly whether I’d behave this way naturally in front of people from other families.
After silently observing me and the three guards for a while, Hale finally spoke.
“Senica, I won’t object since you say you need them… but…”
“Okay.”
“The current guards involved in this will need separate interviews.”
“G-Godfather!”
Guard 1, standing behind me, looked as though the world had collapsed.
Luckily, I got through it smoothly, but Guard 1 would likely have a long meeting with Hale.
I left the office with Ludius and Johan, turning back with a bright smile, unable to contain my joy.
They had put on an incredible performance in the finals, and now I was appointing these skilled warriors as my new personal guards!
“Please take care of them both!”
“We will become your swords, Miss.”
“We will never forget the favor you have done for us.”
The former was Ludius, the latter Johan.
Judging by their words, it was clear that Ludius won the finals while Johan lost.
Despite the loss, Johan acknowledged it gracefully… Truly a remarkable scene.
So I couldn’t give up either of them.
‘Alright, let’s get started then.’
The real reason I went to the arena wasn’t just to loosen my stiff body after lying down but also to regain my lost skill.
Once lost, it was far harder to regain skill than to learn it initially.
“Let’s go somewhere together!”
I grabbed one of each of them by the arm and ran down the corridor. If I’d been wearing a skirt, I’d have fallen for sure.
We arrived at a wide, open area behind the building—a now unofficially my private training ground.
“Both of you, take up your swords.”
“…Do we have to spar again?”
“Yes!”
My clear and cheerful answer caused their expressions to stiffen slightly.
Understandable—they hadn’t fully recovered in less than half an hour since their previous match.
It would be fun to watch them spar again, but that wasn’t my real goal.
I stomped the ground a couple of times, making them look at me.
“This time, you’re not sparring with each other. You’re sparring with me.”
I smiled at the two, who were too startled to focus their eyes anywhere.
“Johan, Ludius. I’d like you to be my swords… and also my swordsmanship teachers.”
Honestly, as a swordsmanship teacher, my father wasn’t satisfactory.
Sure, he had the finest sword skills in the Baekryong family, but he wasn’t a good teacher. Skill and teaching ability didn’t always match.
A teacher should be flexible sometimes—so why treat me, his daughter, so strictly? Even Eve wouldn’t do that!
‘Even the strict Angela would show some consideration for my convenience!’
So I decided to make these two my new swordsmanship teachers.
I hadn’t planned to hire new guards or teachers today, but what could I do now?
‘Since it’s come to this, they might as well be both my guards and teachers.’
Unlike my father, Johan and Ludius seemed flexible in their teaching style.
They exchanged a glance, whispered something, and moved closer to me.
Less than half a day ago, they had been growling at each other as if ready to devour one another, yet now they were working in perfect harmony?
“Hey, you two?”
Curious, I approached them after watching them whisper for a long time.
But as I got closer, they both spun around with meaningful smiles.
“Miss, thank you for giving us this honorable opportunity.”
“We will dedicate ourselves fully and teach you diligently!”
A breeze stirred as their silvery-blue hair swirled gently.
At that moment, my own decision wavered. It was like trying to jump over a pile of excrement, only to land right in it…
Not that my father, Johan, or Ludius were literally excrement—it just felt that way.
“Uh, okay…”
I couldn’t tell them not to try hard when they were so enthusiastic.
Still, I hoped they’d be better than my father as teachers, and so I began the training.
“Haa… haa…”
Dodging the relentless strikes, my breath grew rough and sweat dripped.
The difference was clear compared to learning from my father, whose main weapon was pheromones, not a sword.
They taught me in detail, emphasizing attack over defense.
“Uh… so this is how it’s done…?”
But the frustrating part was that I couldn’t grasp it quickly. Even with their explanations, my body didn’t adapt.
It was natural, really. Unlike my father, the sword wasn’t my primary weapon.
I wanted to wield it as my main weapon—like Ludius and Johan.
Since my pheromones weren’t stable, this was the only way to protect myself.
“You’ve been holding too much tension in your shoulders.”
“Phew… I’m trying to relax, but it’s hard.”
“If your shoulders are tense, your muscles stiffen, which will slow your movements.”
Ludius spoke coldly. Fair enough—he shouldn’t go easy on me. But it frustrated me that my body didn’t cooperate even though my mind understood.
Perhaps sensing my struggle, Johan approached while observing our sparring.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and through a slight pressure, his pheromones seeped into my skin.
“I’ll help loosen your muscles.”
With gentle pressure, his pheromones eased the tension in my muscles.
Gradually, the strain in my shoulders released.
I raised my right hand and lightly tapped Johan’s hand on my left shoulder, signaling that I was fine.
As soon as he understood and removed his hand, I felt a cold sensation prick the back of my head.
