Chapter 4: Alvin’s Secret

In the land to the north, in the throne room of Dachnesia Castle, which stood tall in the frigid demon city shut in by snow and ice:

“And? How are things proceeding?” the girl wearing the crown muttered, resting her cheek on her hand as she sat on her throne, looking bored.

“They proceed swimmingly.” The answer to the girl’s question came from a large crystal ball that was set up on the armrest of her throne. Inside of the crystal ball was an image of the witch cloaked in black. “The knight who Prince Alvin summoned a few days ago... There’s no mistake. It’s the legendary knight, Sid the Barbarian.”

“And your reason for thinking so?”

“I have many, but I believe it would be quickest to just watch this,” the witch said, and the image in the crystal ball switched to show Sid in his grand stand-off with the Kirimu. Sid was faster than the eye could follow as he cut into the Kirimu over and over again with his bare hands. This image was cut off when Sid easily defeated the monster.

“Ha ha. What do you think?” The crystal ball switched again to show the witch and her charming smile.

“Wh-What was that?! That was ridiculous!” The girl shuddered and moaned as she looked at the crystal ball. “This is Sir Sid the Barbarian, the knight of the legendary era?! Everything about that was insane! What even was that?!” The girl wearing the crown struck the armrests of her throne in a rage.

“You shouldn’t be shocked by something like this,” the witch said with an amused chuckle. “This isn’t his true power. He was far too weak.”

“What?!”

“Resurrecting after a thousand years must have been too much. Sir Sid’s fighting ability is considerably weaker than when he was at his peak back then. Currently, he isn’t at his full potential.”

“You mean he’s even stronger than this?! What are we going to do?!”

“Ha ha ha. My adorable master, didn’t this happen because you wouldn’t let sleeping dragons lie? I didn’t expect this to happen either.”

“What are you so calm for?! We can’t back down from this plan of yours now, right?!”

“Yes, that’s right. The ritual at the royal capital has been completed. All that’s left is to wait for the gate to open. There’s no stopping it now.”

The girl wearing the crown growled and closed her eyes in frustration as she pounded the armrests of her throne. “Why?! Why is it always Alvin?! This isn’t fair! It’s unacceptable! It’s unforgivable!” the girl said indignantly.

However, the witch answered her in a relaxed manner. “Do not worry. It is true that Sir Sid is likely the greatest obstacle to accomplishing your wish, my king. However, he has a weakness.”

“A weakness, you say?”

“Yes, that’s right. As long as he has it, you have nothing to fear from Sir Sid.” Then with her charming smile, the witch explained Sir Sid’s weakness.

“I see. So that’s it?” the girl wearing the crown said, sounding disappointed after hearing the witch’s explanation. “If that’s the case, then no matter what Sir Sid does, it won’t interfere with the plan.”

“Like I said, it’s no problem for us.”

“In that case, I’ll mobilize my followers as planned. I’m counting on you, my servant.”

“Ha ha. Leave it to me, my adorable master,” the witch said, smiling at the girl’s rude attitude. Just then, the witch suddenly let slip a murmur, saying, “Still, for Sir Sid to resurrect in an age when both you and Prince Alvin are present...it feels like fate.”

“What? Did you say something?”

“No, nothing at all. Well then, I’m counting on you to take care of the rest, my master,” the witch said, and the image in the crystal ended with their conversation.

“Hmph.” For a short while, the girl stared lazily at the crystal ball. She then stood up and began to walk slowly. She left the throne room and walked through the empty, decaying castle corridors to the terrace.

There was a loud whoosh of air the moment she stepped on the wind-swept terrace, and she was met with a blizzard and its tremendous chill. It was such an overwhelmingly freezing wind that a normal person wouldn’t have been able to survive more than five minutes in clothing as thin as hers. The girl was unfazed by this frigid weather and stared at the scene beneath her. Spread out far below were the ruins of what was once called the demon city. Most of the stone buildings had fallen into a state of ruin and were dyed white, as they were half-buried in snow and ice. The ridges of the mountain ranges that surrounded the city were also dyed white. The sky was an oppressive color of gray and filled with darkness, as blizzards of extreme cold hammered the location all year round.

