21 - Attacked by a Mad Dog
As usual, Ray headed to the training grounds for his practice, but today felt different. Somehow, a tense atmosphere drifted through the entire training area. He felt that the knights' drills were being conducted with more intensity than usual. Of course, for Ray, it didn't matter how the other knights were doing. He would simply carry out his own training as always.
"Is something happening today?"
"Please don't ask me. Wouldn't Miria-san know more than I do?"
"About the Royal Knights..."
Miria spoke vaguely.
"Do they get along poorly with the Royal Guard?"
Ray understood the meaning exactly.
"To be honest, they do. The Royal Knights take pride in the belief that they are the ones who support the kingdom."
"And the Royal Guard?"
"They take pride in the belief that they are the guardians of the royal family."
"From my perspective, I think it's just a difference in roles. But I suppose it doesn't work that way, does it?"
"Well, yeah."
When similar organizations exist, it's inevitable that they compete. There is also an intention to improve the quality of the organization by intentionally pitting them against each other.
"How about the Mage Corps and the knights?"
"They get along poorly too."
"The Mage Corps as well?"
"The Mage Corps consists of many researchers. The knights don't look kindly upon a Mage Corps that avoids going into actual combat."
To master magic. That was the goal of many mages. Powerful magic or arcane arts that could be used in war were things born in that process, not the goal itself.
"Ah, I see. But they do go out when necessary, right?"
"Of course. But once they go to the battlefield, it seems they often clash over command."
"...Does that lead to fighting?"
A struggle for command. Even Ray, who knew nothing of actual combat, knew that this could become a major problem leading to defeat.
"Well, it's not that they don't fight. Besides, if His Majesty appears, the problem is solved."
"The King cannot appear in every single battle, can he?"
"That's true. That's why the knights have their own mages. But that just becomes another spark for conflict."
In addition to the official Mage Corps, a mage unit exists within the Royal Knights. It was a quite distorted situation.
"I'm starting to get worried, even though it's not my business. Is this country really strong?"
According to the knowledge Ray had researched, the kingdom was the strongest in this world, or at least on this continent. But hearing this conversation, he highly doubted if that was true.
"Knights and mages get along poorly. That's the same in every country."
"...In other words, if a country emerges where they cooperate harmoniously, that place might become the strongest?"
"Eh?"
Ray's casual words contained content that was unexpected for Cecil. Cecil was also a mage. She had no interest in war or tactics themselves.
"Just an example. It would probably depend on the number of knights and mages, after all."
"Hey, enough of that talk, let's start training."
Miria interrupted the conversation.
"Ah, yes. Well then, shall we begin?"
Miria had already stopped dressing as a maid. During training time, rather than guiding Ray, she seemed to be thinking entirely about training herself. Cecil complained several times, but Miria didn't change her ways at all. Besides, it was fine now. Ray's sword had reached a point where he could somehow stand against Miria. Both Cecil and Miria noticed the abnormality of this, but because Ray's training was so intense, they had somehow accepted it. Today, as usual, they started with climbing up and down the stairs. In this regard, Miria was no match for Ray. Ray carried two barrels. Holding small barrels filled with plenty of water under each arm, he dashed off at full speed.
"Ah, wait!"
Miria hurriedly chased after him. For the next half-hour, training continued while they collapsed many times. During that time, Cecil focused on her magic training. She sat still in the spectator seats, continuing the circulation of magical power. To be able to continue that endlessly, like Ray, was Cecil's goal. Although it was basic magic, Ray had acquired it in the blink of an eye, and Cecil had begun to feel a sense of urgency. She believed she had to possess the strength appropriate for someone in the position of guiding Ray. Before they knew it, the three of them had become like rivals who were conscious of each other and pushed themselves to improve. When the half-hour of running ended, they moved to practice swings and sparring. Ray and Miria began this at the edge of the training grounds to avoid standing out. A man called out to them during this training, which usually no one paid attention to.
