The Strategist of the Magic Emperor Shatters the Second Destruction - Volume 1 Chapter 6

A week has passed since the last training with my teacher.

Today, I’m swinging a sword in the courtyard again.

Thanks to acquiring the [Swordsmanship] ability, I’ve been able to swing the first wooden sword I made sufficiently well, though not easily.

“Huff… and, though it’s a bit late to ask… is it fun watching?”

“Yeah, it’s fun. Because every time I look, even an amateur like me can tell you’re changing.”

As usual, Anim sits down on the grass with a smile.

Anim, who still visits the orphanage regularly, had been watching me swing my sword every day while practicing magic control with one hand.

And surprisingly, her magic control, which she was supposedly doing on the side, has been steadily improving.

Every time I see her, she changes, and her growth rate in magic control is impressive, even from my perspective, who’s supposed to be more of a pro.

Was the “Magic Emperor” a genius from childhood?

In about a year, she should be able to control elements other than fire, such as water and wind, and even rare ones like light…

“I can’t lose…”

I murmur to myself.

I know it’s a waste to be jealous of Anim’s talent.

If I have time to do that, swinging my sword with my teacher’s words in mind is infinitely more meaningful.

Not simply swinging mindlessly, but while thinking, in my case.

Tracing my teacher’s movements and imagining the reasons and circumstances that led to them.

That suits me more.

“Hm? Balam, what’s that?”

Suddenly, Anim points to something rolling in the courtyard, tilting her head in curiosity.

It’s a stone sword, the same size as the wooden sword I hold.

“This is a decorative stone my teacher bought for me, which I turned into a sword with my magic.”

I pick up the stone sword, and it feels significantly heavier than the wooden one, putting considerable strain on my grip.

As I show it to Anim,

“Oh, heavy…!”

She attempts to hold it with both hands but nearly loses her balance due to its weight.

I catch her and put the stone sword back on the ground.

“I plan to train with this after the wooden sword. My teacher also advised me to do so.”

“O-okay, but… can you move a little away…?”

“Ah, s-sorry…”

As I backed away from Anim, who shrinks while still in the posture I caught her in, she straightens her bangs and glares at me, saying, “Honestly…”

Cute… I mean… I was too close.

When I resume practicing forms with my wooden sword, as if to avoid Anim’s gaze, I recall what my teacher told me at the time of our parting.

When it was just the two of us after Sister and Anim had sent my teacher off.

“Balam. How serious are you about the sword?”

“How serious… it’s hard to say when asked like that…”

Thinking back to my first life, when I could do nothing with just “Conversion Magic,” it’s clear I won’t get anywhere unless I reach a level where I can fully utilize the weapons I’ve created.

Among those weapons, I chose the sword because it’s easy to handle and swordsmanship is widely taught around the world.

However, surprisingly, training with the sword suits me, and I feel the thrill of growth just as with magic.

It’s true I would have been all right with any martial arts, but now I think I’m glad it was the sword.

The power that can easily bring together those gathered under the Magic Emperor Anim in my first life.

What’s necessary isn’t half-baked strength.

For now, having power surpassing the four knights directly under the Magic Emperor is an absolute condition.

So, my goal is,

“To be able to single-handedly kill disaster-class monsters.”

There is no alternative.

Monsters of disaster class that mobilize nations the moment they’re sighted.

Even those four knights couldn’t defeat them alone.

If possible, it’d be to match the Six Emperors… well, Three Emperors in this era.

They are the powers I need to obtain.

“Hahaha, brat, you sure talk big.”

But my teacher seems pleased with my bold statement, bending his knees to meet my gaze and says seriously,

“In half a year, I’ll come back to this orphanage. If you still feel the same then, and if you can perfectly swing the stone sword I just made, I’ll train you in the holy city.”

“In the holy city?”

To learn swordsmanship in the holy city.

A clear difference from my first life.

Obsessed with magic, I never met my teacher in my first life, so it’s only natural that changes would happen.