As she looked down at this frozen hell, the girl wearing the crown muttered, “Ristis Yu Mastas Actima Walden,” which meant “Heed my words on behalf of your master.” The words she spoke in the ancient fairy tongue were immediately drowned out by the snowstorm and swept away. However, for some reason, words retained a strange gravity here as they spread out like an echo in the mountains, through the ruined city shrouded in ice and snow. She then said, “Khamed Ba Orthol Mians Khorne,” or “I command you by my authority to answer my call,” and something strange happened. Here and there in the dim ruins of the city, blue flames rose like will-o’-the-wisps. At first, there was one, and then they rapidly increased in number from one to ten, then to a hundred, then to a thousand. Then, these flames gradually changed their forms. First, they took the shape of human skeletons. The next moment, darkness spread and wrapped all over the skeletons. Finally, the demonic fires took the form of repulsive knights holding swords and wearing tattered, black clothing. The part of their faces where the eyes should have been instead housed an endless abyss. These ghostly knights appeared one after another throughout the abandoned city, answering the call of the girl wearing the crown.

“Well, that should do,” she said as she looked down upon her horde of knights of the dead. “Hmph, it’s vexing but it looks like this is all I can get to answer me with my current authority. Well, it’s fine. That is what this plan is for, isn’t it?” she said and her lips, like two lines of vermillion in the dark, twisted into a smile. “I can’t leave this city just yet and I’m bored. So, make sure you show me a good time. Okay, Alvin?” The girl giggled and her laughter was carried away in the blizzard. Meanwhile, her ghostly knights started to walk in unison and joined together on the city’s main road to form military-like ranks as they began their march.

In the royal capital of Calvania, around the outer perimeter of the lower level of Calvania Castle, the anguished cries of Blitze class’s students echoed through the air.

“Everyone...do...your...best!” Alvin huffed. With Alvin at the lead, the class was running along the walls of the castle. What’s more, they were dressed in heavy metal full-body armor like that worn by knights from long ago. On top of that, none of them had fairy swords, as they had been confiscated by Sid. In other words, they were completely without the mana provided by fairy swords that normally enhanced their physical abilities. With each step, the ear-splitting sound of metal rattled the students’ brains, and the enormous weight of the armor and hellish lack of oxygen was destroying the students of Blitze class.

“Come on. Run. Just keep running. Take deep breaths and try to imagine you’re taking something shiny into your body from the air,” Sid said as he calmly looked over the students.

“Wait, Sir Sid! What’s the point of this kind of training?!” Tenko yelled with tears in her eyes as she ran next to Alvin. “Ahhh! If I had my fairy sword, this armor would be nothing!” A fairy sword bestowed its user with enhanced physical abilities and unparalleled sturdiness. Just by holding the sword, the user would become more durable and tougher than any poorly made armor. A fairy sword could cut through a set of non-magical armor such as the one she was wearing like a hot knife through butter. In this day and age, it was meaningless to even wear it.

“Hey, what are those guys doing...in armor?”

“Why are they wasting their time with that training and not using their fairy swords?”

“Maybe they realized they’re limited by their low sword rank and are getting desperate?”

At a glance, they could see students from Durande class, Ortol class, and Anthalo class looking suspiciously at them as they passed by on their way back from the day’s training.

Sid completely ignored these students from the other classes and said to Tenko and the others, “You all rely too much on your fairy swords. Your basic physical strength is terrible.”

“N-No way!”

“In our time, squires would run while wearing armor. And they’d go up and down tall mountains and had to swim back and forth in raging rivers while they were still wearing it.”

“What?! Are you some kind of monster?! Someone would die if they did something like that!”

“Huh? Of course they would. Weaklings die during training all the time, right?” Sid said as if he couldn’t believe someone was saying something so obvious. Meanwhile, his class looked at him horrified. Sid, who had lived in the age of legends, and these students of the modern age both seemed to possess different kinds of common sense and values in regard to human life. “Ha ha ha! I’m a nice guy, so don’t worry. I won’t train you all to death. So, let’s add another fifty laps.”

“He is trying to kill us!” Tenko said, and she felt dizzy with despair.

“I’m not bullying you guys just for fun. Like I said before, breathing is the basis of Will,” Sid said and pounded his chest. “People are also a part of nature, but they are fragile beings. There’s a limit to the total amount of mana inside their bodies. That’s why you gather it by breathing in the mana that fills this world and then refine it. However, the mana inside of you and the mana that exists in the natural world are two different things, and you have to change it into a form that you can use. We’ll need to do what the fairy swords normally do for us. That skill is the key to Will,” Sid explained as his students wheezed in the background. “So, what connects mana, the spiritual element of nature, with the physical element of the flesh? It’s Will.”

