"Excellent form…"
My old Master comments on the two of us as he watches us take our respective positions while keeping our gaze on him.
I smile once more.
He hasn't seen anything yet.
"Begin!"
At the start of my father's voice, my sister charges toward his left, while I dash to his right.
It's pretty obvious that we're going after his flanks, trying to divide his attention by attacking him at opposite angles. But why would I make such an obvious move?
My old Master is a dual wielder, so he has vast experience dealing with such situations. He is too skilled to be affected by such a strategy. As such, as soon as we near him, he makes the right move and tries to subdue us almost immediately.
He would have succeeded, too… if that was all my plan entailed.
However, as soon as he tries to attack us, my sister increases her pace and slides on the ground, quickly making her way behind him, while I dodge and shift to his front.
In essence, this isn't an assault on his right and left flanks.
We are attacking him from the front and back.
"Are you sure you want to do this? You will stand a better chance if you combine your efforts and attack me together." He advises in a calm tone, but I coldly snort at his words.
'How can I fight alongside my sister? We barely have any coordination, and we'd be getting in each other's way.' I mentally shake my head, almost scoffing at the old man's counsel. 'It's a terrible idea!'
Most warriors and Knights spend years together—both in training and on the battlefield—to be able to develop proper fight chemistry. Trying to work with someone without establishing that kind of rapport would be too disadvantageous.
'We would need to be able to read each other's body movements and make the best moves depending on the situation. We also have to give each other special signals that our opponent can't read, while maintaining a rhythmic flow and keeping a similar pace… and so on…' I sigh to myself, recalling my past life's memories.
Even if I try to force teamwork between us, my sister isn't at the level where she can fight alongside me yet.
And so, it's best if we take on different roles.
I'll play my part, distracting the old man, while I leave my sister to deal the finishing blow. Once he gets used to our pattern, we'll alternate, changing the formula.
'I know your moves, and I've taught Selicia your patterns. It isn't enough to win, but…!'
With wide open eyes, I charge straight at him and exchange several blows, while Selicia presses him from behind and forces him to break his guard many times. Before long, he realizes the brilliance in our strategy—especially how we counter him well.
However, we don't give him time to get used to our attacks.
We quickly alternate our styles and force him to change his patterns once again. However, just as we choreographed in training, Selicia observes and acts accordingly. I intentionally take the back seat and encourage her to take the more aggressive route. This makes her the most proactive one in the fight, and I only come out of my role when I need to force a counter or protect Selicia from getting disarmed.
The fight quickly escalates, and eventually… the inevitable arrives.
—Exhaustion.
Selicia is the first to display this. It's only natural, since she has been training the shortest among us.
However, I'm not having an easier time, either.
Due to Selicia slowing down, I have to carry a lot more weight, which also forces me to expend far more energy than before. Not too long after, I begin to get tired.
Once my old Master sees this, he sharply increases his speed, catching the two of us by surprise and disarming us at the same time.
Even though I could predict his line of attack, our current speed simply doesn't match.
I sigh in surrender and admit defeat.
My old Master wins this fight. It is a flawless victory for him.
"What an exceptional duo you two make. I'm very impressed…" Sir Jerome smiles at me before turning to my sister, who now pants loudly. It's clear this fight pushed her beyond her limits, but she still managed to keep going.
Without a doubt, this will end up being a valuable experience for her that will help her in the future.
"Both of you impressed me. Especially you, little one…" His pleasant smile grows broader as he stares at her. "I'm stunned by how you were able to counter me so well. No woman has ever come close to reaching my neck before…"
I nod silently and congratulate myself.
Selicia was only able to do so well against my old Master because I taught her all his moves and the counters she had to put in place. Thanks to this, she excelled in the fight even without much assistance from me.
Every battle is like a chess game.
If one possesses sufficient knowledge of the enemy and their abilities, they will have a major advantage in the fight. This is why Martial Techniques are kept secret in every Knight Household, and the Main Family usually only teaches it to the Heir.
Teaching it to more people would mean an explosive increase in the overall Knight Household's strength, but it also drastically increases the risk of it leaking out to outsiders.
That would be terrible for the Knight Household.
A Martial Technique that has been unraveled is as good as worthless in a fight among equals.
Its value also diminishes even when fighting less-skilled opponents.
Plus, no Main Family would like to strengthen Minor Families to such an extent, granting them such power. Minor Families far outnumber the Main Family, so if they were to use the Martial Technique, they would be far more dangerous to the rule of the Main Family.
The worst part about it is that the Main Family wouldn't even be able to punish them too severely, even if they are openly scheming. If they were to be cut off from the Household, or defect on their own, they could simply latch on to another Household—most likely an enemy—compromising the secrets of the Martial Technique.
This has happened before in history, and it serves as a cautionary tale to current Households.
Every family has its secrets… and for the sake of its longevity, it is always best to keep such things deeply hidden.
Using this same logic, Knights—especially well-respected ones—are very skeptical about taking disciples. They only take them from among their own bloodline and cultivate such talents very closely.
Many Knights do not even take disciples at all.
Those who do hardly take in outsiders… though an exception will be if they find someone too good to pass up on.
'In my past life, the only reason Master accepted me as a disciple was because he owed my father a favor, and my father wanted him as my teacher. If not, I would never have trained under him…' As I remember those moments, my thoughts return to the present and I cast my gaze on Selicia.
There's no way my father would pull any strings for her sake.
As such, I had to spark an interest in his heart.
And… I succeeded!
Even though my old Master won the fight, the real victor was actually me.
