Side of a Duke’s Family Knight
For many years, I have served the Eltor ducal family.
It has been a source of pride for me, as the Eltor family has always been exceptional and deeply caring for their people. It is precisely because of this that I have been proud to serve as a knight.
The recent birth of two sons into the ducal family brought great joy.
Especially the eldest son, Lord Eric, who possessed a magical talent worthy of being called a prodigy. While his swordsmanship was average, with effort, it was not a concern.
However, it was the second son, Lord Fly, who truly surprised us.
In contrast to the serious and earnest Lord Eric, Lord Fly was often a somewhat absent-minded child.
In a way, this made him more childlike, and we would often smile as we watched him observe our training.
But one day… he joined our training, wielding a wooden practice sword meant for a young squire, and began practicing his swings.
When we asked if someone had taught him, no one knew.
At first, he struggled with the weight of the sword, and it seemed to control him.
We watched with amusement, thinking it was just a child practicing swings.
But day by day, his swordplay grew sharper, and before we knew it, he was handling the wooden sword with ease.
Can you believe it? He was only five years old.
A five-year-old child swinging a wooden sword meant for a thirteen-year-old squire. It was unbelievable. Even if it were possible, no one could execute such sharp swings at that age.
Moreover, what started as simple downward swings evolved over time into horizontal slashes, upward strikes, and eventually, a full-fledged sword form that attacked from all directions.
By the time he turned six, he asked to spar with us.
Everyone was hesitant.
Could we really spar with such a young child? And if we did, what if we lost to a child who had only been practicing swings? Wouldn’t that shatter our confidence?
“Can’t I?”
His pleading eyes were hard to resist. He was an adorable young boy, after all.
And besides, we couldn’t just dismiss the second son of the ducal family.
“I will be your opponent.”
Reluctantly, I volunteered.
If I were to lose, it wouldn’t be as shameful for the other knights. After all, at that time, I was the strongest swordsman in the knight order.
“Thank you! It’s my first time, so please go easy on me!”
“O-of course, Lord Fly. I will do my best.”
I was nervous.
The boy smiled brightly as he gripped his sword.
But behind him, I saw the shadow of a seasoned warrior, as if he had lived as many years as I had.
The match ended in an instant.
Lord Fly stepped in with an unbelievable speed and unleashed a devastating strike, as if putting everything into that single blow.
I faltered under the attack and took a step back.
Could this be real? I had never retreated in battle, not even on the battlefield. I had never been overwhelmed since becoming a knight.
Yet here I was, forced to take a step back.
But perhaps that step saved me, as Lord Fly’s strike left a hole in the ground.
A hole that shouldn’t have been possible with a wooden sword. However, the impact caused Lord Fly to pause, and I placed my wooden sword at his neck.
If he had followed up with a second strike, I would have lost.
“Ouch, my hand hurts. I lost. I thought I could do it… Well, I guess real knights are amazing. You saw right through me. I guess I don’t have any talent after all.”
No talent? Nonsense. The sheer force behind that strike was more impressive than anything I had ever seen from any warrior.
If you have no talent, then who does?
“No, Lord Fly, you do have talent.”
“Haha, thanks. You don’t have to flatter me. You dodged it so easily and handled me without breaking a sweat.”
“N-no, if you were to spar with someone else—”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
I quickly arranged for Lord Fly to spar with the next most skilled knight in the order.
The result was a swift victory for Lord Fly.
This time, instead of putting everything into a single strike, he used a mix of quick movements and disruptive techniques, disarming the knight with ease.
Just how many different sword techniques did he possess?
“Hmm, I guess the second son of the ducal family can’t really fight seriously, huh?”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about? The knight had been serious.
He had lost, fair and square.
At just six years old, this boy was a demon with a sword.
“Sorry for making you spar with a kid. I’ve realized my limits. I’m sorry for bothering everyone. I guess the knights are stronger after all. I wanted to be as strong as you all, but it seems impossible. From now on, please protect the ducal family with your strength. Thank you!”
How perceptive was this boy? Indeed, if the knights had lost, it would have damaged their honor. He had foreseen this and, knowing he was just a child, deliberately held back and let us win.
Moreover, by encouraging us and saying that the knights were stronger, he lifted our spirits.
“Ha! We will definitely protect the Eltor family!”
I knelt before Lord Fly and made my vow, followed by the other knights who also knelt.
“Thank you for everything until today. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
From that day on, Lord Fly stopped coming to the training grounds. But in our hearts, we vowed to train harder than ever, not to be outdone by a child, and to honor the words Lord Fly had given us. We swore to become stronger.
