Today, at the kingdom's training grounds, a friendly match will be held between the warriors of the Alhatross Kingdom and the Suzukinoyama Empire. Rose heard from her maid that it was a match in which Efergan would also be participating.
By the way, Rose also came to the training field wearing armor. Queen Suzu also came wearing light equipment from her Black Ops era. Of course, Suzu is wearing the queen's cloak, but seeing her dignified figure for the first time in a while, the Black Ops guards have a different attitude. The shine in the eyes of the male members in particular is different. Rose thought that they must be drawn to Suzu's beauty. Suzu was very popular during the Black Ops era and was simply called the flower of Black Ops. However, the person next to her was Kagemaru, who was always expressionless, so no one approached her.
Rose is still wearing the armor made in the Dwipa Kingdom. She loves it because it's quite durable and light. However, her chest area has become tighter recently. Her breasts seem to have gotten a little bigger again. Rose had her maids make her new underwear as well. It would be a problem if only her breasts grew even though her body was thin. Rose wants her body to grow taller too. If her breasts get too big, it will be difficult to move and the shoulders will become stiff.
Rose watched the Suzukinoyama team enter with a calm expression. She tied her hair into a simple braid. When she used the hair clip that Efergan gave her yesterday, her maids told her it was cute, and Rose was in a good mood. Since she doesn't have her own sword, she borrowed a practice sword from the training ground. She was begging Dalgodas for a sword the other day, but she knows she won't get it so soon. She wants to get her own sword someday.
"Good morning, Your Highness Efergan."
"Good morning, Princess Rose. Why do you dress like that?"
"I'm going for a friendly match too."
"Oh, really? I’m looking forward to that."
"I have only just learned how to use a sword, so I don't think I can defeat Suzukinoyama's warriors."
Rose said shyly.
"I don't think that's the case. The high level of Alhatross' warriors can be heard to the south."
"Is that so? Then please don't hold back. I use barrier magic, so I don't think I'll get hurt. So let's fight to the fullest."
"That's right. Just to be safe, I'll use barrier magic as well. We'll both be in trouble if we meet."
Efergan smiled and she nodded.
"Yeah."
"However, you are beautiful in your warrior form."
“Y-yeah?”
Rose was shocked.
"Yes, you are."
"His Highness Efergan also looks dignified and cool. Is your armor made in Suzukinoyama?"
"That's right. I really like this armor and have used it for a long time."
"Wow."
"Is Princess Rose's armor from Alhatross?"
"No, this is the armor from Dwipa country, which was given to me by Prince Jatayu. It's gotten a little smaller recently, so I thought I'd have to make it again."
When Rose explained that, Efergan nodded.
"Dwipa country? If I know the size, I'd like to send Suzukinoyama's imperial armor, but I can't measure Princess Rose's body, so it's difficult."
"Hahaha, that's right. Well, I'll do my best with this armor for a while. Now, let's get ready."
"Okay, let's do our best in the match."
Rose and the others headed to their respective team locations. The opponents were determined by drawing lots. Each person takes a numbered tag from the box and does not show it to anyone until it is their turn. The team has five members. The winning team will receive a present from the Queen and the Emperor. Also, for the sake of the fair, general-class warriors are prohibited from participating, while Rose and Efergan, who are royal participants, are allowed to use barrier magic.
In fact, when a person becomes a warrior, gender doesn't matter and fights on an equal footing. Rose is not a warrior, but since there is no prince in Alhatross, Rose is participating as a representative of the royal family.
The first match is Damiat representing Alhatross vs. Olefa representing Suzukinoyama. Damiat is from the village and is a level 6 warrior. Rose was told that he joined the national army about two years ago. It was right around the time after the attack on the capital. Damiat is a wildcat race, his fur color is pheasant-tiger, and his tail is short. His body is muscular and looks very strong. The weapon he used was a practice sword.
