Very soon, with Erica joining in, the intimate exchange between two people turned into something shared by all three.
Liliana had wanted to say something at first, but because she was already so flustered from being close to Akuto, her thoughts had gone hazy. In the end, she could only tacitly accept Erica's bold behavior.
Only then did Liliana finally realize something.
From the very beginning, Erica's goal had been for all three of them to share the moment together.
That warm, sweet exchange went on for quite a while, until Liliana finally dropped back into her chair as if she had run out of breath, her silver hair sticking to her flushed cheeks.
Erica looked pleased with herself too, but she was nowhere near as disheveled as Liliana.
After taking several deep breaths, Erica propped her chin on one hand in a slightly lazy pose.
"Lily, it looks like you still need more practice. Otherwise, how are you supposed to serve your king in the future?"
"Mm..."
Liliana let out a weak little sound, effectively defaulting to the idea that the three of them would continue getting along this way in the future.
She accepted it so quickly largely because she was too dazed to argue.
And more importantly, she had already made a promise with Karen that they would stand together, so accepting Erica's presence alongside her came much more easily than it otherwise would have.
After all, was there really that much difference between facing this together with Karen and facing it together with Erica? Whether it was Karen or Erica, both were exactly the sort of people Liliana had never been able to handle very well.
...
"By the way, my king, would it be convenient for you to tell me whether you prefer cappuccino or Darjeeling more?"
Erica rested her chin in both hands and turned to look at Akuto.
The moment she asked that, Liliana also looked toward him nervously.
Even with Liliana's straightforward way of thinking, she could tell Erica was only pretending to ask about drinks. What she really wanted to know was which girl Akuto preferred.
Akuto's answer was simple.
"As far as I'm concerned, if it tastes good, I like both."
"As for exactly how good, that depends on the skill of the person making it."
At those words, Liliana let out a quiet breath of relief. She had genuinely been afraid that Akuto would say something like cappuccino tasted better.
Because in Liliana's eyes, Erica far surpassed her when it came to kissing or teasing men.
"Lord Akuto, you really are sly and greedy."
Erica raised a brow and smiled. In truth, she was quite satisfied with his answer.
Now that she already knew she could never become Akuto's only partner, and perhaps not even his first, she was naturally willing to accept a relationship where everyone was treated as evenly as possible.
...
In the afternoon, the three of them moved on to the Roman Colosseum.
The ancient broken walls cast layered shadows beneath the sun. As Akuto brushed his hand across the weathered stone, it felt as though the bloodshed of a thousand years still lingered in the wind.
After their little café interlude and their walk through the city, Erica invited Akuto to the Colosseum.
To her, it was a place with strong commemorative value.
Otherwise, she would not have invited Godou Kusanagi to fight before the Colosseum in the original story.
Back then, Erica and Godou's battle at the Roman Colosseum had been meant to display Godou's strength before the leaders of various magical societies, so they could obtain the Gorgoneion from them and then use that chance to slay Athena in Japan, where no other Campione would interfere.
Now, though, Erica had invited Akuto there for a completely different reason: to have a special sort of sparring match, one that would let him understand them more fully through battle.
Inside the Colosseum, everyone else had already been cleared out. Only Akuto remained, standing opposite the blonde and silver-haired girls.
Erica suddenly drew the Lion's Sword, her red dress billowing like fire. With a quick change spell, she switched into the knightly attire she normally wore in battle.
As Erica changed, Liliana quietly drew the Sword of the Craftsman as well. Liquid silver metal flowed together into a blade, while an icy blue magic aura rose around her.
In the space of a few breaths, the twin knightesses of gold and silver had shed their casual clothes and returned to their battle attire.
Standing side by side under the sunlight, the two girls formed a sight so striking it was hard not to admire it.
"Come then. Attack me with everything you have. I'll give you the guidance that matches it."
Akuto looked at the two of them with calm ease and beckoned casually with both hands.
Long before coming here, Erica and Liliana had already told him why they wanted to come to the Colosseum.
Before offering him everything they had as women, they first wanted to show him and offer him everything they had as knights.
"Excuse us!"
Erica and Liliana exchanged a glance, then attacked at the same time.
Akuto did not use any special ability. He simply met the combined assault of the two girls head-on.
After all, this fight was not meant to determine a victor.
Since Erica and Liliana's goal was to let Akuto understand every side of them more deeply through combat, Akuto naturally did not mind taking the chance to deepen his understanding of them as well.
As he parried them again and again with only his bare hands, Akuto instructed them at the same time.
"Erica, Liliana, the swordsmanship you two use should both be hereditary styles from your families, right?"
