Chapter 27

May My Sword be Clothed in Power I (2)

Translated by Wook

Edited by Wook

Getting permission from my parents was easier than I thought.

It was thanks to Hamilton’s persuasion, but my parents knew how to keep their promise to fully support whatever I wanted. Of course, worrying was a different thing.

So one day, while waiting for the inspection team to return.

“Sir Dalton, the commander of the Red Knights, asked to see the princess.”

While we were discussing where to recruit monster subjugation personnel, Hamilton brought it up.

“The Red Knights? Come to think of it, I heard my brother is close to the Red Knights.”

“That’s right. They really liked the skills of the young duke during the Knights Order tour.”

Heh, of course. Whose disciple do you think he is?

I couldn’t hide my satisfaction. Yes, I’m training juniors to feel this thrilling feeling.

“We will support the trainees of the Red Knights in subjugating the monsters this time.”

“The trainees, not the knights? If you’re sending them not to be used, but to be taught, I’ll have to ask you to send them all back.”

“Well, it has its own benefits.”

After all, time was running out to recruit mercenaries or organize militia right now.

Well, since they’re the Imperial Knight’s trainees, they must have at least basic training.

“Fine. Please arrange a date as soon as possible.”

I gladly accepted the offer.

***

For some reason, Caesar accompanied me when I visited the Red Knights’ headquarters.

Waiting for the knight commander in the reception room, I muttered to myself.

“You don’t need to come with me.”

“It is not unusual for the disciple to serve the master.”

Caesar gave me a plausible excuse and smiled at me.

“By the way, you look like you’re in the mood to bite someone today, Helena.”

Today I wasn’t wearing a dress, but a short tunic and pants that stuck to the skin. Of course, I also brought my sword.

“If it were you, would you be able to trust a woman in a sky blue dress who said, ‘I am the subjugation commander who will lead you?’”

“Is that woman Helena? Then of course I will her unconditionally.”

“I’m sorry. I chose the wrong person to ask.”

This guy has too much confidence in me.

“You trust me too much. You can’t trust people like that, Caesar.”

“it’s okay. It’s only for you.”

“Gee, then one day, if I betray you and stick a knife in your back, what are you going to do?”

“I will die, what else.”

When Caesar answered without hesitation, I was rather surprised.

“Think about it and answer me.”

“My answer is the same. I’d rather die than doubt Helena.”

“No, you can’t die.”

I shook my head and frowned.

This guy is very problematic. How did he grow up to be such a blind guy?

Who the hell is to blame? Don’t tell me it’s my fault.

Just when my anxiety was growing, the door opened and Dalton, the commander of the Red Knights, appeared.

“Ah, I’m finally seeing you, Leonard’s sister, or should I say Leonard’s master?”

A man with a wild beard and good looks came up to me without shyness and grinned.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Helena Peresca.”

“Nerf Dalton, commander of the Red Knights.”

Instead of bending my knees to say hello, I asked for a handshake. Dalton happily grabbed my hand.

“The trainees have been gathered in the training ground. Well, I’ll leave the method of selection to you.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“I think it would be better to move right away without any fuss. Your highness, would you like to come with us?”

As Caesar affirmed Dalton’s words, he got up from his seat. We left the reception room with Dalton’s guidance and headed to the training ground.

Following Dalton walking ahead, Caesar and I took a few steps back and walked side by side.

As I walked down the hallway, Caesar suddenly grabbed my hand.

“What’s the matter?”

“Disinfection.”

Huh? What disinfection?

After that absurd murmur, Caesar held my hand tightly before releasing it. I was just confused because I didn’t know what it meant.

Caesar raised a different subject regardless of my question.

“I don’t know if the trainees will obey Helena’s orders.”

“Is it unreasonable for a nobleman to follow a young lady?”

“Well, if it’s the Red Knights…”

Caesar’s speech faltered. Dalton, who was walking in front of him, opened his mouth as if to make up for that comment.

“Well, as you know, we don’t get along very well with those narrow-minded fools.”