'Now…' I nod at my sister. '… Onto the next stage.'
"I would humbly like to request that Sir Jerome Sirius take me in as a disciple. Your swordsmanship today has made a deep impression on me, and I would like to have you as my Master."
My mother's face pales immediately, and my father's jaw drops.
Both of them are shocked by her audacity.
But I am not.
After all, I'm the one who told her to make this request right after my old Master praised her. This is for a few reasons, but what I'm trying to do is entrap him with her after he has offered her sufficient compliments and expressed his interest.
Of course, my old Master isn't bound by anything to accept.
But…
'… If she has made a deep impression on his heart, surely he will consider it.' My eyes brighten up as I wait for an answer.
Unfortunately, only disappointment follows.
"Haha! I admire your courage, little one. And your swordsmanship is pretty good, albeit rough around the edges, but I will have to decline." He glances at my father for a moment and gives him an understanding smile.
My father sighs in relief and offers a grateful bow.
I watch my mother do the same.
It doesn't take me very long to realize what is going on here.
My old Master actually cares about his relationship with my father and doesn't want to ruin it. So, out of consideration for his wishes, he had to turn my sister down.
'That's quite understandable…'
But why would something like that stop me—especially after everything I have done?
"But, Sir Jerome, my sister is really sincere and hardworking. Just give her a chance. She's really talented. She has only been training for a few months, and yet…" I step in and start yammering on, blabbing away, and doing my best to convince the old man.
My words are clearly making my parents uncomfortable, and they put Sir Jerome in a pretty tight spot. In fact, it almost seems like I have no tact and am unable to read the room.
But I don't care.
I would rather be shameless than let such an opportunity slide.
I continue to press on, eventually causing the retired old man to sigh while raising his hand and stopping me from speaking any further.
Only then do I stop. Going any further would be an insult to him.
"I… will consider it if Selicia can attend the Knight Academy after coming of age, and she graduates at the top of her class. If she is able to do all that, I would have to look forward to another duel with her—this time, alone. If she can impress me yet again, then even I will have no choice but to take her in as my disciple."
He exchanges glances with my father and offers him an apologetic expression, but my father nods in understanding.
I notice this whole thing and understand it clearly.
'These two men… I know what they're thinking. All my father has to do is ensure my sister doesn't attend the Knight Academy, and then she won't be able to even meet his criteria, even if she tries to leave and make a name for herself.'
As a result, it's a way of trapping my sister within the confines of the family—ensuring she follows my father's whims.
How can I allow such a thing to slide under my watch?
"Oh wow… amazing! How magnanimous!" I suddenly beam, letting out a brilliant smile.
This immediately shocks the adults present, especially my father. His eyes narrow suspiciously on me, as he worries I must be up to no good. But before he can stop me, I turn to my sister and raise my voice even louder to display excitement.
"Rejoice, dear sister! Sir Jerome Sirius has just supported your intention to attend the Knight Academy!"
"H-he has?" My sister's eyes widen in surprise.
"I have?" I can see my old Master's expression already warping in surprise.
I do not give him any room to correct himself.
"Yes, indeed! He said you need to graduate as the top Knight in the Academy, and he looks forward to dueling with you alone if you can achieve that feat. That means he agrees that you should go to the Knight Academy." I grin.
'Is that what it means? Is that how I said it?' I can see all those questions written on his face.
He must truly be stunned by the sudden turn of events.
I sharply turn to him and bow respectfully. "Sir truly doesn't discriminate between male and female. I am in deep admiration!"
Then, I return my gaze to my sister.
"He believes in your talent, Selicia! You won't let him down now, will you?"
"N-no, I won't!"
"You have to work hard, okay? When you get to the Knight Academy, remember Sir Jerome is watching out for you and is waiting for you to graduate top of your class."
"I won't forget!" My sister then turns and bows to my old Master with a sincere look. "Thank you for your support, Sir! I won't forget this chance you have given me to prove myself."
Her earnest voice radiates out, and my old Master is forced to smile helplessly.
By now, he must have realized what is happening.
'Even though he intended his condition to be a dead end, I managed to make it seem like he was actually endorsing her attending the Knight Academy. My power as Heir alone doesn't fully extend to my siblings, so I can't secure her attendance at the Academy if my parents resist my efforts. But… with his endorsement, they have no choice—especially since we have witnesses.'
They have to show him respect… and so they won't suppress Selicia too much.
At least, not openly.
'But this is a good thing. This means I have restricted their future efforts considerably… hehe!'
********
"Looks like I will have to apologize to you, Luther…" Jerome Sirius sighs as both he and the younger man walk side by side while strolling around the compound. "I didn't expect your son to be so conniving."
"Haha! It's nothing to worry about, Sir Jerome. I guess he takes after his mother in that regard."
"Indeed. Women are naturally scheming…"
Both men laugh together, but one man's heart is secretly bitter.
It's none other than Luther.
'That rotten kid! He actually plotted against me again!' He grits his teeth silently, hiding his clenched fist from the respectable man beside him. But, even though he respects Jerome Sirius, he still can't help but hold some agitation towards him as well.
'You apologized to me, but I know you are actually pleased with this situation. You don't mind having my daughter as a disciple. Why are you acting as if your hands are tied in this matter? If you were truly against the idea, you would have resisted more!'
This simply shows that Javier's plan was very successful.
Jerome Sirius was truly impressed by Selicia's performance, making him willing to concede this much—even if it means offending his old acquaintance.
Unfortunately, it is already too late, and there is nothing that can be done anymore.