On the other hand, Suzukinoyama's representative Olefa is a birdman and a veteran bodyguard with 20 years of military experience. His body looks powerful and there are scars all over his body. The weapon he uses is a practice sword. Although Olefa has more experience, Damiat is younger and physically advantaged. However, Rose looks forward to seeing which side the goddess of victory will smile on.
Both teams engaged in a fierce exchange of swords when the match started. Against Damiat, who has the weight of each sword, Olefa has the advantage of quickly exchanging swords. However, Damiat can use martial arts. This also went very well. As expected from a former mercenary, he calculated the movements and flow of the battle and made efficient movements. However, Olefa, an experienced bodyguard, is also strong. His movement is very vivid. Even though they were once attacked and the situation was in jeopardy, they managed to recover, and now Damiat is in a pinch. He aims at Damiat's vital points with his swift sword movements. Even if it's just for practice, if it hits you, it hurts a lot. And with one last swing, he placed his sword against Damiat's neck.
"We have a winner! That's amazing, Olefa," Rose said waving her hand. The referee decided that was it and Olefa won.
The second match is between Alhatross representative Elseo and Suzukinoyama representative Mokabe. Elseo has 10 years of military experience and is a tree spirit race. He works as the captain of the city's guard. He has a very calm face and seems like a kind person. However, the other team members told Rose that he is powerful.
On the other hand, his opponent, Mokabe, is a birdman. He has a body similar to Jatayu, with a moderately muscular physique. He has seven years of military experience and is the luggage escort unit's captain. Rose is excited about this battle between the captains. While Elseo uses a wooden club, Mokabe uses a practice sword. Mokabe was the first to move when the signal was given to start the match. He uses quick movements to attack Elseo, who has a large body. However, Elseo is very calm. He takes all attacks with a club. Even though it's made of wood, it's still an amazing skill to withstand attacks from a practice sword made of metal. Elseo, who knows how to parry power, saw off Mokabe's attack. After a long clash of weapons, Mokabe began to show fatigue, and a combo punch hit Mokabe in the chest, sending him flying several meters away with its incredible power. That's it! , and the referee's decision was Elseo's victory.
The third match will be between Alhatross representative Luba and Suzukinoyama representative Bojoluciano. It seems that both of them are from the Black Ops. The weapon he used was a practice dagger. It's unclear how many years he has been in the military. Perhaps these two are using fake names. And when they start fighting, to be honest, Rose could not see their fight. It was too fast, and somehow the two suddenly collapsed and could not continue the fight. Yes, it's over. Since both were unable to fight, it was a draw. The current score is 1:1.
The fourth match is between Alhatross representative Guile and Suzukinoyama representative Kerzek. Guile uses a practice sword. This super veteran instructor says that even if he doesn't know how many years of military experience he has. Kerzek, on the other hand, is a bodyguard with 10 years of military experience. Kerzek also uses a practice sword. Kelzek is younger and has more stamina. But Guile, who trains hard every morning with young soldiers, doesn't think he's defeated either. Building physical strength is the basis of being a soldier, so he works with young soldiers daily to help them make their physical strength.
The signal to start the match was given. However, both are moving very carefully. It seemed like there was no chance for each other. Both players understand that they will be defeated if they make a poor move and get into the opponent's range. Guile is nudging his leg. In response, Kerzek prepares his sword. Both are very cautious. Suddenly, Guile started moving at a tremendous speed. Rose thought he was about to swing his sword, but he quickly twisted his body and used his free hand to neatly insert his fist into Kerzek's stomach.
"Ugh!"
Rose heard Kerzek's voice, and he collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
"We have a winner! Guile won."
In fact, Guile defeated Kerzek without using a sword at all. This must be my formidable instructor, Guile, Rose thought as she applauded. Rose heard later that when he holds a sword in his hand and engages in a fight, he recognizes that his opponent is attacking him using sword techniques. The plan was to defeat him with physical techniques, but if that fails, Guile said he could win against him with sword techniques. But somehow he could attack so strongly with just one fist and make the opponent unable to fight... Rose once again thought that this super veteran instructor, Guile, had immeasurable strength.
