Chapter 255 : Chapter 255
Chapter 255. Overloading (10)
The girl, having lowered her stance, braced her longsword against the ground and drew a deep breath, clinging to consciousness as it threatened to blur.
Just after finishing a grueling session of training. Beyond her wavering, near-blackout vision, her long water-colored hair fluttered wildly in the wind.
"Haa, haa."
The girl rested one gauntleted hand atop the crossguard of the sword, gripping the handle with the other as she gasped for breath.
Her slender legs, long past their limit, trembled faintly.
The chest that had accentuated the drape of a dress so beautifully was nowhere near a size that the training armor issued to apprentice knights could properly contain.
Struggling to breathe from the constriction, she looked up at the sky.
Beneath the tall sun, a cool early-spring breeze blew, sweeping gently past her sweat-drenched cheeks.
Just then, a dignified and clear woman's voice rang out from beside her.
"My lady. Didn't I tell you before?"
The girl glanced that way, and only then noticed the instructor, red hair streaming, watching her with sword braced against the ground.
"......Instructor."
"My lady, let me say it again. In exchange for taking on the bothersome instructor post in the Guardian Knights, I was granted quite a few privileges by our Knight Commander."
The female knight instructor, beyond the sword she leaned on, wore an expression as solemn as a statue enshrined in a temple.
"Among them is something called 'Intensive Designated Training' — it includes full discretion over the personal instruction of underqualified training knights. Now that I've assigned you as my personal training knight, I'll work you until the tears squeeze right out. Look forward to it."
"......Haa, haa. Please do. You can work me as hard as you want, haa. Just please stop calling me 'my lady' already."
"Hmm, as I thought. It's not just the hard training — the armor's making it hard to breathe, isn't it?"
The female knight watched the girl speak calmly through her panting for a moment, then walked over, knelt on one knee, and peered closely at the chest plate strapped to the girl.
Then she glanced down at her own silver armor and touched it idly.
"Hmm. I thought our chest sizes were similarly large, and sure enough, the breastplate doesn't fit. Looks like we've got a good reason for you to hurry up and graduate out of training knight armor, hm?"
"......I hear that once you officially become a Guardian Knight of Rhodes, you receive custom-made armor and a sword."
"That's right — top-notch work from the master smiths. But why did they make the training knight armor unisex and this flat? That's one thing where I really feel a kinship with you, my lady."
"Seeing as the other female knights don't seem to have any issues, it might be a problem unique to the two of us."
"Yeah, could be."
The female knight shook her head, then placed a consoling hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Anyway, my condolences on the discomfort. I graduated out of the training knight phase early, so it was over quick for me, but I know full well how suffocating that armor is. Enduring it through training should at least help build muscle, though."
"That's not very comforting."
"You noticed?"
The moment the instructor grinned with her hand on the girl's shoulder, the girl crumpled to the ground with a loud THUD—, landing in an ungainly heap.
"......Huh?"
Beyond her tilted vision, water-colored hair scattered, and the girl realized what had happened.
The instructor had slammed her into the ground using nothing but the one hand she had placed on her shoulder as if to comfort her.
"Get up, my lady."
The girl strained to look up, and the female knight's red eyes gazed down at her with cold severity.
"Since your basic stamina isn't improving no matter how much we train, from now on, we're going a bit rougher. Be prepared to die."
"Yes, Instructor."
The girl with water-colored hair slowly pushed herself up. She moved arms as heavy as water-soaked cotton and gripped the sword she hadn't let go of even as she fell.
"Always. That's what I've been doing."
***
Time passed, and a full year of seasons flowed by.
The early-spring sky had changed, now dyed in the vivid, intense blue unique to summer.
Enoch stood at the center of the seasons and time flowing past like a panorama.
The girl with water-colored hair had never let go of the sword.
For a while, Enoch remained where he stood and quietly watched the girl train with the sword.
The girl stayed alone in the training ground long after everyone else had left, swinging her sword, and continued training alone to build the muscle she lacked.
She swung the sword heedless of night and day, spring and winter.
Even as her body, unable to withstand its limits, burst with bruises here and there that she wrapped in bandages — she paid it no mind and swung the sword with desperate persistence.
The girl's longsword flowed.
Time in its ordeal flowed.
Before he knew it, the scene had shifted to a point one year later. She was still swinging the sword, but despite it all, her muscle still stubbornly refused to grow.
"Ngh."
At that moment, a faint cry escaped the girl's lips mid-swing, and she staggered backward.
Enoch watched her quietly.
Before he realized it, the surroundings had changed to a scene filled with apprentice knights.
On the floor of the Rhodes sparring hall, constructed from white marble, the girl in silver armor staggered and collapsed face-first.
She had been overpowered in a strength contest during a sparring match with a fellow apprentice knight. Bracing herself with the sword against the ground, she tried to rise.
But her opponent stomped down on her back with a THUD.
He hoisted his training sword over his shoulder and let out a jovial laugh.