Those narrow-minded fools referred to the White Knights.

The meritocratic Red Knights and the aristocratis White Knights had long been bitter enemies.

The Red Knights were those who were jealous of the White Knights, who received knighthoods with the back of their families, so it was no wonder that they couldn’t trust my existence.

“You’d better be prepared.”

Dalton said in a crude tone, like a warning.

However, I believed it wasn’t just my illusion that he had expectations hidden in the warning.

***

As soon as I entered the training ground, I definitely needed a resolution.

This is all there is?

‘This is a field of sprouts.’

I feel complicated.

Looking at the sprouts, or the trainees lined up on the podium, I sighed inconspicuously. Well, they might be puzzled to see me on the podium.

Caesar, along with Dalton, escorted me to a second-floor balcony overlooking the scene. If he was around, the trainees might want to follow Caesar, not me.

After clearing my throat with a cough, I declared in a voice loud enough to make the training ground echoed.

“I, Helena Peresca, am the leader of the subjugation squad that will lead the subjugation of the monster of the East Island Vandarium.”

As soon as I finished my words, a roar spread among the trainees. Everyone had a look of disappointment.

“Some of you will go on a subjugation of monsters with me. Today is the time to select people to join us.”

I explained calmly, but the reaction was lukewarm. The eyes of the trainees filled with embarrassment instead of fury made me even more confused.

One of the tallest trainees standing in the front row raised his hand and asked me.

“Is it possible that our mission is to protect the young lady?”

Laughter rang out from all over the place. Oh man, a barbarian army would have more discipline than this.

I smiled at them.

“I’m afraid there won’t be a chance. I don’t want to be protected by people who are weaker than me.”

At those words, the noisy training ground became dead silent. The silence was more of anger than of awe.

I went down from the platform and went into the midst of them. A round circle was created naturally with me in the center.

I walked to the center of the training ground, drew my sword from there, and said.

“I am going to test your skills from now on. Now, feel free to come.”

Of course, there’s no way anyone would rush just because I said so. Everyone just stared at each other and frowned.

So there should be a tempting reward.

“If there is someone who can overcome me, I will hand over the title of captain of this subjugation team to that person.”

The air began to rumble again.

For trainees, this was an opportunity for promotion that would not be available again. If you became the captain of such a big project, you might receive a knighthood right away as well as fame.

Can I raise my sword against a woman? The slightest qualms would soon disappeared at my provocation.

“Ah, of course, that would only be possible if you have the skill.”

Then one came forward.

It was the same trainee who had raised his hand a little while ago and asked a question.

Without hiding his grimacing expression, he drew a wide arc with his sword and crept up to me.

“I’m Trainee Hawk Millen. You will not punish me for hurting you, will you?”

“It will never happen.”

As soon as my confirmation fell, Hawk rushed to me with great force.

Apparently he was planning to make me drop my sword so I would not be able to fight. Therefore, he would be able to end the fight without hurting me.

Ah, really.

Unnecessary consideration.

“Haaaah!”

Hawk’s roar echoed through the training ground.

I waited calmly, and at the moment when Hawk’s sword changed course, I started a counterattack.

There was no shout, no change of expression. There was no great preparatory action either.

So it must have seemed to Hawk that a person just suddenly rose in front of him.

“Huh!”

Hawk panicked and blocked my attack. However, the match was over after just three hits. In the blink of an eye, my sword touched Hawk’s neck.

He didn’t even have time to catch his breath, it was indeed a short match.

Without paying attention to Hawk, who was frozen on the spot, I pulled back my sword. And looking around at the other trainees with surprised expressions, I said impatiently.

“Okay, next.”

***

To deal with multiple people, you needed to distribute your stamina well.

I took down the trainees one after another with minimal movement. Most of them lost within three consecutive strikes.

“Next!”

Like a record-setter, I shouted ‘next’ nonstop.

In some cases, the trainees who had already lost to me attacked again as if they could not admit their defeat at all.

