Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 21: Torze Military Academy (3)

After enough time had passed.

Reiser appeared once more and asked,

“Have you made your decision?”

“Yes.”

Argos naturally stepped forward.

He had already unconsciously assumed the role of leader.

“Did you call it the Torze Military Academy? We will all participate in this training. We’ll play along with your whims.”

“These are uniforms bearing the emblems of each family. You have ten minutes to put them on.”

Beatrice picked up the uniform with a curious look.

‘A good design.’

The uniform was made in a navy blue tone.

It was closer to modern design than classical.

It didn’t look very different from the uniforms of modern soldiers.

In particular, the emblem bearing the family’s insignia on the right chest was strikingly impressive.

Above all, there was one detail Beatrice especially appreciated.

‘Trousers. They have common sense.’

They didn’t force her to wear a skirt just because it was a women’s uniform.

The shoes weren’t uncomfortable, and although the trousers might fit a bit tightly, they were made of stretchy fabric.

…It was nothing short of a blessing for Beatrice, who had been wearing a dress just moments earlier.

-Thud.

As Beatrice was examining the clothes, a knight approached her and spoke.

The knight offered a light salute and said,

“Lady Beatrice Cenci.”

“The women’s changing room is this way.”

“Alright.”

She took the clothes and headed toward the changing room.

…Calling it a changing room was generous; it looked more like a storage room.

Beatrice didn’t complain too much.

Without a word, she took off her clothes and changed into the uniform.

“How is it, Solid? Do I exude dignity?”

Among the noble faction nobles dragged here, Beatrice was the only woman.

Thus, she spoke to Solid without reservation.

[Young Beatrice, I have no eyes. I can only share your field of vision.]

“Well, sorry about that.”

[There’s nothing to apologize for.]

Beatrice felt even sorrier.

She hadn’t expected a god to be blind.

With a helpless chuckle, she walked outside.

There, nobles who had already finished dressing were glancing around.

Dresses, even casual ones, were annoying garments with plenty to remove.

In an instant, all eyes turned to Beatrice.

Unbeknownst to her, the uniform suited her quite well.

Except for her being slightly shorter than average.

Moreover, with her outstanding beauty, she was known as the most beautiful woman in Krapos.

It was only natural for all attention to gravitate toward her.

“Is everyone gathered?”

Reiser surveyed the room.

“Then I’ll begin a brief explanation.”

“An explanation?”

Someone echoed Reiser’s words.

“Yes. This is an military academy. There must be rules.”

Reiser continued with a simple explanation.

The summary of his words was as follows:

During the training period, everyone is equal regardless of rank.

Disputes or conflicts will not be interfered with.

Resolve them yourselves. However, no fatalities are allowed.

You must obey the instructors. This is a royal decree, and defiance will result in expulsion.

He didn’t elaborate on what happened after expulsion.

However, no one here misunderstood the meaning.

‘Death.’

Even if they weren’t killed here, their families would kill them.

It was only natural for discarded pieces to be abandoned.

“Now then.”

Reiser spoke coldly.

“There will be sparring to assess the cadets’ levels.”

“…Sparring?”

“Hey! We are nobles, not knights.”

Nobles held positions as commanders.

It was good if commanders were strong, but it wasn’t necessarily required.

…In ordinary circumstances.

‘Am I mistaken? I heard that nobles who aren’t strong don’t receive recognition.’

Nobles were largely divided into two categories.

Those whose families inherited spirits, a kind of guardian deity.

And those without, who were ordinary.

The latter case was surprisingly rare.

Most nobles formed contracts with spirits.

This was why the Cenci Family, despite being comparable to founding contributors, lacked fame.

And why they hadn’t collapsed despite participating in a rebellion.

It was an era where military power was paramount.

The only thing they had was money.

So, Beatrice found it a bit odd.

There was no reason to oppose testing their martial strength.

In this brutish era, determining ranks by strength was only natural.

[These are those discarded by their families.]

Solid offered a succinct answer.

Beatrice understood.

Come to think of it, being discarded by their families meant one thing.

‘They’re weak.’

[Correct.]

She sighed.

To be on the same side as such chaff.

She almost wished they were enemies instead.

“No matter how much this is training, sparring is unnecessary! We won’t be on the frontlines, so why should we do this?”

Beatrice frowned deeply.

‘Do these nobles have bullets in their heads? How could they send their least capable forces when war breaks out?’

[Bullets? What are those?]

‘I think I know why they were discarded.’

“…Please adhere to the guidelines. If you dislike it, you may leave.”

“……”

At the mention of expulsion, a hushed silence fell.

“Is there anyone who would like to be the first to spar? If not, I’ll choose…”

Reiser’s eyes carried a look of disdain as he spoke.

Without hesitation, Beatrice picked up a sword and stood.

Everyone stared at her in astonishment.

She was not only the youngest but also a girl.

Moreover, the Cenci Family was famously known for lacking a family spirit.

The weakest person here was stepping forward first.

It was only natural for the nobles to be surprised.

“I’ll do it.”

Reiser was slightly surprised but not greatly flustered.

He merely proceeded with his duties.

In a detached tone, he said,

“You’re the first sparring participant. …As a note, all cadets must participate in a sparring match by the end of the day. Also, there will be a small reward for the victors. So, I’ll ask: Is there anyone willing to spar against Cadet Cenci?”

-Swish.

Everyone raised their hands without exception.

Beatrice found it absurd.