Sid continued his explanation as his students’ labored breathing also continued. “In other words, you take mana into your body with your breath, use your Will to burn it all at once, and transmute it into your own mana. You know how they tell you to control your breathing when you focus? Well, Will can be controlled by a special breathing technique, and Will breathing is the only catalyst that will burn mana.” While Sid continued, the wheezing of his students became less frequent. “This whole process is called ‘burning one’s Will,’ and to perceive and manipulate its great power is the essence of Will,” Sid said. Meanwhile, the sound of his students wheezing had stopped. “Well, to put it simply, it’s all about the lungs. If you want to use Will, then you have to train your lungs by running and strengthening them. Then you can learn the finer points of Will,” Sid said, and before he knew it, all of his students had collapsed on the ground.

“Jeez, you guys are out of shape. It’s my first day teaching you, so I thought I’d start out with some light jogging, but it looks like you all won’t be able to do any real running for a while,” Sid said as he let out a disappointed sigh and jangled several chains with iron balls attached to them.

We’re going to die, and he’s going to be the one to kill us! Tenko and the others vaguely thought since they weren’t able to speak while they slumped pitifully on the ground.

It was evening a few days after their hellish training had started, and the sun was setting over the distant ridges of the mountains, bathing the surroundings in red and gold.

“Ha ha, good work, everyone,” said Alvin.

“Ahh! Today was rough!” Alvin’s words of encouragement and Cristopher’s shout of fatigue echoed throughout the training ground. Having finally finished their training for the day, the students of Blitze were sprawled out in a heap in the middle of the training ground.

“I-I thought I was going to die today,” Elaine said.

Lynette coughed. “I-I could see my grandmother waving at me from the other side.”

“He’s merciless. Are knights from his era heartless or something?” Theodore said. All three of them were exhausted.

“Monster...he’s a monster,” Tenko said as her ears drooped. She lacked the energy for a better insult. The only thing any of them could do was limply slump down.

“Huh? What happened to Flora?” Alvin said as he lifted his heavy body.

“Oh, her? She went somewhere as soon as training was over today. She said something about wanting to wash off her sweat.”

“Seriously, that girl never changes.”

“It seems like the training has been tough for her, but she also makes it look easy.”

“Just how much stamina does she have? I guess you can’t judge someone by their looks.”

The students all talked amongst themselves when suddenly Alvin spoke up. “I-I’m sorry, everyone,” he said, and everyone looked at him.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I’m just...sorry for making Sid our instructor without saying anything,” Alvin said, and everyone blinked in surprise. “Of course, I was prepared. I thought I’d do anything to become strong enough to be king in the future. That’s why I asked him to do it.” As Alvin spoke, everyone listened in silence. “I’m sorry for making you all go along with this. If it’s too much, I’ll talk to Sir Sid and ask him to remove anyone from his class who wants that,” Alvin said, but everyone just looked at each other and started laughing. “Everyone?” Alvin asked, and it was his turn to blink in surprise.

“What are you saying, Alvin? We’re really grateful to you,” Christopher said.

“Yes, we are,” Elaine agreed.

“What?” Alvin said. Their unexpected response left him at a loss for words.

“I can honestly say it now. Deep down, I thought it would be impossible for us to become knights,” Elaine said, shocking Alvin.

“The difference in sword ranks was absolute, after all. No matter how hard we worked, the gap between those guys with their higher-ranking swords and us just kept getting wider.”

“Lately, it didn’t feel like we were improving—despite our training,” Lynette said, looking down.

“But, you know, now we have hope! You saw Sir Sid, right? He showed us you can do all of that without a fairy sword!”

“Will, that lost technique from the legendary age... Indeed, it may be impossible for us to reach that level, but if we could get even a little close to it...”

“Sir Sid assured us! He told us we can surely become stronger! He told us we can become knights! Sir Sid showed us hope!”

“That’s right. Compared to our hopelessness in the past, this level of hellish training is nothing!” Faced with their passionate words, Alvin could only look on in amazement.

Then Elaine said, “That’s not all, Alvin. It’s because of you creating the Blitze class that we are able to pursue knighthood. Even though I come from a prestigious family of knights, being chosen by a low-rank fairy sword cut off my path to becoming a knight, and I was ostracized from my home. I had nothing left but despair, and, for a time, I even considered suicide. But...you saved me.”