"Hey now, since when did this place become a playground for brats and women?"
"What! Do you have a problem, with..."
Miria tried to respond with a shout to the obvious provocation, but her voice rapidly withered.
"N-no way?"
Miria's eyes widened as she saw the man who had called out.
"Who is it?"
Seeing Miria's reaction, Ray asked Cecil in a low voice.
"If my memory serves me correctly, it is Geel-sama of the Royal Knights."
"Hoh. The fact that you know me means you're not just a maid. Who are you?"
"I am a member of the Mage Corps."
"What is a member of the Mage Corps doing dressed as a maid?"
"I have no need to tell you that."
"Oh, a spirited woman. Well, I don't dislike that. Then, what about the brat next to you?"
"I have no need to tell you that either."
"Hey now, even someone as kind as I am will get angry. Tell me while I'm still listening patiently."
"That is..."
"Kamui. I'm someone being looked after in this castle."
Ray introduced himself in place of Cecil, who was at a loss for words.
"Looked after, huh? In other words, are you the Hero too?"
At that moment, an intense bloodlust was released from the man toward Ray. Even Ray, who was far from a master, could clearly feel the bloodlust.
"No, I am different."
"...Hee."
The man's eyes changed color as Ray answered without being intimidated by the bloodlust.
"I don't know you. Do you have some business with me?"
"Hey, Kamui! Don't get involved with that person."
"Huh? Why?"
"That person is one of the Three Pillars of Knights."
"Does that mean he's the strongest knight in this country?"
"Yes. That's true, but..."
"Hm? I don't understand. Isn't he one of the people you respect, Miria-san?"
"No, well..."
Miria's attitude was indecisive, but Geel himself explained the reason.
"Hah! There's no way that woman would respect someone like me, right? Even I know how I'm talked about."
"How are you talked about?"
"Kamui, you idiot!"
"When asked so honestly... Let's see. I'll tell you my epithet. 'Mad Sword Geel.' It's an epithet that plays on the words for dog and sword."
Strength was everything to him. It was an epithet given because of his fighting style and the fact that he would pick fights with anyone regardless of who they were. He was strong, but that was all. He had no interest in leading soldiers. Because of that, he was unable to hold a general's position. The reason the Three Pillar Generals changed to the Three Pillars of Knights was because of this Geel.
"...I think I understand. By the way, do the other two have epithets as well?"
"You're asking me that? Well, whatever. I'll tell you since I'm at it. That bastard Sieg is the 'Sword Saint,' and Alfred is the 'Dancing Sword.' Some people call him the 'Martial Sage.'"
Sieg's 'Sword Saint' was an epithet given without question based on both his personality and his skill with the sword. Alfred was given his because, as the name suggests, he used a brilliant sword style that looked like dancing, and because he showed excellent command as a general. They were two generals who represented the kingdom without question.
"Somehow, only one person seems to be at a disadvantage, doesn't he?"
"Kamui!"
"Hah, I don't care what they say. As long as I'm strong, it's fine. As long as I'm strong."
"That's true. So, why does a strong person like you have business with a weakling like me?"
"No, I don't have any business. I just called out because I was bored."
"Bored?"
"I heard that bastard Sieg had returned to the royal capital. I thought I'd have him as an opponent for the first time in a while."
"Eh? Sieg-sama has returned to the royal capital?"
Hearing Geel's words, Miria's eyes changed. Sieg was truly the person Miria admired.
"Hey now, isn't your tone quite different from when you spoke to me?"
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"I see. The person a female knight respects is the 'Sword Saint,' huh. You picked a safe opponent."
"I think that's natural, though...?"
"What did you say!?"
"It's nothing!"
"Um, so why are you bored?"
The exchange with Miria was somewhat amusing to listen to, but as for Ray, he couldn't stand having his training interrupted forever.
"Ah, I was getting to that. The Hero's opponent is busy, so he won't deal with me. That's why I became bored."
