Now that the day has come, Princess Anastasha would be leaving for the Empire to attend the grand banquet and personally deliver my recommendation letter to the academy.
At least one thing went smoothly.
I also received Lady Hinako's response, and to my surprise, she had already managed to purchase the artifact I requested, the Architekular. Apparently, it was found lying in a dumpster site waiting to be scrapped.
Jeez, what a waste of a historical artifact that's still so useful to me. Lucky for me, Lady Hinako always has sharp eyes for value.
She mentioned in her letter that she infused one of the mana capsules with her own mana, the mana of nature. That makes things even better since each capsule can be used three times before disposal. I could imbue three items with this artifact before needing new capsules.
For once, things seemed to be going my way.
Now the only question is what kind of skills I can actually develop from this.
Realistically, I don't have the gift for magic. So the only logical approach is to learn skills that a normal knight would have. If I could learn the foundation of combat, maybe I could build on that with the help of the Architekular.
Swordsmanship seems to be the most common form of combat here. But from what I've read, knights are expected to be proficient in at least two types of fighting, ranged and close combat.
That makes sense. A balanced fighter survives longer.
The real problem now is where I'm supposed to learn.
Knocking on the Malkiha household's door to ask for training would be beyond disgraceful. I'd rather swallow a rock.
Asking Lady Hinako to teach me magic is also out of the question. She's busy running her trades, and besides, her affinity is nature not exactly beginner friendly for someone like me.
So that leaves me with only one option.
To learn on my own.
Self-training in a world where combat is everything. What could possibly go wrong?
Still to learn on what may take years in just one day is still hard since I need to meet up with Ma'am Malkiha to accompany her as both of us will go to the empire, her to an auction while me towards the academy.
Luckily I don't need to carry any luggage with me and I can ask Lady Hinako to handle my merchant shop anyway.
Ha…
I decided to open my portal and step into my pocket dimension. Everything was white, empty, and quiet as always. I dragged my finger across the air and began drawing a solid ground made of sand and rock. It formed beneath my feet almost instantly, the grains of sand crunching as I shifted my stance.
"Oh? Looks like I can pull things from Earth into this place and they actually function properly. That's pretty handy."
I grinned.
"So… should I pull something to learn swordsmanship with? Reading and acting on it is the only thing I can do for now."
A thick old manual appeared before me, the kind of thing you'd find in a martial arts archive or some forgotten dojo's shelf. Next came a simple wooden practice sword, and in front of me, I drew a few mannequins made of straw and sticks, a perfect stationary targets.
"Alright," I muttered, "time to become a swordsman. Or die trying."
I opened the book.
'The foundation of swordsmanship begins with balance.'
"Balance, huh? Easy to say."
I mimicked the stance in the illustration, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight. I swung the sword.
The sword immediately flew out of my hands, spun midair, and buried itself into the sand.
"...Oh come on! First swing and I'm already losing my weapon?!"
Grumbling, I picked it back up, brushing sand off the handle.
"Okay, round two. Less force, more control."
I swung again slightly better, but still awkward. My wrist twisted wrong and nearly threw the blade again.
"This is ridiculous. How did knights do this every day?!"
Another swing. Miss. Another. Miss. One more. The sword clipped the side of the mannequin's head and sent straw flying everywhere.
"Ha! Take that, you immobile piece of junk!"
Panting, I dropped the sword to my side and glared at the manual again.
'A sword is an extension of your body.'
"Extension of my body? It feels like an extension of my stupidity right now."
Hours passed. My arms burned, my shoulders ached, and I must've cursed the book at least fifty times, but slowly… my movements began to make sense. My grip steadied, my stance tightened, and the blade started cutting cleaner through the air.
"Okay… okay, this is progress. I'm still terrible, but less terrible."
I wiped the sweat off my face and lifted the sword again.
"Guess all geniuses start somewhere, huh? Just… preferably not like this."
I pointed at another paragraph in the book.
'Practice until your sword moves before your thoughts do.'
"Yeah yeah, muscle memory, whatever. Let's just hope my body doesn't fall apart before that."
I took a deep breath and resumed swinging each motion slightly sharper, slightly faster.
If I couldn't rely on a system or magic, then I'd forge my own strength, one clumsy swing at a time.
Maybe I should've just stayed humble.
My arms were burning, my shoulders felt like they were on fire, and I could barely hold the wooden sword anymore. With a groan, I decided to stop and exit my pocket dimension.
Ah, morning already.
And just my luck or misfortune, the carriage carrying the Madam of Malkiha had arrived right on time.
I either have the best timing in the world or the absolute worst luck imaginable.
After closing my shop, I made sure to leave a letter for Lady Hinako to handle things while I was gone. I even included notes about the items and their prices. Hopefully she wouldn't "accidentally" overprice them again for her amusement.
"Come in, Mr. Merchant," Madam Malkiha said as one of her butlers opened the carriage door.
"Will do, Ma'am," I said, giving a small bow before stepping inside.