"Hahaha, get up! Surely the young lady of a noble house hasn't come here to play at being a knight while lost in fantasy. Right?"
"Yeah. She must really look down on knighthood. At this point, why not just give up? You've had a good run at a year. Someone's going to end up dying in the Guardian Knights' sparring hall at this rate."
"Right. You're obviously just being stubborn at this point."
Egged on by the other knights, the sparring partner spat those words and lifted his foot.
The girl braced her sword against the ground and barely managed to kneel. Her glossy water-colored hair slid off her shoulder and cascaded downward.
"You may be right — it might be stubbornness."
"Don't make me laugh. Everyone but you is dead serious."
The girl's opponent leaned in close, shoving his face near hers, and hissed coldly.
"Sticking around here like you'll amount to something when you clearly have no talent — to the rest of us who've staked our entire lives and clawed desperately to become Guardian Knights of Rhodes, that's nothing short of an insult. Do you really not get that?"
Just then, a dignified and clear voice rang out from the side.
"It is an insult, yes. But I distinctly recall prohibiting excessive force during apprentice knight sparring. Did I not explain that regulation?"
"I-Instructor!"
The surrounding knights exclaimed in surprise, parting to either side, swords lowered as they snapped to attention in unison.
Through the gap, the red-haired female knight strode up before the girl.
"Sparring conducted in a manner that insults the order is to be halted regardless of rank. That is custom. Stand down."
"But......!"
"There will be no further discussion."
At that, the other knights shuffled back reluctantly.
But the gazes the other knights turned on the girl remained steeped in contempt.
Once everyone had left, the female knight glanced at the girl before her, smiled, and extended a hand.
"As I was saying earlier, the order's scheduled duty hours are coming up. Accompany me on patrol as usual, my lady. Your answer?"
The girl took the female knight's hand, sheathed in an elegant gauntlet, and slowly rose.
"......Understood."
And so the girl followed her into the distance.
The scene shifted once more.
The girl in armor was patrolling Rhodes in a two-person team alongside the red-haired female knight, both in armor.
Receiving the attention of Rhodes' citizens at every turn throughout the city, the girl — assisting the order's duties as a trainee — walked forward with a calm gaze ahead.
Watching her past unfold, Enoch was at a loss for words.
He knew. This girl would one day reach the realm of the Sword Saint — the pinnacle known as the strongest.
And yet, the past life she was showing him now revealed growth so excruciatingly slow that he had no idea how she had ever reached the Sword Saint's realm.
Once again, time accelerated rapidly.
Enoch looked up, drawn by the dazzling midsummer sunlight pouring from above.
The balcony of the Guardian Knights' residential quarters within the Rhodes fortress, flooded with bright sunshine from a clear, vivid blue sky.
Before he knew it, Enoch was standing right in the middle of it.
Two female knights sat facing each other, catching the cool breeze that blew in the height of summer.
The girl with hair like the lake of Rhodes and the female knight with hair as red as the sun in contrast each had their swords propped against the sides of their chairs.
Looking more closely from beside them, Enoch saw that what the two were facing was a chessboard.
After studying the position on the board, it was the red-haired female knight, legs crossed, who surrendered first.
"Ah. Dear me, is this checkmate?"
"Yes, it's mate in one."
"Heh heh, well. How many times have I lost to you now?"
The female knight smiled helplessly and peered down at the chessboard.
"And for good reason — ever since I taught you, I haven't won a single game. I'm considered quite the skilled player among the Guardian Knights, too."
"I've simply been lucky every time."
"Come now, chess is a game recommended for sharpening the Guardian Knights' tactical acumen. Luck, in a game like this? Surely not, my lady."
The instructor shrugged.
At that, the girl with water-colored hair lowered her gaze slightly and let out a small sigh.
"And you still call me 'my lady,' Instructor? I asked you not to."
"Well. Show me with your skill that I should address you properly as a Guardian Knight. Good motivation, isn't it? Right, my lady?"
"At the very least, I've surpassed you in chess."
"True enough. But no matter how brilliant the mind, if you can't match it with the sword — can that person really be called a knight?"
The instructor, teasing with a slightly needling tone, picked up one of her chess pieces — a Pawn — and waggled it.
"Still, looking at things like this, it really is impressive."
"What is?"
"You're this smart and multi-talented, and yet of all things, you're trying to become a Guardian Knight — the one field where you have the least talent. What kind of cruel twist of fate is this?"
"A cruel twist of fate......"
"I mean, think about it. It's been a year now. An entire year."
The instructor held out the Pawn, then pointed the tip of the finger holding the chess piece at the girl's nose.
"Your tactical aptitude earned a passing grade, so you'll complete the training course and receive Guardian Knight armor. But with this level of frailty, I wonder if your actual sword skills will ever get past apprentice knight level."
"So that's why the Pawn?"
"Exactly. Honestly, if it were me, I'd have quit ages ago. Even with some lofty mission or will driving you, that kind of thing crumbles before reality."