“Me too. Thanks to you, Alvin, a failure of a commoner like me can still pursue the dream I’ve had since I was a kid,” Christopher added.

“I-I’m similar. Since I was able to become a squire, I got a scholarship, and my family—who are fallen aristocrats—can live without starving,” Lynette said.

“Isn’t it hard going against the three dukes, Alvin?”

“Yeah, I don’t really get politics, but even I understand that much.”

“As I recall, the three dukes announced that if the prince wanted to be included in a class for knighthood, he’d have to surrender to their command, right?”

“They’re cowards for using this country’s rules for royal succession against you like that.”

“Still, you defied them in order to protect this country,” Elaine said and took Alvin’s hand as she looked him straight in the eyes. “Please, have confidence in yourself. If I am to become a knight, I want to be your knight, Alvin.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“M-Me too! If I’m going to serve, I want to serve the prince!”

“E-Everyone...” Alvin’s eyes narrowed, and he was overcome with emotion.

“In other words, don’t look down on yourself,” Theodore said. He finally spoke up after being silent the entire time. “More than you realize, we’re all here of our own choice. There’s no need for you to feel guilty because of us. You’re a prince and the next king. All you have to do is stand tall.”

“Th-Thank you,” Alvin said, smiling because of his comrades’ words.

“Aren’t you glad, Alvin?” Tenko said and hugged him from the side. “Of course, I’m here too! I’ll always, always be your knight! I’ll protect you from any hardship. So don’t worry. It’ll all work out fine.”

“Tenko, you’re right.” The words of his fellow classmates, who shared his struggles from the past six months, filled his heart with joy. He was both happy and embarrassed, and he felt that his choice to take this difficult path hadn’t been in vain. However, it also pained him. Lately, when he had spent time with them, Alvin felt the weight of heavy responsibility and unbearable guilt that seemed like it would crush his heart. Now was one of those times, and the reason was...

I keep betraying and lying to my comrades...and my people, Alvin thought. However, he didn’t reveal to them what was inside his heart.

“Well, it’s going to get cold soon. Let’s head back,” Alvin said, and they headed back inside the castle.

That night, in the top level of Calvania Castle at the far end of where the royal family’s living quarters were located, Alvin was in his room unable to sleep. Having extinguished the room’s lamp, he lay there in the darkness staring off into empty space. The conversation he had with his comrades that day, and how they supported him and acknowledged him as the future king, filled his mind. No matter how he tried, he just couldn’t get to sleep. Occasionally, Alvin would have nights like this, and when that happened...

Without a word, Alvin rose from his bed. The front door of his room led to another room assigned to Sid. So, in order to get to this bedroom, one would have to pass through the other first. It was the perfect place for Sid to sleep as Alvin’s bodyguard. Alvin tiptoed to the door.

He opened it without making a sound and checked inside Sid’s room. Sid was sprawled out on his back snoring as he slept. Alvin felt like asking him if that was really an okay thing to do as a bodyguard, but after he confirmed he was asleep, he stood in front of the mirror in the corner. He stared at it for a moment and then gently touched the mirror’s surface. It rippled like water as his hand sank into it. This mirror was actually an entrance to the fairy world that only Alvin knew about, and he went inside of it without hesitation. Beyond the mirror was a forest filled with clean air and a beautiful silver moon that floated in the night sky. The darkness enveloped Alvin with a motherly embrace, and a pleasant night breeze caressed his cheek. Relying on the faint moonlight for guidance, Alvin quietly walked into the forest. As he proceeded, the scent of fresh, clean water filled the air. Making his way through the forest, Alvin arrived at a small spring filled with clear water in an open area of the woods. The mirrorlike surface shined brightly, reflecting the light of the moon. The scene was magical. Fireflies danced along the water’s edge.

Alvin carefully checked his surroundings for signs of anyone else and began to undress in the shadow of a tree. In the silence of the forest, the sound of clothes rustling and Alvin’s underwear falling to the ground echoed softly. The lines of Alvin’s body, that could be faintly discerned in the darkness of the forest, somehow seemed more feminine than masculine. Alvin then took out a comb that seemed to have magical power to it, and as he combed his hair with it, his hair grew longer. Alvin, now completely naked, stepped gently into the spring, and the sound of splashing water echoed quietly. In the spring there were no longer any treetops to block out the light of the moon shining overhead. Under the pale moonlight, Alvin’s naked body was revealed...and it was the body of a girl.