Rather than fearing the changes, it’d be better to prevent the past from repeating by diverging as much as possible.

In the holy capital of the Holy Empire Alvarim, “Mild.”

The place where Anim and I met.

I was worried about what would happen this time without learning magic, but it turns out like this.

Besides, two of the future Four Knights are supposed to be there.

Honestly, my impression of them is the worst, but I can’t avoid them.

They’re necessary forces to protect Anim.

Maybe it’s also good to get to know them early.

“I understand. I’ll become even stronger by half a year!”

“It sounds like you’re going to pull out something outrageous… well, enthusiasm is good. Ah, and don’t go to any swordsmanship gyms. There aren’t many places that would suit you, and above all, I don’t want you picking up any strange habits.”

“Does that mean I’ll be training alone all this time?”

“After a month of training like this, try hunting some weak monsters. Be careful not to overdo it.”

My teacher stood up, stroked my head again, and said,

“I’m looking forward to it, Balam.”

“Huff—!”

I swing the wooden sword forcefully into the air.

“Half a year, huh… I need to get stronger.”

Wiping away the sweat dripping down my chin, I continue swinging the sword.

“…”

Anim, who watched me with a distant gaze, transforms the smoldering magic in her palm into a significantly larger column of fire than before.

Sighing with a lonely expression, she watched me until the end of my training.

■　　 ■　　 ■　　 ■

“Thank you for waiting, Lord Cain.”

“Yeah yeah, thanks.”

Passing by the bowing servant, I enter the training facility I haven’t been to in a month.

Geez, it’s too big and annoying. Why do I have to pass through so many places from the entrance to the gym, it’s troublesome…

As if sensing my inner thoughts, the servant coughs.

“Haa… Shall we start after a long time…”

Returning to the holy city, I thought I’d take a break, but no, it’s straight to sword instruction for the brat.

Normally, I could refuse due to abuse of power… but…

The sound of high-pitched metal interrupts my self-indulgent thoughts.

The sound of iron clashing, Clank! Clank! and the sound of armor rolling.

“Wow, they’re at it again, ‘That One’ is really making a show.”

The training facility was bathed in sunlight without a roof.

Its size and quality of equipment are unbelievable for a personal possession.

At its center, a child is surrounded by knights wearing armor.

The child seems not to care at all about the situation and flicks her silver long hair.

She deflects the training swords swung by knights, evades, and blows the fully grown men with their armor flying.

She swings her sword as if dancing, runs elegantly, and jumps as if she had wings.

It’s as if they’re not even a match.

Despite it being a many against one situation, the gap was so wide that one couldn’t even imagine a defeat.

“Young Miss has been like that for a month, not being able to fight with full power at all. Lord Cain, please…”

“I know, I know… Looks like I can’t rest today.”

Rotting my neck, I approach ‘That One.’

“Hey, making quite the spectacle――――”

“――――Fuuu!”

Kicking away one of the knights and closing the distance in one step, I catch the arm of the child who swung at me.

“I don’t have a sword, so don’t slash at me, idiot.”

“Then get ready. It’s your job.”

I rub my head at her words, not like a child at all, and take a blunted training sword from one of the knights.

“An actual sword is also fine.”

“Save that for after you’ve landed an attack on me.”

“…Today will be the day.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that a lot.”

This kid, she’s improved her skills yet again.

When a person’s Talent aligns with their direction, such “monsters” are born on rare occasions.

In the Holy Empire Alvarim, the daughter of Duke of Galuard.

Inheriting the thick blood of her parents, renowned as knights, born with raw talent as if tailored for her, nurtured in an environment of complete blessing, and beloved by her Talent—a truly genuine child of God.

Yudia Sin Galuard.

Talent, “Swordsmanship.”

A prodigy guaranteed to overshadow every swordsman and knight in existence.

Without knowing failure, without knowing defeat, also unaware of limits.

In some sense, it’s the ultimate misfortune.

A solitary genius, with no peers to match her.

“What are you laughing at? Do you wish to die?”

