That day, the sound of dry wooden swords clashing in the open-air training area of the bookshop echoed with a lovely shout.
"Ei, yaaaah ‼."
"Heh. Mel, keep it up."
With a smile on my face, I catch the wooden sword wielded by Mel.
Then, a girl who was watching us nearby shouted out to Mel.
'Good luck, Meldy-sama."
'Yes, Tis.'
Mel nods in support of Tis, Cross's daughter, and takes a deep breath with the wooden sword in her right eye.
When she regained her breath, she turned her sharp gaze on me.
'...... yeah hey ‼'.
Mel shows a moderately sharp sword stroke as she vigorously steps towards me.
But it is only a sharp sword in Mel's line of work.
After I catch her sword, I quickly change the flow of my power.
At the same time, Mel lets out a "wow⁉" and loses her stance, falling on her buttocks on the spot.
I took that opportunity to slowly thrust the tip of my wooden sword at her.
'Mel, your last sword stroke was good. But you're still .......'
She hears my words and gasps.
Soon after, she was on her bottom, her cheeks puffed out as she stared adorably at me, looking me up and down.
'Muu...... niisama. You could at least let me do a bit of work. It's just unfair ‼."
'Haha. But overall, your swordsmanship was very good. I'm sure that if you keep practising, you'll get stronger."
When I replied to Mel with a smile, Tisu, who had been watching our training closely, called out to Mel a little excitedly.
'Master Rid is right, the way you move and your swordsmanship, Merdi-sama, is unbelievable, as if you have only recently started swordsmanship. I definitely think Meldy-sama has the same talent for swordsmanship as Master Rid and Rainer-sama.'
'...... ehehe, I wonder if that's true.'
Mel, whose cheeks were puffed up earlier, is now smiling shyly at Tisu's words.
At that time, Cross, Deputy Commander of the Knights of Bardia, who was watching our training from the side, came towards us with a smile.
'Master Rid and Merdi-sama also showed excellent swordsmanship. Especially, I believe that Meldy-sama has a good talent, as Tis said. If you keep practising, you may eventually be as good as Master Rid."
When praised by Cross, Mel's face lights up and she smiles.
"I wonder if she'll be able to compete with ...... your wife then."
She stands up as she replies to the cross and glances at me sideways.
I cough and tighten my expression a little.
'Mel, I told you earlier. Don't get too proud.'
My expression and words make her face tighten a little.
'U...... yes.'
I said this more forcefully than usual, and Mel seemed to realise that she was getting a little too carried away.
At that moment, Cross spoke to us.
'Well then, Meldy-sama. Next, let's train with me.
'Yes, please.'
Mel replied to Cross and resumed training with her wooden sword at the ready.
The daughter of Cross, Tisu, seems to be watching the two of them practising with a passionate gaze.
Incidentally, Tis is here as a 'training partner who is close to Mel in age'.
She comes to the house with Cross only on the days when Mel practices swordsmanship.
Well, it was Mel who wanted to be his training partner.
At that time, Deanna, who was waiting nearby, came up to me and quickly offered me a hand towel.
'Master Rid, thank you for your hard work. Please wipe your sweat here.
Thank you, Diana.
When I received the hand towel and lightly wiped the sweat from my forehead, Diana looked at Cross and Mel's practice and muttered in admiration.
'But I am surprised that Meldy-sama is so enthusiastic about swordsmanship.
'Yes. I'm surprised too.'
I nodded in agreement to Deanna's words.
Mel said she wanted to practise swordsmanship right after we went to Cross's house to see the baby.
It seems that she had always been concerned about the magic and martial arts training I was doing, and she wanted to try her hand at magic and swordsmanship one day.
When she found out that Tis, a girl not much older than Mel, was practising swordsmanship, her desire to try it became stronger.
The result of this was Mel's direct appeal to her father the other day.
Father and mother were worried that Mel might get hurt practising magic and swordsmanship.
However, in spite of their worries, Mel's talents have blossomed rapidly in a short time.