It was undoubtedly a woman’s body, not a man’s. Long blonde hair like pure melted gold, a charming nape, graceful lines drawn by her body, and taut, lustrous white skin. Although her breasts were a modest size, they were beautifully round and pronounced her femininity in a way that couldn’t be denied. Every part of her was like a work of art. Alvin let out a sigh of relief as she finally set free the real her, who she normally kept hidden from those around her. She was like a fairy of beauty who had descended to the spring.

Alvin sat in the shallow end of the spring and splashed as she began to bathe. She scooped up water with both of her hands and poured it over her body and washed her arms and legs. She then doused her head with water and carefully combed her hair. Droplets of water trickled down her pearly white skin, reflecting the moonlight and shining brightly. Alvin then stared at her reflection in the water she had scooped into her hands. From the look on her face, Alvin seemed to truly be at peace as she bathed in this liberating place with no one to see her.

However, she suddenly heard a rustling noise coming from the path she had taken to get here. Alvin’s body instantly froze up, and she trembled.

No way! Somebody’s here?! I’m the only one that knows about this place! Alvin thought and quickly looked back in the direction the noise had come from. Before she knew it, there was a man leaning against a tree with his arms folded, facing the spring.

“Yo, Alvin. Who would have thought that there was a place like this?” It was Sid. He should have been completely asleep, but for some reason, he was here. “Did I scare you? Sorry about that. No matter how deep asleep I may be, if something strange happens, I wake up right away. Your presence suddenly disappeared, so I came looking for you.”

“Ah...”

“Still, I’m not happy about this. This is probably a place that only you know about, but coming alone like this is just careless, you know? If you want to go for a dip, just say so. I’m your bodyguard, after all. You can always take advantage—” Sid stopped mid-sentence as his and Alvin’s eyes met. Then his gaze scanned Alvin’s figure from head to toe. “Huh? Umm...wait, really?” Suddenly, the knight, who had been a part of many battles, became unusually speechless and his eyes widened. He had finally noticed Alvin’s body and her true identity. “Ha ha ha. You got me. Oh wow, I can’t believe how blind I was.”

In a panic, Alvin hid her chest and nether region with her hands and looked at the ground as her face turned red. Sid awkwardly turned his back to Alvin and scratched his cheek. Then, for a little while, an indescribable silence drifted between the two of them.

Eventually, as if Sid had made up his mind, he said to Alvin, “Um, you are Alvin, right? You’re not like his twin sister or anything, are you?”

“Um, well, you see...” All Alvin could do was tremble, and her silence told the truth more eloquently than anything else.

“Goodness gracious, Alvin. You were actually a woman,” Sid said, sounding stupefied, his words disappearing into the silence of the night.

“Can you talk to me about it?” Sid asked, and Alvin, who was currently Alma, nodded in response. Alma had already dressed herself in her usual knight’s attire, and after running a strange comb through her long hair, it returned to its usual length. It seemed to be some kind of magic comb—when used on hair, it could change its length. On the edge of the pond, with a large tree to their backs, the two of them sat next to each other as they gazed at the reflection of the pale moon in the water. Then, after making up her mind, Alma spoke.

“There’s not much to say, really,” Alma said with a lifeless look in her eyes, as if she had given up on something. “Did you know? The kingdom of Calvania has been ruled by a male king for generations. According to the law, a woman cannot become king.”

“Hmm? That antiquated rule is still around?”

“The former king, Auld, my father, was a king of the royal family and had become sickly. He was a wise king who kept the three dukes in check and did his best to maintain a good government whenever possible. His only fault was that he was not blessed with an heir.”

Sid was silent.

“If the reign of the royal family collapses, then the three dukes will assume sovereignty over the kingdom. Duke Durande is planning on invading other nations, Duke Ortol only thinks of living in luxury by exploiting the people, and Duke Anthalo is trying to sell this kingdom to other countries. If they rise to power, then it’s the end for this country.”

“Princess Alma. Are you going to assume the throne as a man—as Prince Alvin?”

“Yes,” Alma said and buried her face into her knees as she hugged them toward her. Her conflict and anguish could be seen in the way her petite body trembled. “I think it’s really foolish, tricking and betraying everyone. But there was no other way. It’s the duty of the royal family, and that’s why I’ve pretended to be a boy this whole time.”

Sid listened silently with an unreadable expression as his emotionless gaze wandered over the surface of the water.