"The Hero, hee. The Hero's opponent has already become someone called the Sword Saint, has he?"
Ray thought that personality and strength were unrelated, but he didn't say it. He felt he might provoke Geel.
"Seems so. It seems other guys aren't enough of an opponent."
"Then, you wanted to fight the Hero too?"
"I did, but..."
"Did something happen?"
"Somehow, it's boring."
"Boring? But he's strong, right?"
"But it's boring."
"...I see. That's a shame."
Sensing a somewhat ominous atmosphere, Ray tried to end the conversation.
"Well, thanks to that, I found someone who looks interesting."
But Geel wouldn't allow that.
"That's good, isn't it? Then, why don't you go to that person?"
"He's already here."
"...It's not me, is it?"
A bad feeling that he hoped wouldn't come true seemed to be coming true. Should he be happy or sad that he could read the opponent's emotions? He should be happy if he could avoid danger, though.
"No, it's you."
"I'm weak."
"Weak. That might be true. But you know, I can smell it. It's wafting off you."
"Do I smell that much like sweat?"
"Not sweat. What's wafting off you is the scent of the Demon Race!"
A whistling sound of cutting wind passed in front of Ray's eyes. Geel's sword was swung down at a speed that was almost invisible. It was almost an accident that he was able to dodge it. He had simply stepped back because he had a bad feeling.
"Eh!? Wait!? What are you doing!?"
Cecil, noticing the situation, complained to Geel, but he didn't listen. Without giving Cecil a single glance, he glared at Ray.
"You dodged, huh. As I thought, you're no ordinary brat."
"It was a coincidence. And if I may offer an excuse, the scent of the Demon Race is probably..."
"Shut up! No more talking!"
"What!"
Geel's sword was swung again. This sword was also at a speed that was almost impossible to see. Ray barely avoided it by stepping back, but Geel's attacks didn't stop. The next sword attack came immediately. Ray instinctively clashed swords with it, but unable to withstand the pressure of Geel's sword, he was blown sideways. A sword was about to be swung down from directly above.
"Tch!"
However, the sword stopped without being fully swung down. Geel turned his face away and stopped his movement. In that gap, Ray took a great distance.
"What did you do?"
"You understand that I dodged, right?"
"A pebble, huh."
A small stone Ray had instinctively thrown. He intended to take him by surprise, but Geel avoided it easily. Still, for Ray, being able to stop the sword was a great success.
"Won't you listen to me? I have no reason to be killed by you."
"Do I need a reason? I kill because I want to kill. That's all."
"How reckless. I understand well why you're called 'Mad Sword.'"
"Entertain me a bit. I'll get a bit more serious this time."
"Was that not serious? As expected of one of the Three Pillars of Knights?"
"I don't care about such titles. Die!"
Geel closed the distance to Ray in a single leap. Ray couldn't react to that speed. A sword swung down from directly above. Just as he thought he wouldn't make it in time, his vision was blocked.
"What?"
It was a wall of ice that had surged up from the ground in an instant. Geel's sword smashed it in half. But thanks to that, the sword did not reach Ray.
"Freezing magic?"
"It wasn't me."
The one who had created the ice wall with magic was Cecil.
"Could you stop right there? Next time, I won't let it end with a wall."
"Ice, huh. Come to think of it, I've heard of it. A heretical mage who uses something other than the four great elements. Was it the 'Witch of Ice and Blood'?"
"It is unpleasant to be called by that name."
"I see. So it's you. But don't think I'll be stopped by this level of magic."
"I'll show you I can stop you! O primordial power dwelling within me, I now pray. Manifest that power—"
"Idiot! You think I'll let you chant!"
"What!"
Geel relentlessly attacked Cecil as she chanted. Moving in front of Cecil at an unbelievable speed, he swung his sword down at her. A sword was thrust out to intersect with that sword.
"Hoh."
"Don't get carried away. Even a mouse will bite a cat if it's cornered."
"Kamui-sama?"
