The Childhood Friend of the Villainess in a Romance Fantasy

Translator: Elisia

Editor/Proofreader: TempWane

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“Welcome, everyone!”

With a bright smile, Adele came out to greet us. Unlike the last time I saw her, she was wearing pants instead of a skirt.

Already prepared, it seemed.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem too surprised when she saw Amelia stepping out behind me. Well, since Amelia had decided to train together with us, it was only natural.

The coachman had been sent back for now. While some estates provided separate quarters for coachmen or guards, the Carlin mansion didn’t appear to have such facilities. It wasn’t impossible to spare a room, but it was rare to treat a coachman as a guest in the first place.

Thus, the coachman was scheduled to return to pick us up at the agreed time.

Adele’s father wasn’t at the mansion again today, so only the three of us were in the building.

Initially, Adele had suggested coming to us instead, but we declined.

Though I felt a little bad for her, the main reason was that coming to her estate allowed the three of us to have complete privacy.

After all, the training grounds at our estate weren’t exclusively mine.

“The training grounds are a bit small… are you sure it’s okay?”

As we headed to the training area, dressed in pants like Adele, she asked with a slightly worried expression.

“It’ll be fine.”

Being a knightly family, the Carlin household did have a training ground, but it wasn’t as spacious as ours. If anything, it felt more like they had repurposed a section of the house into a training area. In terms of size, it was roughly equivalent to a large room.

Whether it was because I was coming or because Adele was naturally diligent and had cleaned thoroughly, the interior was impressively tidy.

“How is it?”

“This is more than enough. Honestly, my swordsmanship doesn’t require a particularly large training ground.”

After all, I couldn’t use aura or unleash sword energy.

Considering my position, it was a bit pathetic. I was tasked with guarding Amelia, and the Grand Ducal House of Grattanmount could easily hire a swordmaster if they wished. The only reason I held this position was that Amelia personally chose me as her guard.

“For now…”

I walked to the center of the training ground and turned to face them.

Truthfully, I hadn’t expected to jump straight into lessons upon arrival.

I’d imagined spending some time leisurely chatting over tea, like when noble ladies meet, delaying the lesson as much as possible. That way, even if Adele realized how unimpressive I was, the awkwardness would be brief.

…Well, no use complaining.

Since things had already progressed to this point, it was better to make the most of it.

Although the lesson plans I had prepared weren’t even complete, let alone brought along.

Looking at the two girls watching me with varying degrees of nervousness only made me more uneasy.

It was understandable for Adele, who didn’t know my true skills, but why was Amelia so tense?

I exhaled softly to avoid them noticing and placed the bundle I was holding on the ground.

As I untied the strings securing it, the cloth fell away to reveal its contents.

“Are these… wooden swords?”

There were several wooden swords already present in the training ground. They were neatly arranged on a weapons rack against the wall.

But using those could be dangerous.

Not that I doubted Adele had prepared low-quality wooden swords—

“Lady Carlins, have you ever sparred with someone from Delkis?”

“N-No, I haven’t…”

Judging from how excited she had been when we first met, I hadn’t expected her to. People from Delkis rarely left their region. Even when they did, it was typically to assist royalty or high-ranking nobles, not as common guards or lower nobles.

The only ones who could employ Delkis guards were either the Grand Ducal House of Grattanmount, with shared bloodlines, or the royal family. Others, even with wealth, rarely succeeded.

“Swordsmanship aside, Delkis people are far stronger than ordinary people. If we use standard wooden swords, they might break and cause injuries.”

I glanced at Adele, wondering if she’d be offended, but she was gazing at me with sparkling eyes.

Hearing my words, about “standard wooden swords”, she seemed to recognize that the ones I brought were no ordinary practice weapons.

In Delkis, though, they were considered just standard wooden swords.

“These wooden swords are made from pine trees native to Delkis. Specifically, yew wood was carefully selected, dried, and crafted into these sturdy swords. They’re slightly heavier than typical wooden swords.”

Handing one wooden sword each to Adele and Amelia, I watched Adele immediately inspect hers, angling it against the light to examine it closely.

In the novel I had read, Adele had always shown great interest in such things. She truly aspired to become a knight and practiced swordsmanship diligently. Thanks to her talent, befitting a heroine, she had rapidly improved under Harvey’s guidance.

Of course, she hadn’t reached the level of a swordmaster. The novel itself was a romance focused on the love story of a yuri couple, so there weren’t many combat scenes.

“Delkis timber is known for its strength. However, it’s also why there are few craftsmen skilled enough to work with it,” Amelia commented as she accepted her sword.

If the dining table I’d hit my head on had been made of Delkis wood, it wouldn’t have shattered so completely.

However, considering the current level of craftsmanship, Delkis yew wood wasn’t something anyone could easily work with. Carving even simple designs took considerable time and effort.

Delkis artisans, of course, could handle it. However, they prioritized functionality over ornate decorations. As a result, Delkis-made furniture was robust but often too plain for noble households.

Frankly, everyday use didn’t require such sturdy materials either.

“How does it feel? Is it manageable to wield?”

“Yes, this is more than sufficient for practice.”

“I also used wooden swords made from Delkis wood during my early training.”

Nodding at their responses, I added, “To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure how to teach you both. So I thought we’d start by sparring together. I’ll observe, correct anything that needs improvement, and if there’s something I can learn from you, I’ll do so as well. How does that sound?”

In truth, this idea had only come to me during the carriage ride here.

…Nature does not lie, they say. Yet here I was, lying as naturally as breathing.

Once, I’d tried hard to be truthful. But ten years of living alongside Amelia had softened me considerably.

When I eventually return to Delkis, I plan to live in the Delkis way again—avoiding unnecessary complications.

“Do you think there’s anything I could possibly teach Lady Delkis?”

“That’s something we’ll only know after trying.”

I reassured Adele, who still sounded concerned.

Honestly, I would probably end up learning far more from them, given my lackluster swordsmanship.

“So… which one of you would like to spar with me first?”

I asked, looking at the two women holding wooden swords.

*

This isn’t working.

That was my thought after sparring with Adele.

Not because of my own lacking skills, but because the match itself felt unbalanced.

Whenever I brought my sword down with even moderate force, Adele struggled to block it. Her form was precise and unadorned, but… it was like pitting an ordinary knight against a troll. Not that I was a troll, of course.

“Hah… hah… hah…”

After a few minutes of clashing swords without any direct strikes, Adele was panting heavily.

“I’m sorry. My swordsmanship doesn’t involve any flashy techniques. But from this spar, I can tell that in pure technique, Lady Carlins’ skills surpass mine—”

“What are you saying…?”

Adele’s eyes widened as she interrupted.

“That flawless technique! Perfectly executed basics! It’s as if no other techniques are necessary—a form close to the pinnacle all swordsmen aspire to!”

…No, it’s just brute strength.

Momentarily dumbfounded, I glanced at Amelia who looked on the verge of bursting into laughter.

This is going terribly.

Things were becoming increasingly embarrassing in a way I hadn’t anticipated.