“Of course, I’m prepared to live my life as a boy. But there are times when I really want to return to normal. There are times where I’m made very aware that I’m deceiving and betraying everyone, and I can’t help but feel the urge to go back to being a girl.” Alma then looked up with tears running down her face. It seemed like she really wanted to go back to being a girl right now.

“Is there anyone aside from me who knows your secret?”

“Just Isabella and Tenko—she’s been my best friend since we were little.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s why...” Alma had a brooding look on her face as she took Sid’s hand into both of hers. She looked straight at him and pleaded. “Please, please, can you keep this a secret? If the world were to learn that I’m a woman, then that would be the end of the royal family, this country, its people...everything,” Alma said as Sid remained silent. “If you can keep this a secret, then...I’ll do whatever you ask of me.” With a silent determination, Alma moved in front of Sid. She leaned forward, close enough to feel his breath as they gazed at one another. Then, with a determined yet embarrassed look, her face turned red. With a downcast gaze, she brought her hand to her chest, and one by one, undid the buttons on her shirt and began to slowly take off her clothes. “If you desire it, I’ll do anything for you. Even...”

“Okay, just hold it right there,” Sid said as he reached out and closed her shirt around her exposed chest.

“Sir Sid? What are you doing? O-Ow!” Alma said as Sid gave her a chop to the head.

“Dummy. Someone who’s trying to be king shouldn’t give themselves away so easily. Just when are you going to prove to me that you can be my future lord?” Sid said, but his expression was gentle and kind. He rubbed her head, and she looked like she was in a daze.

“Oh...”

“It’s okay. You can relax. Whether you’re a woman or a man, that doesn’t change my loyalty to Arthur. I will protect you from all your enemies and those with evil intentions, so don’t worry.” Suddenly, Alma’s eyes and nose felt warm, and her sight gradually became blurry. Meanwhile, Sid continued to speak kindly to her. “I have the utmost respect for you. I can’t even imagine with my weak brain the pressure of being a woman trying to become king, let alone hiding her identity. You must have been struggling to bear all that weight with that frail body of yours, haven’t you?”

“I...”

“You’re amazing. Be proud of yourself.”

“Sir Sid, can I ask you for something?”

“What is it?”

“For tonight, can I stay a girl just a little bit longer?” Alma asked as her voice trembled.

“Yes, do as you wish,” Sid said. Alma then leaned forward and hugged Sid in a powerful embrace. Her body trembled, and she sobbed into Sid’s chest like a child. As she did, Sid silently stroked her head, her back, and her hair and continued to do so for what seemed like forever.

The next day, Tenko was in a bad mood, and it wasn’t because of the heavy armor she was wearing during their usual hellish running. It was because of Alvin and Sid.

“Yeah, that’s it. Keep it up, Alvin.” Sid was giving Alvin instructions on swordplay combined with Will. Among the other students, Alvin was the most adept at using Will and was a step ahead of the rest of them. “Just like I told you, breathe deeper with more of a rhythm. Feel the flow of mana that you take in from the world around you. Imagine that you’re sending a bunch of air to your Will, which has a small smoldering flame made of mana inside of it. Make that flame burn more intensely. Forget for a moment what it feels like to receive mana from your fairy sword.”

“O-Okay!”

“Let the mana you gain from burning your Will circulate throughout your body. Speed up your blood flow with your breathing, and imagine that you’re using that flow to send mana to every inch of your body.” Alvin’s sword swung hard under Sid’s strict but enthusiastic guidance.

“L-Like this?”

“No, that’s wrong. You’re wasting mana by releasing it from your body. Okay, now I’m going to channel mana into you. Remember that feeling and imitate it.”

“Okay!” Alvin said. “Oh. Just now, for a moment, my body felt hot, and I swung my sword faster than usual.”

“It looks like you’ve already grasped one of the concepts of Will. You’ve really got a knack for this.”

“Huh?”

“That feeling is ‘passing mana.’ If you pass mana through your limbs, you’ll be able to use more physical strength than usual, and if you pass mana through your fairy sword, you can use even stronger fairy magic.”

“Th-That’s what it was?”

“Yes. However, you’ve still got a ways to go. Right now, your Will just kind of warms you and makes you feel better, right?”

“Y-Yeah...”

“Will has a number of different fields and techniques beyond that. But, for now, just learn how to burn your Will and pass your mana through your limbs and your sword. That will make you strong enough.”

“I-I will!” Alvin replied happily. Then they resumed their one-on-one training as Tenko glared at them with a stern look.