"I've never thought of you as someone whose resolve would crumble before reality, Instructor."
"Hmm, is that so? Heh heh, but flip it around and I'm so far removed from wearing dresses and making small talk — I'd have no talent for that even if you told me to. Couldn't hack it."
The female knight set the chess piece back on the board and flicked its head with her finger, tipping it over.
"Of course, the young ladies in noble society all look so beautiful and graceful — like you — so I've always admired that world."
"But you're beautiful and regal yourself, Instructor. During the order's patrol duties, your etiquette is flawless, and you're popular with the citizens, too."
"Heh heh heh, what cute things you say. As I thought, noble society would have suited you, my lady."
"I was merely stating facts."
The red-haired female knight rested her chin in her hand, wearing a look-at-this expression and a playful smile.
"Ah, that reminds me. Did you know? Our two-person patrol since I became your personal instructor — there are rumors among the Rhodes citizens that two stunning female knight seniors are patrolling together. Especially popular with the men, apparently."
The girl with water-colored hair averted her gaze shyly.
"D-do people normally mention rumors like that directly?"
"So what? It's true. And I'm not in a position to actually care about rumors like that, so I can toss it out as a joke."
The red-haired female knight, legs crossed, propped her cheek on one hand and grew serious in thought.
"Ever since those Suleiman bastards first broke through our Rhodes, there hasn't been a major attack since. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about it."
Sensing the shift in the conversation's tone, the girl straightened her back and nodded.
"I feel the same way."
"Then how do you see the current situation, my lady? I'd like to hear your thoughts in detail. Beyond the defense of Rhodes — about the Guardian Knights' current state."
"This may not be a precise answer, but."
The girl moved her pale, slender fingers across the chessboard, rearranging pieces to create a specific position.
"Comparing Rhodes and the Guardian Knights to something, it might be like this."
The red-haired female knight looked down at the chessboard and widened her eyes slightly.
Overloading.
Commonly called 'overloading' — a tactical situation in which a single piece bears the defensive duty for two or more other pieces.
The red-haired female knight studied the position on the board, shook her head, and let out a light sigh.
"I see, so the Guardian Knights are defending both the walls of Rhodes and its citizens simultaneously by themselves?"
"Yes, it seemed similar to me."
"Phew, if this is a metaphor, then should I also praise your literary sensibility? A Knight of Rhodes doesn't need to be this clever. Are you sure being a Guardian Knight is really where your aptitude lies?"
"It's not that remarkable."
The girl raised her head and looked at the female knight.
"After all, Instructor, didn't you just compare me to a chess piece yourself?"
"I'm saying it as a comprehensive assessment after watching you all this time. Honestly, the one thing I have to acknowledge is how you have no idea what your own talents really are."
"......Even so, I haven't given up yet."
The girl clutched her slender hands together on her lap and murmured.
"I was told that reaching the Sword Saint's realm is the only way for a swordswoman who's hit a wall in her growth to transcend beyond it. If only I could find a way to reach that realm......"
"I can't irresponsibly tell you to just set that as your goal and try hard."
The red-haired female knight shook her head.
"A Sword Saint — someone who reaches a realm where they can sever even fate and reality with a single sword. Something like that is the stuff of myth. Honestly, let alone reaching such a realm yourself, it'd be hard to even encounter one in a lifetime."
"......That's."
"On top of that, among those Sword Saints who exist only in myth, I've never even heard of one who transcended being so frail they couldn't even cross swords properly and still became a Sword Saint."
The girl stiffened slightly at those words.
The instructor continued, unfazed by her reaction, eyes on the chessboard spread before her.
"Anyway, coming back to it. There's one thing to be cautious about with this Overloading tactic you've used as a metaphor."
"Something to be cautious about?"
The female knight nodded meaningfully.
"Yes. If the enemy is willing to accept sacrifices, the defender's line will be broken."
The Overloading tactic was indeed a formation so solid that the enemy couldn't attack without accepting losses.
But that also meant it was a defense that could crumble if the enemy had the resolve to bear those sacrifices. Realizing that, the girl widened her eyes slightly.
"You're saying Rhodes could end up that way?"
"Who knows — honestly, it's just a gut feeling. They say Suleiman's movements have been alarming lately."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not a metaphor or anything. I mean exactly what I said."
The red-haired female knight stroked her chin and, one by one, pushed over the chess pieces on the board with her finger.
As the other pieces toppled across the board, she paused for a moment, watching them fall. Then she opened her mouth in a heavy voice.
"Suleiman's vaunted '0th Unit.' They say those men have recently been throwing away their very lives for the sake of capturing enemy territory. Abnormally so, by anyone's measure."
"Abnormally......?"
"Yes. No matter how grievously wounded they are, they charge forward heedlessly, like wraiths, until they die. Rumor has it that fighting them feels like battling things that have already stopped being human."
The instructor's eyes shone as she added.
"According to the rumors, people call those things — creations of Mages — Magical Beasts."