In terms of magic, Sandra was astonished, perhaps because she had been watching me for so long, and said, "Following Master Rid, Meldie-sama is also a talented person.
In terms of swordsmanship, Cross's words earlier were no lie.
Mel is also learning swordsmanship very quickly, as if to say that he is indeed his father's son.
If she continues to train like this, she might become a swordsmith like Renalute's 'Asuna'.
If that happens, my father is going to have his head in the sand again.
By the way, there are six of us here: me, Mel, Diana, Danae, Cross and Tis.
My squire Capella, who is not here, is in his office at the inn, organising the paperwork for me.
I'm going to look over the paperwork he's put together after this training session.
As I'm thinking about how tiring the paperwork is for my eyes ......, I suddenly feel the presence of someone right behind me and I'm startled.
I turned back with a start and saw Garn, the butler, standing there quietly.
When I looked at him with a surprised expression on my face, he smiled at me.
'Master Rid, Master Rainer wants to see you."
'E...... um, yeah, okay. I'll be right there.'
While answering Garn, I suddenly glanced sideways at Deanna beside me and saw that she, too, had a surprised expression on her face.
Apparently, Deanna had not noticed Garun's presence either.
When I pulled a face, Garun gave a fearless smile.
'Heh, I'm sorry. I meant to scare you a little, but my prank went too far. Please forgive me.'
'Eh, no, that's okay, but I wonder if ...... Garn is a former darkie or something. I didn't sense any sign of him at all.'
Garn pretended to think about the question, and then smiled.
'I would like to refrain from answering that question. But rather, please hurry up, because Rainer-sama is waiting for you."
'Uh-huh.'
I'm a bit confused because I feel as if I'm being led up in smoke, but I can't make my father wait.
I call out to Cross and Mel, who are practising, and tell them that Father has called them.
It was cute that while Cross and the others bailed out and said "Yes, I understand", Mel was the only one with a disgruntled look on his face, saying " eh ......".
After that, together with Diana and Garn, I hurried to the office where my father was waiting for me.
That day, the sound of dry wooden swords clashing in the open-air training area of the bookshop echoed with a lovely shout.
"Ei, yaaaah ‼."
"Heh. Mel, keep it up."
With a smile on my face, I catch the wooden sword wielded by Mel.
Then, a girl who was watching us nearby shouted out to Mel.
'Good luck, Meldy-sama."
'Yes, Tis.'
Mel nods in support of Tis, Cross's daughter, and takes a deep breath with the wooden sword in her right eye.
When she regained her breath, she turned her sharp gaze on me.
'...... yeah hey ‼'.
Mel shows a moderately sharp sword stroke as she vigorously steps towards me.
But it is only a sharp sword in Mel's line of work.
After I catch her sword, I quickly change the flow of my power.
At the same time, Mel lets out a "wow⁉" and loses her stance, falling on her buttocks on the spot.
I took that opportunity to slowly thrust the tip of my wooden sword at her.
'Mel, your last sword stroke was good. But you're still .......'
She hears my words and gasps.
Soon after, she was on her bottom, her cheeks puffed out as she stared adorably at me, looking me up and down.
'Muu...... niisama. You could at least let me do a bit of work. It's just unfair ‼."
'Haha. But overall, your swordsmanship was very good. I'm sure that if you keep practising, you'll get stronger."
When I replied to Mel with a smile, Tisu, who had been watching our training closely, called out to Mel a little excitedly.
'Master Rid is right, the way you move and your swordsmanship, Merdi-sama, is unbelievable, as if you have only recently started swordsmanship. I definitely think Meldy-sama has the same talent for swordsmanship as Master Rid and Rainer-sama.'
'...... ehehe, I wonder if that's true.'
Mel, whose cheeks were puffed up earlier, is now smiling shyly at Tisu's words.
At that time, Cross, Deputy Commander of the Knights of Bardia, who was watching our training from the side, came towards us with a smile.
'Master Rid and Merdi-sama also showed excellent swordsmanship. Especially, I believe that Meldy-sama has a good talent, as Tis said. If you keep practising, you may eventually be as good as Master Rid."