But the result was the same.

“Next!”

The first three of four people still approached me with a sneer. However, it didn’t take long for them to realize that I was a difficult opponent to win even if they did their best.

Of course, it didn’t get better even with those who had already been aware.

“Okay, next!”

Thus, it took less than four hours to subdue the 30 or so trainees.

“W-we lost…!”

In the end, the trainees declared their final defeat to me with their white faces.

I wiped the sweat off my chin with the back of my hand. In fact, I was about to run out of stamina.

Although I had saved my stamina by making as little movement as possible, I barely managed to survive at the end of the day.

But I still pretended to be fresh and said to the trainees.

“I’ve seen your skills. Those selected as members for the monster subjugating expedition…”

After taking a deep breath, I shouted the word with strength.

“… None.”

Everyone dropped their heads looking distressed.

No one argued.

***

“We’re sorry! Please give us another chance!”

Three days later, at Dalton’s request, I went to the Red Knights’ headquarters again, and several trainees bowed before me.

It happened that they were the ones I had noticed during the last appointment. But I looked around at them and said, without showing my true intentions.

“I think the appointment is over.”

“We were conceited. Please allow us a chance to learn. We will try harder!”

The one who spoke the loudest was the trainee named Hawk, who had sarcastically said to me, ‘Is it possible that our mission is to protect the young lady?’”

He was also a person with strong self-esteem who had even challenged me three times.

Should I call him fierce, or should I say he’s got guts?

‘Well, it’s an expected result.’

Proving my worth by suppressing my skills was effective because the Red Knights were people who valued ‘skills’ regardless of status.

If I had tried to subdue them by showing my identity, they would never have bowed their heads.

Sitting on the sofa, I sighed as if I could not help it and got up.

“Stop. Get up.”

The soldiers’ shoulders flinched at my informal speech.

They looked at each other and shook their heads awkwardly. However, after confirming my expressionless face, they became very nervous and stood in alert.

They had realized the meaning of my informal speech.

It meant, I will take you under my wing.

“Let me tell you in advance, my training will never be easy.”

“We’re prepared!”

The trainees shouted all at once. There was a lot of energy in their voice.

“I am not generous enough to persuade those who do not obey to join me. Anyone who disobeys my orders or tests my authority will be punished mercilessly.”

“We will keep that in mind, Captain!”

The trainees answered with a tense voice. That loud reply echoed in the narrow room.

Now, none of these people would see me as a ‘noble maiden’.

“Alright. Return to the training ground and wait.”

At the command with a somewhat softened voice, within the eyes of the trainess, no, my crew, something began to circulate. 

“Yes, ma’am!”

The sprouts that had barely grown out of their cotyledon leaves, shouted in unison.

***

Until the day the inspection team returned, the trainees continued their training.

As we would be dealing with non-human monsters, the training direction was quite different from before. I divided the team around three disciples. The sprout crew did not get lazy and did intensive training.

Since then, there had been a few people who had come to ask to join, but I had refused all but those who had come first.

“Does Princess know her nickname among the trainees?”

Dalton often walked in and out of the training ground, claiming himself to be my friend. He had the loyalty to provide a place, so I was willing to deal with him.

“What do they call me?”

“They call you the undefeated instructor. It’s because you’ve won against dozens of trainees.”

“What an overkill to get such a title just by defeating some trainees.”

“Heh, why don’t you try set a record against the knights once in a while?”

“Well, there’s no reason to refuse if there’s any benefit.”

I replied with a smile, and Dalton showed his characteristic bandit-like smile.

“The inspection team from Vandarium has returned. The report will start in two hours.”

The inspection team had arrived.

“It’s time to go.”

I said to Dalton, looking at the trainees.

Apart from the hassle, I felt like my body was getting hot little by little.

“A young lady who beats the devil. Kinda reminds me of Emperor Dante. Just not sure if you’ll be killing a dragon like Emperor Dante did.”

At Dalton’s jokes about the already extinct dragon, I burst into laughter.