The interior of the carriage was refined but not overbearing, with velvet seats, polished wood, and faint traces of perfume that made it clear this woman had power and grace.
"So, how are preparations going? I heard you will be attending the Empire's Academy," she asked, her tone polite but with the weight of someone used to authority.
At least compared to Anastasha, she was much easier to talk to.
"Doing well, I guess. I managed to pay the tuition fee," I said, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "Just need to, uh, pass the entrance test somehow."
"Then shall I give you a little more information about the world?"
"Please do," I said quickly. That could save me a lot of embarrassing mistakes later.
She nodded slightly, her emerald eyes glinting under the morning light. "As you may know, each kingdom is composed of seven royal families, with one serving as the main royal line. In the Malkiha Kingdom, that role belongs to our family. It's the same for other kingdoms, and the leading house is decided by the strength and contributions of its progenitor."
She then handed me a small emblem, a sigil engraved with a rose and crescent moon intertwined. "This is the Sigil of Malkiha. Keep it. It may aid you if you ever find yourself needing recognition."
"Thank you," I said, turning it in my hand and admiring the craftsmanship.
"Above each kingdom lies an empire," she continued. "An empire is formed from seven kingdoms united under one rule. The one you'll be serving under is the Empire of Crecensha. There are seven empires across the continent of Terarya."
It was a bit overwhelming, but at least I could follow along.
"Separate from the empires is the Holy Trinity Church," she said. "They consist of three major churches, each led by a saint. They operate independently but remain in alliance with the empires. They provide spiritual and sometimes political aid when necessary."
"So they're basically a separate nation of their own," I said.
"Likely," she replied with a faint smile. "Do note that aside from knights and mages, there are many other paths one can take. The Academy of Crecensha will expose you to them soon enough."
"Thank you for the information," I said, honestly grateful.
"Of course, and…"
Her voice trailed off. I froze internally.
Oh no. That tone. That hesitation. She's going to ask for a favor, isn't she?
"Please keep an eye on Anastasha's fiancé," she said finally.
"…Why?" I asked. "Are there rumors about him?"
"Yes. Most of them are positive," she said softly, her expression unreadable. "But I can't help but feel that something about him is hidden."
Hidden?
I frowned. "Who is her fiancé anyway?"
Madam Malkiha's gaze shifted toward the window as the carriage rolled forward.
"Prince Eryndor of the Crecensha Empire," she said quietly.
A royal fiancé. Of course.
I sank into my seat and sighed.
"Great," I muttered under my breath. "As if my life wasn't complicated enough already."
"So even if you wanted to, you can't break the engagement because it's with the royal family of the Empire itself," I said.
"The Emperor's orders are absolute," Madam Malkiha replied, her voice calm but laced with frustration. "Prince Eryndor is the Emperor's second son, and he's in contention with his elder brother for the throne. I can't help but worry about Anastasha's safety if she becomes a political target."
This is exactly why I hate political struggles, too many hidden knives, too much at stake. And from my position, getting involved is just asking to be crushed between giants.
"Even if I attend the same academy, I won't be able to keep an eye on the princess," I said. "I'm just a commoner."
"You can act as our entourage," she replied smoothly. "I gave you the Sigil for that reason."
Wow. Well, damn it.
"Speaking of the Empire, may I ask why you're going to an auction, Madam?"
"I see Anastasha might have told you," she said, her lips curving into a faint smile. "You see, I have my eye on a certain item."
"Are my diamonds not enough?" I said jokingly.
She let out a soft, elegant laugh. "Hah, your diamonds seem to be doing well in the black market, so why bother hiding it? I already know who the real source is."
She's sharper than I thought.
"So you knew," I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Then why still insist on me being your entourage?"
"Because you're cunning by nature," she said matter-of-factly. "Having you with me means I'll have someone capable of navigating the underground when needed."
Damn it, she's using flattery and logic at the same time.
"You have a good mind, Madam," I said with a resigned smile.
"Well," she said, leaning back with a glint in her eye, "the item in question is rather special. I'd like you to inspect it for me."
"What kind of item are we talking about?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
"I've heard rumors of something called a motorbike," she said.
Wait. What?
I froze. Slowly, the gears in my mind started turning.
Did she just say motorbike?
Oh no.
Wait, come to think of it, I never retracted the motorbike I used when I fought Lady Hinako.
Don't tell me.
She really sold it.And to top it off, it's being displayed at the Empire's auction.
My expression must've twitched, because Madam Malkiha tilted her head.
"What do you know about this motorbike, Mr. Merchant?" she asked.
"I might've seen one before," I said vaguely.
She nodded, eyes gleaming with amusement. "I've heard it's a beast that roars when ridden. They say it runs on a liquid fuel and only awakens when its master takes hold of it. The speed is said to surpass even the swiftest horses or wild beastcats."
I clenched my jaw, suppressing a groan.
Lady Hinako, I can't believe she managed to fix the damn thing after I left it in a wrecked state and then sold it to the Empire.
Now I have to get it back.