Magical power surged from his entire body. Cecil was bewildered by Ray's appearance, which was different from usual.
"Is that your seriousness?"
"Who knows. But there's no reason to just wait to be killed."
"Fine by me. This has become a bit more interesting."
At this point, it was no time to hold back his strength. Ray opened his internal magical power to the fullest and faced Geel. Even so, the Three Pillars of Knights were not just for show. Ray was the one being pushed back.
"See, is that all you've got?"
"Shut up!"
He was doing his best just to defend against Geel's sword, which was swung indiscriminately. Even that reached its limit, and Ray lost his balance significantly and fell sideways.
"Die!"
"I won't let you!"
Blades of ice attacked one after another toward Geel, who was about to swing his sword at Ray.
"How annoying!"
Geel knocked all of those down with his sword. Then, small fireballs attacked.
"Tch!"
Geel avoided them. Beyond that, this time, blades of wind flew.
"Uoryaa!"
"Cutting magical wind with a sword? You're absurd!"
"Using such petty magic."
The magic Ray used was the most basic of the basic. It was magic without power, the kind that wouldn't kill even if it hit.
"I'll use whatever I can. If it's to win."
Ray didn't intend to kill him in one blow either. He was struggling to somehow overturn the overwhelming disadvantage.
"Hoh. I don't dislike that way of thinking. Very well. I'll get a bit more serious."
"Are you serious!?"
The fact that Geel still hadn't gotten serious, even though Ray was using his full strength and was working together with Cecil, almost broke Ray's spirit.
(It's already impossible. If I'm going to die, I'll put out everything I can.)
(Can I do it? This is no time to be saying such things.)
"Try and endure this."
Geel poised his sword as if carrying it on his back. The surging fighting spirit made Ray feel a pressure as if he were actually being crushed. While enduring that, Ray concentrated magical power in his left hand.
"Die!"
"Bind."
Ray's magic was released just before Geel's figure disappeared.
"Ugh, uoooooooo!"
However, Geel's movement was stopped for only a brief moment. Breaking the binding in an instant, Geel unleashed a full-force strike toward Ray. Ray was sliced in half from above. But that was merely a Phantom.
"What? ...Over there!?"
Geel swung his sword at the presence he felt behind him. But that sword only rang out with a high-pitched metallic sound.
"What are you doing! Enough already!"
The one who blocked Geel's sword was not Ray. A handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes stood there.
"Sieg, huh."
It was Sieg, the Myriad General of the Royal Knights, who held the epithet of 'Sword Saint.' Seeing his figure, Geel's fighting spirit withered all at once. Since Sieg had come, it was over here. That's what Geel thought, but...
Another metallic sound echoed from right beside Geel.
"You too."
"Tch."
Ray's sword, which had lunged at Geel taking advantage of the gap, was also blocked by Sieg.
"You bastard."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't hear the voice telling me to stop."
"What do you mean you didn't hear it!"
"Eh, did you hear it?"
"Hear it or not, I didn't say stop."
"See."
"But that's not the point! What do you two think training is!"
"What? It's training oneself."
Ray had shown his true nature toward Geel. Now that Sieg had appeared, his tone had returned to normal, but his insolent attitude hadn't completely vanished.
"That's correct! Training is not a killing match!"
"But this is a practice sword, right? At least mine is. I don't know about Geel-sama's, though."
"...You say some interesting things. Then doesn't that make me, who used a real sword, look like a fool?"
Although Geel had stopped fighting, his bloodlust hadn't completely vanished. He wore a dangerous smile that would make a timid person tremble just from that.
"So it was a real sword after all, that's not a joke, is it?"
"Hah, you intended to kill me too, didn't you?"
"As I said before. I have no hobby of being happy about being killed without resistance."
"Then, shall we try again? You bring a real sword too!"
Geel took the bait of Ray's provocation. That said, he hadn't lost his composure. On the contrary, he was calmly calculating to steer the conversation toward continuing the fight.