When praised by Cross, Mel's face lights up and she smiles.
"I wonder if she'll be able to compete with ...... your wife then."
She stands up as she replies to the cross and glances at me sideways.
I cough and tighten my expression a little.
'Mel, I told you earlier. Don't get too proud.'
My expression and words make her face tighten a little.
'U...... yes.'
I said this more forcefully than usual, and Mel seemed to realise that she was getting a little too carried away.
At that moment, Cross spoke to us.
'Well then, Meldy-sama. Next, let's train with me.
'Yes, please.'
Mel replied to Cross and resumed training with her wooden sword at the ready.
The daughter of Cross, Tisu, seems to be watching the two of them practising with a passionate gaze.
Incidentally, Tis is here as a 'training partner who is close to Mel in age'.
She comes to the house with Cross only on the days when Mel practices swordsmanship.
Well, it was Mel who wanted to be his training partner.
At that time, Deanna, who was waiting nearby, came up to me and quickly offered me a hand towel.
'Master Rid, thank you for your hard work. Please wipe your sweat here.
Thank you, Diana.
When I received the hand towel and lightly wiped the sweat from my forehead, Diana looked at Cross and Mel's practice and muttered in admiration.
'But I am surprised that Meldy-sama is so enthusiastic about swordsmanship.
'Yes. I'm surprised too.'
I nodded in agreement to Deanna's words.
Mel said she wanted to practise swordsmanship right after we went to Cross's house to see the baby.
It seems that she had always been concerned about the magic and martial arts training I was doing, and she wanted to try her hand at magic and swordsmanship one day.
When she found out that Tis, a girl not much older than Mel, was practising swordsmanship, her desire to try it became stronger.
The result of this was Mel's direct appeal to her father the other day.
Father and mother were worried that Mel might get hurt practising magic and swordsmanship.
However, in spite of their worries, Mel's talents have blossomed rapidly in a short time.
In terms of magic, Sandra was astonished, perhaps because she had been watching me for so long, and said, "Following Master Rid, Meldie-sama is also a talented person.
In terms of swordsmanship, Cross's words earlier were no lie.
Mel is also learning swordsmanship very quickly, as if to say that he is indeed his father's son.
If she continues to train like this, she might become a swordsmith like Renalute's 'Asuna'.
If that happens, my father is going to have his head in the sand again.
By the way, there are six of us here: me, Mel, Diana, Danae, Cross and Tis.
My squire Capella, who is not here, is in his office at the inn, organising the paperwork for me.
I'm going to look over the paperwork he's put together after this training session.
As I'm thinking about how tiring the paperwork is for my eyes ......, I suddenly feel the presence of someone right behind me and I'm startled.
I turned back with a start and saw Garn, the butler, standing there quietly.
When I looked at him with a surprised expression on my face, he smiled at me.
'Master Rid, Master Rainer wants to see you."
'E...... um, yeah, okay. I'll be right there.'
While answering Garn, I suddenly glanced sideways at Deanna beside me and saw that she, too, had a surprised expression on her face.
Apparently, Deanna had not noticed Garun's presence either.
When I pulled a face, Garun gave a fearless smile.
'Heh, I'm sorry. I meant to scare you a little, but my prank went too far. Please forgive me.'
'Eh, no, that's okay, but I wonder if ...... Garn is a former darkie or something. I didn't sense any sign of him at all.'
Garn pretended to think about the question, and then smiled.
'I would like to refrain from answering that question. But rather, please hurry up, because Rainer-sama is waiting for you."
'Uh-huh.'
I'm a bit confused because I feel as if I'm being led up in smoke, but I can't make my father wait.
I call out to Cross and Mel, who are practising, and tell them that Father has called them.
It was cute that while Cross and the others bailed out and said "Yes, I understand", Mel was the only one with a disgruntled look on his face, saying " eh ......".
After that, together with Diana and Garn, I hurried to the office where my father was waiting for me.
