I’ve finished my role as the Sword Saint and returned to the academy.
I put the shikigami sleeping on the bed back in place and checked for any abnormalities before climbing into bed myself.
Tomorrow, I need to meet with the Emperor of the Empire as the Great Sage Eclipse.
Today would be fine too, but I’m quite tired.
As I was thinking this, there was a knock on the door.
Without much thought, I answered and opened the door. I assumed it was Rena.
However, I immediately felt something was off.
The sound of the knock was slightly different…?
“You’re careless, aren’t you, Luvell-kun?”
“Yukina Crawford!?”
I instinctively took a step back.
It was unexpected for a woman other than Rena to visit my room.
I’m embarrassed by my own surprise.
“Thank you for remembering my name. I apologize for intruding, but I have something to discuss. May I come in?”
Yukina said this as she entered my room.
I thought about asking her to wait, but somehow, I kept my mouth shut.
When Yukina sat down in the chair, she looked at me in bed.
“Luvell-kun, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Um… What is it?”
“Today, during our sparring match, I noticed something. Luvell-kun, you… Are you intentionally holding back in class? And quite significantly, too.”
Her pale blue eyes stared at me like ice.
Her expression remained unchanged. Still emotionless, making it impossible to read her feelings.
But I could tell she was suspicious of me.
“Well, I admit that I’ve been holding back. But is that a problem?”
If I denied it now, it would be a lie.
Everything would unravel if I kept lying.
In situations like this, it’s best to mix in some truth. Admitting that I’ve been holding back is the right move.
“It’s not a big deal. Everyone has their own level of consciousness. But your lack of effort is beyond the norm. My grandmother was the first female Sword Saint. When I was young, she used her instructional sword to point out my flaws during training. I sensed the same from you today.”
Even with the Heavenly Wolf Eyes(“Sirius Ark”), she couldn’t see the depths of my power. But she could at least discern the types of sword techniques I was using and my intentions.
To think she would arrive at that conclusion from her memories with her grandmother… It’s unexpected.
“You’re being too naive. I’m not strong enough to mentor you, and there’s no reason for me to hide my abilities to that extent.”
“Is that so? You’re the son of Baron Luvell, known as the ‘Gray Fox,’ a cunning strategist who manipulated both the Albios Kingdom and the Lutetia Empire. If you’re the son of a man who played both countries like puppets, it’s reasonable to assume you’d conceal your true strength. Although I don’t know the exact reasons.”
It’s difficult to persuade someone who’s already suspicious from the start.
And with the perception of being from a lineage of deceivers, that suspicion isn’t unfounded.
My father is a schemer.
Let me take you back twelve years:
Between the Albios Kingdom and the Lutetia Empire, a secret pact was formed to divide the Bellrand Grand Duchy. Naturally, this pact was orchestrated by the radical factions of both nations, as the moderate Albios Kingdom’s king would never propose such an arrangement.
Recognizing this, my father offered his bordering territory to the Lutetia Empire. According to the pact, the land would be divided based on conquest—essentially, whoever seized it would claim ownership.
Lutetia dispatched fleets to the port in my father’s territory because it bordered the Albios Kingdom and boasted several significant harbors.
However, here’s the twist: My scheming father relayed a similar proposal to the Albios Kingdom’s radicals. In essence, he baited both countries’ extremists by using his land as leverage.
It was an audacious strategy, but remaining silent would have led to invasions from both sides. He claims it was unavoidable, but it’s hard not to think he lost a few screws along the way.
Both sides misunderstood, believing their territory was under attack, resulting in a massive clash. Furthermore, my father had connections with the moderate factions in both nations. He envisioned wiping out the extremists on this battlefield and solidifying an alliance, leading him to personally lead troops into battle.
He systematically eliminated key figures among the extremists from both countries. As a consequence, Lutetia lost most of its dispatched fleets, and the Albios Kingdom’s knights suffered significant casualties.
The blame fell squarely on the extremists, and their influential members were ousted. The moderate factions gained control in both the kingdom and the empire.
Naturally, the secret pact between the two nations was nullified, and they steered toward an alliance to counter the empire.
My father, who had manipulated both countries, earned the moniker of the “Gray Fox” and became a person of interest—even within the Grand Duchy.
Ultimately, he successfully brokered the alliance, and for the moderate factions in both nations, my father became their most valuable collaborator. Hence, he faced no repercussions. Publicly, it was attributed to the extremists’ reckless actions.
However, from the perspective of the Grand Duchy’s residents, a man who used even his own territory as bait and allied with foreign moderates couldn’t be trusted.
That’s why, despite his accomplishments, my father’s title as a baron remains unchanged.
As the son of such a man, when people suspect hidden motives, I can’t even muster a sound.
But still…
“My father is my father, and I am myself. The reason you can’t understand is not because you can’t find it, but because there is no reason. It’s true that I’m slacking off. But I’m not as powerful as you think. I’m just slacking off because it’s bothersome. It’s as simple as that.”
“Then… why did you do something like teach me my weakness?”
“Curiosity. I’ve seen your movements before. You tend to focus on attacks, so I thought I might be able to catch you off guard. I didn’t teach you; you learned it.”
“Then… why were you able to read my best feint? How did you see through it?”
It’s obvious since it was visible, but did she notice? That’s the hardest to deceive.
Well, I’ll just say I saw it but couldn’t react in time.
Reading Yukina’s feint is quite difficult, but it’s within my technical capabilities. There are plenty of people with the skills but not the physical ability to keep up.
That’s the only way to deceive her.
As I’m thinking that…
“Excuse me.”
Rena, who returned from shopping, opened the door.
After a light knock, she opened it without waiting for a response, probably because she thought I was asleep.
“Oh, Onii-sama. You’re awake. About tonight’s dinner…”
I grimace and freeze.
Rena’s gaze shifts away from me and towards Yukina, who is sitting in the chair.
And then…
“…Do you have some business with my brother, Miss Yukina Crawford?”
Rena’s uncharacteristically cold voice echoed in the room.