"Enough of this! Geel, think a bit more about your position!"
However, there was a presence here who would not allow it.
"So he says. Therefore, this is the end."
Ray had uttered words that sounded like provocation because Sieg was there.
"For today, at least."
"Again. Your jokes are harsh, aren't they?"
"I'm persistent."
"Sieg-sama, he's saying things like this, you know?"
Ray did not desire a rematch. He had to use Sieg here to ensure Geel would never lay a hand on him again.
"Geel, never do such a thing again. If you want to spar, there are plenty of official knights. There's no need to make a boy like this your opponent."
"Hah? Hey, you, didn't you see it?"
"See what?"
Ray's clone that dodged the final sword. Geel had thought it was an afterimage caused by moving at high speed. But if he was the only one who saw it, it meant that what Ray did was magic that only affected the target.
"...Hoh. I see, so that's how it is. As I thought, you are—"
"What is it? Let me tell you, I'm not a member of the Demon Race. That's been investigated several times."
Ray thought it would be better to clear up this suspicion as well. Because it could become an excuse to point a sword at him.
"Hm? Investigated?"
"It's because you won't listen to me. I lived with the Demon Race. Besides, I had contact with the Demon Race a few days ago. This is something you can find out if you ask Julius-sama. Ah, Julius-sama was also present when they investigated whether I was a member of the Demon Race, so please confirm that as well if you're at it."
"...Hey, do you know about this?"
Geel directed the question to Sieg. It was the first time he had heard of such an existence—a member of the Human Race who had lived with the Demon Race, as Geel believed.
"I've heard his story. He lived with the Vampio race in the 'Forest of Bewilderment.' I've also heard that he has lost his memories."
"Yes. That is correct."
Sieg knew about Ray. That was the difference between Sieg, a general of the knights, and Geel, who was strong but just a knight.
"Why is such a guy here?"
"That's a matter for the higher-ups. I'll tell you now, his status is that of a guest of His Majesty. If you do something clumsy, no matter how strong you are, you won't get away with it."
"...I see. As I thought, he's interesting."
Sieg's warning only stimulated Geel's curiosity.
"Now, enough, let's go. There are plenty of others who want to receive your teaching."
"Liar. Who would actually want to learn from me?"
"Just come! I don't want to say it, but in terms of position, I am your superior!"
"Yes, yes. I can't defy the General, can I?"
"Don't be sarcastic. You should also be a bit more normal—"
"I don't need nagging. Now then. Well, brat, see you. You too, scary-faced little lady."
"...I'll return those words, 'see you.'"
"Me too."
"Hah, as I thought, he's interesting."
Laughing, Geel left the area as if being dragged by Sieg. Only after his figure disappeared behind the shadows of the knights did the tension finally leave Ray and the others. Ray slumped on the spot.
"Phew, that was a save."
"Truly."
"Man, we really got saved."
"Miria! You just watched without doing anything, didn't you?"
"No, sorry. But I don't have the courage to stand up to Geel-sama."
"Is he that strong?"
"He's strong, and also, he's relentless, so to speak. The problems he's caused aren't just once or twice. The reason he can still be a knight is, well, because he's strong."
An existence that Miria, who took great pride in being a knight, would think of turning her back on when faced with a fight. That was the kind of man Geel was.
"So he's strong enough that they want to keep him as a knight even if they overlook many problems. He might not have been serious yet either."
"Come to think of it, how did you dodge that last thing so well?"
"It was a fluke."
While saying so, Ray turned his gaze toward Cecil. Cecil should have noticed that Ray used magic. Ray didn't know what result that would lead to.
"You were lucky. That's how it is, right?"
"Hm?"
"That's how it is, right?"
That was Cecil's way of indicating that she wouldn't tell anyone that he used magic. Ray didn't know why Cecil would hint at such a thing, though.
"Ah, that's right. Cecil-san, thank you for helping me."
He decided to honestly thank her for it.