I block a thrust aimed at the torso that must have slain knights in an instant with my sword.

The power is sufficient, but it’s too reliant on brute force. It’s still not enough to make me stagger.

But still, am I laughing?

I guess I was.

Then probably because…

“Yudia. I found an interesting one on the expedition.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Just listen. I taught that one the sword. For one week.”

“Then you should’ve spent your time on my training instead of wasting it on such nonsense.”

This kid, really…!

With a clank! Uncharacteristically using brute force, I deflect her sword.

While pointing the tip of my sword at Yudia, who had jumped back, I continue the conversation without letting her close the distance.

“He was a complete amateur who’d never held a sword before, to the point where he got sore from just swinging it for a day, funny right?”

“I’m not interested――”

“――On the seventh day, I reflexively defended against his attack. Not blocked, but defended.”

The moment she hears my words, Yudia’s neat brows rise.

She stops moving, and her expressionless face clearly shows agitation.

“How long was it before you defended against my attack?”

“I don’t remember.”

“It was seven days, idiot. You remember.”

Yudia sighs, “Hu,” and smiles faintly.

That face captivates and terrifies the knights present.

“You, are you saying this? You found a sword that can match mine. …So, the expedition is a joke, a waste of time. Boring. I don’t care who this nobody is, but when I’m the same age as him, he won’t even be able to look up to me――”

“He’s ten years old. The same age as you.”

The training grounds fall silent, everyone holding their breath.

Yudia’s face loses all expressions.

“…You say it’s boring――――”

“Raised in an orphanage, ten years old. Talent is not in swordsmanship, let alone martial arts, but in magic. On the first day did swings, then had muscle pain and just watched my sword for the second and third days. Taught him swings and forms on the fourth day, then observed on the fifth and sixth days… and then came the seventh day.”

“Don’t lie, scum.”

It could hardly be called a sword strike, lacking in brilliance and refinement, more akin to a blunt attack.

Dodging the blow, not even worth receiving, with a half turn of my body, Yudia, gasping for breath from her shout and forceful movement, raised her face while her sword remained struck in the ground.

“A talentless orphan thinks he can challenge me?”

“Nah. Honestly, there was carelessness, and it might be a coincidence. If you two fought now, I guarantee you’d win.”

“Ha, of course.”

Yudia regains some composure, letting out a reassured voice.

That part of her is still childlike…

But, there’s something I can’t ignore.

“But I’m not lying. You’re different, but he has talent. You’re a genius, but he’s a rare talent. After all, he acquired the [Swordsmanship] ability in just one week. He’s no ordinary person.”

“…Let me meet him.”

“Huh?”

At Yudia’s passion, which slipped out in a murmur, the corners of my mouth rose.

Got her.

“Let me meet him. Now.”

“Calm down, it’s impossible right now. Let’s see… in six months. He’ll surely come here.”

“―Haha.”

Yudia bares her teeth, brandishing her sword.

The silver blade, like her hair, reflects the light mysteriously.

“Very well. If I have six months, I’ll be able to land an attack on you. Then the gap between that nobody and me will be clear.”

“Say that then. If it makes you more motivated than ever, then it’s good.”

Crushing her heart isn’t my job, teaching her to face defeat isn’t my job either.

I’ll leave that to him.

“Come at me then, brat. Don’t cry, okay?”

“Don’t talk big. I don’t care if you’re the Sword Emperor or whatever, don’t look down on me. I’ll drag you down.”

“Don’t call me by that name, it’s a creepy…name, do you want it?”

“No need. If I defeat you, it’ll naturally follow me anyway.”

She’s not a cute kid.

Well, I have no intention of dealing with her until he comes here.

The encounter between the rare talent Balam and the genius Yudia.

Geez, can’t wait.

T/N: In the raw, the novel doesn’t have a harem tag but multiple heroines instead. This Yudia might be one of the heroines.

On the other hand, Cain being one of the Six Emperors is a pleasant surprise. Who would’ve thought that Balam’s current goal was near?