Sir Sid is training Alvin. That’s fine. It’s just... Tenko thought.

“Okay. Let’s take a break for a minute,” Sid said to Alvin, who was breathing heavily.

“N-No! I can keep going!”

“Alvin?”

“Again. Again, please! I don’t want to forget this feeling!” Alvin said, pressing toward Sid.

“My mana is still too strong for you right now. It’ll be a strain on your body if I pour too much into you.”

“But I want to get stronger as soon as possible so that I can become a great king. I don’t have any time to waste! Please!”

“I guess there’s no stopping you,” Sid said with a wry smile, giving in to Alvin’s enthusiasm. “You shouldn’t overdo it, but they do say you should strike when the iron is hot. But only a little more, okay?”

“O-Okay! Thank you very much!” Alvin then turned around and untensed her body, entrusting herself to Sid. From behind, Sid grabbed Alvin’s left shoulder and the wrist of her right hand, which was holding her sword, and their bodies drew close to one another.

“All right, here I go. It’s going to be a little strong. It might be tough, but try to get a firm grasp on that flow with your spiritual senses. Match the flow of your Will’s mana with the mana I’m pouring into you.”

“Okay. I-I’m ready.” Alvin said, and with her eyes shut, focused her mind and breathed deeply. Then, as Sid’s hand guided her, Alvin slowly began to swing her sword.

As Tenko looked closely, she could see that Alvin’s cheeks were slightly flushed. However, it didn’t seem like it was because of the intense training. Alvin seemed completely at ease with entrusting her body to Sid. This made Tenko feel a strange unease that what they were doing went beyond mere training.

“Wh-What is this?” Tenko said as she glared at the two of them. To put it bluntly, they seemed oddly close to each other. Now that she thought about it, Alvin had been acting strange since that morning. Sid was his usual self, but it felt like Alvin was strangely affectionate toward him. During their break, the other students had noticed this as well.

“Wh-What’s going on with those two?” Lynette said.

“You could say it’s just because it’s that kind of training but...” Elaine said, and they both tilted their heads quizzically. “What do you think, Tenko?”

“I-It’s nothing! Alvin is just ahead of us in training and is moving on to the next step. That’s all it is! I’m not even thinking about it,” Tenko said like she was trying to convince herself.

“Hmm? Could it be that our instructor and Alvin...are a thing?!” Christopher said with a smug look on his face.

“What?!”

“Huh?! Wh-What are you talking about?! Those two are both gentlemen!” Elaine said, turning pale.

“I-I don’t think that kind of thing is appropriate!” Lynette said, breathing heavily as her face turned bright red. She seemed excited for some reason.

“Hey, you never know. I mean, I’m a guy, but sometimes Alvin is so sexy that I can’t help feeling a little nervous. Even in old tales of knights, romance stories between the pretty ones were fairly common, so maybe—”

“Maybe what?” Before Christopher could finish, he was cut off by Tenko’s voice, which chilled him to his very core. The next thing Christopher knew, Tenko was holding a drawn sword, the tip of which was being thrust at his throat.

“Waah! N-Nothing!”

“Hmph!” After silencing Christopher, Tenko returned her sword to its sheath. I don’t know what happened, but I don’t care! There’s no way it can compete with the bond that Alvin and I share! After all, I’m one of the few close friends who knows Alvin’s secret! Tenko thought. Then, as if she was proud of her victory, she made a smug yet sad look. Tenko was trying to maintain her sense of superiority and mental balance. However, behind her...

“Oh! Sir Sid! How was that?!”

“Being able to do that much after only a few days of studying Will is pretty good.”

“I did it! Thank you so much!” Alvin smiled and jumped in the air after taking Sid’s hand.

“Seriously, you’re picking this up pretty quick. Even for knights in the legendary age, it usually took them quite a while to get a feel for using Will.”

“Ha ha. I’m sure it’s because you’re such a good teacher!”

“Hmph, what are you so excited about?” Sid said and grabbed Alvin’s head. “It’ll be useless in battle, where you won’t be relaxed and focused like you are right now. You’re still stronger while being carried by your fairy sword, so you’ve got a long way ahead of you, okay?”

“I understand! I look forward to your further instruction!”

“Well, just leave it to me,” Sid said and ruffled Alvin’s hair. Alvin accepted it somewhat happily.

I-I don’t like that barbarian! Tenko thought and seethed in jealousy by herself.