It was the fifth match. Yes, now it's Rose's turn. The opponent is Efergan.
To be honest, Rose is out of sorts right now. She was distressed, thought Rose. That's because Efergan was looking at her and smiling. Rose thought to herself, "What should I do? My fighting spirit will disappear." If she doesn't concentrate, she will lose. In other words, the Suzukinoyama team is at a loss and would like to at least get a draw. That last hope is entrusted to Efergan.
Your Highness, please stop smiling. That's cowardly! , thought Rose impatiently, her face turning red.
Just in case, she closes her eyes and becomes silent. Her body glowed as she concentrated. She calmed her down. The bruise on her forehead feels hot.
"Gold Barrier!"
"Barrier!"
They both cast Barrier Magic on themselves.
"Start!"
When they heard the signal, Efergan suddenly attacked in a quick movement. Efergan, who was bigger than Rose, approached with a sword. However, Rose was also countered by a sword.
Yes! I won't lose! , Rose encountered the attack.
Rose is fighting evenly against the Third General, so there's no way she can lose. Both the left and right sides were receiving swords and attacking each other, and a fierce sword fight ensued for a while. When caught off guard, she was kicked and tried to dodge it. She quickly twisted her body, and jumped high, landing behind Efergan and swinging her sword down. But Efergan noticed this and twisted his body to receive her attack with his sword.
"You're doing quite well, Rose!"
"Yeah, you too."
"But I won't lose."
“Me too!”
While saying that, Rose attacked again. Recently, she has started using double-edged swords, and she likes this sword judgment. Depending on the type of sword, the techniques will naturally differ. However, Rose is too small to use a large sword. So she decided to use a sword slightly larger than a dagger. Two-handed swords are usually long and heavy, so they don't suit Rose's fighting style. Efergan fights using a one-handed sword. It's thinner than Rose's double-edged sword, so it's probably lighter in weight. It's light, so it's suitable for quick swinging styles. Even though it's a practice sword, Efergan's sword is custom-made. She can tell at a glance. It's a good sword.
Rose was thinking about something unnecessary, so she let her guard down and was kicked, but she managed to recover and used her legs as springs to hold the sword and swing it directly at Efergan. However, Efergan responded and blocked it with his sword. But for some reason, his eyes look happy. It's that smile again. It's seriously driving her crazy, she screamed in her mind.
Rose closed her eyes and concentrated. She can't close her eyes while fighting, but seeing that smile throws her off. She couldn't concentrate at all, so Rose decided to close her eyes and read her vibrations. Then, in her head, she could see the movements of the sword and the characters beautifully. Although she could not see his face, she could read the movement of the sword and the wind's movement through his entire body. Even with her eyes closed, she successfully blocked Efergan's sword with her own. On the other hand, Efergan blocked Rose's attack.
Violent movements continued as weapons clashed with each other for a while. A lot of time had passed and Rose thought they were both tired, but Efergan seemed to have plenty of time. His breathing is still steady. She analyzed Efergan's movements, thinking she could imitate that breathing method. Every time he takes a step, she clearly recognizes his breath. He is really training to conserve his strength so that he can fight for a long time. This battle ultimately proved to be hers to lose. That's because Rose wasn't able to manage her power.
"I'm lost!"
Rose said out loud.
"Hmm? Really? Princess Bara?"
She gives the referee a troubled look.
"Yeah. My physical strength wasn't up to his. I'm sorry, sister. I lost."
Rose said and Suzu nodded and laughed.
"Thank you for your hard work, Rose. You showed us a good match. Crown Prince Efergan wins."
"The Winner, Efergan!"
The referee awarded the victory to Efergan. This resulted in a draw between both teams. This friendly match showed us each other's strengths.