‘They must think I’m insignificant.’

[Calm yourself, young Beatrice. Objectively, you do appear weak. It’s only natural.]

“…Quite a lot of participants. You were hesitant just a moment ago.”

Reiser remarked with a smirk.

It was an utterly unsightly scene in his eyes.

The men, especially nobles of Krapos, looked pathetic as they hesitated about sparring, their attitudes entirely unbearable to watch.

Beatrice glanced around to find an opponent for the sparring.

‘At least those two didn’t raise their hands.’

The ones who didn’t raise their hands were Argos and that pathetic guy whom Solid had earlier said was likely the strongest.

Everyone else raised their hands without exception.

‘Tch, I wanted to spar with one of them since they seemed to have unique abilities.’

Originally, Beatrice intended to cross swords with a strong opponent.

But she changed her mind.

Rather than a proper skill test, she decided to teach these weaklings a lesson.

She couldn’t stand being looked down on.

“You.”

Beatrice pointed at someone.

It was a blond man.

…The one who had been pestering her earlier with an annoying face.

“Come out.”

Unfortunately for him, he was exactly the type of person Beatrice disliked.

His face alone made it clear.

She particularly despised men who looked handsome in that way.

She planned to blow off some steam for the first time in a while.

After all, as long as she didn’t kill him, it was fine.

The sparring was to be done with wooden swords, as real swords were deemed too dangerous.

She swung the wooden sword lightly in her hand.

The grip felt perfectly snug in her hands.

“What are the limits?”

Before engaging in the sparring, Beatrice asked.

She wanted to know if the use of mana was allowed.

Reiser looked at her and answered.

“You are free to use any method. However,”

“As long as I don’t kill, right?”

She liked these straightforward rules.

She aimed her wooden sword at her opponent.

The opponent, as if feeling guilty, looked slightly downcast, as though he had committed a crime.

The confidence he had when they first met was nowhere to be seen.

“Ren Severance.”

He introduced himself. Beatrice responded with a slight nod.

“Beatrice Cenci.”

No more courtesy was needed.

Beatrice took her stance and widened the distance between them.

“The spar begins when the sword falls.”

-Nod.

It was a sparring method she had experienced once before.

At that moment, Solid’s voice echoed in her mind.

[Young Beatrice, I recommend hiding your full strength to some extent.]

‘Why?’

[Your opponent is no match for you. His spirit is low-rank as well. So, do not reveal all your cards.]

-Whoosh, whoosh.

The wooden sword was thrown high into the air.

It spun in circles as it descended.

In an instant,

-Thud.

The sword struck the ground perfectly upright.

Beatrice held her sword vertically.

The one to make the first move was Ren.

He charged like a bull, with faint winds swirling around his legs.

It was the power of his spirit.

Ren Severance thought to himself.

‘It’s a bit disgraceful, but I have no choice. Forgive me, young lady. I don’t have the confidence to win against the others.’

The Severance family was a swordsman family that primarily wielded the power of wind.

Ren was born the eldest son of that family.

In this era, the eldest son typically inherited the title.

As long as there were no major flaws, it was a given.

However, before reaching adulthood, Ren was stripped of his position as heir.

It was because he had a major flaw.

Specifically—

He had formed a contract with a low-rank spirit.

In the Severance family, even the least capable descendants contracted with mid-rank spirits.

Considering that, contracting with a low-rank spirit was an unprecedented disgrace.

Some even spread rumors that Ren was an illegitimate child.

They claimed he was the result of an affair by his mother, Fatima.

Though the claims were baseless, the fact of his contract with a low-rank spirit lent credibility to those rumors.

Perhaps because of that, at fourteen, Ren, who had contracted with a low-rank spirit, began to deteriorate rapidly.

Once hailed as a promising individual with good character and multiple talents,

Ren, who was suddenly treated as an illegitimate child, had no chance of leading a proper life.

He became a scoundrel.

He lived with a bottle in his hand, and with his decent looks, he indulged in debauchery.

He seduced ladies from nearby noble families, engaged in affairs, and committed more outrageous acts.

His reputation plummeted.

The Severance family’s reputation also suffered because of him, making him a thorn in their side.

Just as they were contemplating how to get rid of him,

the royal decree coinciding with Central’s declaration of war came.

The head of the family wasn’t about to miss this opportunity.

Thus, the Severance family’s headache, Ren, was dragged to this place.

‘I will survive.’

As for the sparring, he had no confidence.

He had lived a life of wasted years.

Without talent, fighting someone was always a source of fear for him.

That’s why he raised his hand.

He thought he could at least defeat a young girl who barely reached his chest.

A truly disgraceful and humiliating act, but he was determined to survive, no matter how pathetic it made him look.

Meanwhile,

‘Hide my strength?’

Ren rapidly closed the distance between them.

Unfortunately for Ren, his attack looked painfully slow to Beatrice.

So slow, it made her want to yawn.

[In unpredictable situations, it’s crucial to hide your full power. Win by a narrow margin.]

Solid continued to persuade her.

He acknowledged her exceptional skill but insisted that in uncertain circumstances, revealing her full strength was dangerous.

Either lose or make it appear as though you barely won.

That was Solid’s advice.

-Heh.

Beatrice chuckled lightly and responded aloud this time.

“No.”

-Thwack!

It was nothing special.

She simply sidestepped slightly and struck his abdomen with the hilt of her sword.

-Thud.

That alone was enough to make Ren Severance…

completely lose consciousness.