"Although the sword arts of House Blandelli and House Kranjčar are both long-established, neither of them is actually a perfect fit for you."
"I'm sure you've already realized that yourselves, which is why you've both made changes to your inherited styles."
"The styles you developed after modifying them have a few similarities to Saint Raphael's swordsmanship."
"My guess is that ever since you received your weapons from Saint Raphael, you've been imitating parts of her technique."
"And yes, Saint Raphael's style does suit you quite well. After all, your family sword arts were both designed with male practitioners in mind."
"But imitating parts of Saint Raphael's style too directly is not a good idea, because Saint Raphael uses two swords, while both of you use single-handed blades. They are fundamentally different martial paths."
"For example, if you're making that move now, it should look more like this..."
As he spoke, Akuto first caught Erica's blade by the tip with one hand. The next instant, he stepped to Erica's side and adjusted her stance himself.
"Mm..."
By the time Erica realized what was happening, Akuto had already corrected her posture for her.
Feeling his warmth at her side, Erica's beautiful face gradually flushed red.
Fortunately for her, Akuto did not remain close for long.
The moment he finished correcting her, he moved to Liliana's side and did the same for her posture.
As he corrected her stance, he leaned in and spoke quietly by her ear, making Liliana tense all over.
"One more thing. The posture I'm correcting for you now is only temporary. You're both only sixteen. Even if becoming Campiones may one day leave your youth unchanged, there's still room for your bodies and styles to continue developing."
"But I'd say that by then, even without me, you'll be able to develop the techniques best suited to yourselves."
"Of course, if you need it then, I'd be more than willing to offer some close guidance..."
"..."
Liliana said nothing. She only lowered her head in silence, too embarrassed to respond.
She was not Erica. Erica would do little more than blush in that situation.
Liliana, on the other hand, looked like she might faint on the spot from sheer embarrassment.
...
And so, in front of Akuto, Erica and Liliana displayed everything they had.
Every sword technique they had practiced. Every spell they had learned. The amount of time they had spent training, the state they entered while training, and all the refinements they had made to their own methods afterward.
By the time more than an hour had passed, Akuto understood their abilities better than Erica and Liliana understood them themselves.
After all, Akuto's eye for such things far surpassed theirs. Many flaws the two girls had never even noticed were plain as day to him.
After an hour, Erica and Liliana had finally shown him all of their abilities, and the effort had clearly left them drained.
But even though they were tired, neither of them had any intention of going to rest first.
Dragging their weary bodies, both girls stepped forward and came to stand before Akuto.
The golden-haired knightess first brushed her long hair back into order, then raised the Lion's Heart and dropped to one knee.
"I, Erica Blandelli, learned the inherited swordsmanship of House Blandelli at the age of seven, was granted knighthood at twelve, and later received Reinhardt from Saint Raphael at the Monastery of Saint Girardino. At sixteen, I met my king, and with your help, I accomplished the great deed of godslaying."
"Lord Akuto, you are both my partner and the king I have sworn to serve for life in the name of a knight."
"By the honor of House Blandelli, I swear this now. From this day forward, this body shall be both the sword of my king and the rose that blooms for him."
Although Erica had already been considered one of Akuto's knights for some time, this ceremony was clearly far more solemn than the casual understanding that had existed before.
The moment Erica finished speaking, Liliana followed.
"I, Liliana Kranjčar, likewise learned the inherited swordsmanship of House Kranjčar at the age of seven, was granted knighthood at twelve, and later received Il Maestro from Saint Raphael at the Monastery of Saint Girardino. At sixteen, I met my king again, and with his help, accomplished the miracle of godslaying."
"By Lord Akuto's favor, I have been allowed to serve at your side as both partner and knight."
"I, Liliana Kranjčar, swear here and now that from this day forward, I will devote everything I have to fulfilling the duties of both knight and partner, and I will become someone who will never bring shame upon you."
As she spoke, Liliana dropped to one knee just like Erica and laid the Sword of the Craftsman flat across her palms.
...
Although Erica and Liliana had previously been Akuto's knights in a nominal sense, that was all it had really been.
Tony was a good example.
As the King of Swords, Tony ruled Southern Europe, and in theory all the knights of Southern Europe owed him loyalty. All of them could be called Tony's knights.
But the vow of fealty Erica and Liliana were performing now was different. A knight could only perform this kind of oath once in a lifetime.
That bond of service could even extend to one's descendants. As long as the knight still lived, she was bound to devote her entire life to serving her lord and the lord's family.
Of course, Erica and Liliana's case was a little unusual.
Because let alone protecting their lord's descendants, if they wanted to bear their lord's descendants themselves, they would still have to work very hard for that chance.
(End of Chapter)
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