Presents from the Queen and the Emperor were distributed to all participants. It was a beautiful dagger from Her Majesty, her blue scabbard was adorned with several jewels, and just one look at her would take your breath away. The emblem of the Kingdom of Alhatross was engraved on the scabbard. The emperor sends a cup made of gold. It is beautiful and there are some shining jewels around it. The emblem of the Suzukinoyama Empire was engraved on it. All participants except Rose and Efergan received silk and gold coins. When Rose also said she wanted gold coins, Suzu scolded her. She was immediately told that she was not needed.
After the match, a simple banquet is held. Tired from the game, Rose took her drink and sat down under a tree in the garden of her training ground to rest, when Efergan came up and sat near her.
"Good job, Rose."
"Thank you for the match."
Rose straightened her posture and looked at Efergan.
"I didn't expect you to admit defeat so easily. I was surprised."
"Well, no matter how many hours I tried, I could see I would lose. It turned out that Efergan had more strength than me."
"Really? If I keep fighting, I might lose, right?"
Efergan said with a smile.
"No, I do understand. I noticed Efergan wasn't out of breath at all."
"Rose is amazing after all. Did you see through that much?"
"When I read the waves, Efergan's were very clean and well-organized."
Rose explained and Efergan nodded.
"So, my wave, huh?"
"Yeah."
"That's why you closed your eyes?"
"Yeah."
"That’s not all, is it?"
"Yeah."
"Can I ask why?"
When Efergan asked, Rose looked at him, confused for a moment.
"You were smiling. When I saw your smile, I couldn't concentrate. Somewhere in my heart, I felt like refusing to fight, and I felt like I was going to have a different feeling."
"I see. But hearing that makes me happy for some reason."
"Umh."
"Actually, I think I felt extreme pleasure while fighting Rose."
"Pleasure?"
"I couldn't help but feel so happy that you were colliding with me and breathing in sync with me."
Efergan said that while looking at Rose.
"Even though you say they were breathing together, I think it was a clash of weapons."
"But Rose responded to my attacks."
"It would hit me if I didn't block it with a sword. If it hit me, it would hurt quite a bit. Even if I was not injured, the pain will remain."
"Hahaha, that's right. But Rose is amazing. If we were closer to each other, I'd want to go see you every day. I'd also like to practice swordsmanship every morning."
"I also want to practice sword training with Efergan every morning."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I want to master that breathing technique."
"I'm also interested in Rose's way of reading waves. It seems quite useful."
"Yeah, it's convenient. You can tell if the guards around you are the same person just by the vibrations. There's no way they're going to impersonate you."
"That's amazing."
"Even if you hide your face or turn off your presence, all living people still emit some vibration, no matter how small."
"I see."
Rose looked up at the sky. After a while, she was mute and just looked at the sky.
"Hey, Efergan."
"Yes?"
"I would like to go to Suzukinoyama someday. I don't think it will be possible, but I want to see your country."
Rose said as she looked resigned.
"I want to invite Rose to Suzukinoyama. I want you to stay with me for two or even six months or a year, so much so that you could live with me forever. I want to take you to various places."
"I'm sure my sister will definitely say no."
"Maybe so. Because you are her precious little sister."
"Umh."
Rose sighed.
"I don’t think studying abroad is good either."
"Studying abroad?"
"Yes. Going to school in another country and studying."
"There is such a thing?"
"There are many schools in Suzukinoyama."
"Huh. There is no school in Alhatross. Educational standards differ depending on the lord, and the standards of the Alhatross country itself do not yet exist. After all, it was a country on the verge of extinction, so we are starting over."
Rose said curiously.
"It was tough because of the war. Suzukinoyama will soon be 500 years old. It has a very long history and a long period of peace. But now that is starting to become questionable."
"Yeah. War is scary."
"If Rose goes to learn about Suzukinoyama's education system, you might be able to improve the education of Alhatross."
"Yeah...I wish I could go."
"There are many schools where you can learn magic, cooking, dancing, and other knowledge."
"Wow. I'd like to go there someday."
"If you can go, I'll give you a room in my mansion. Of course, I'll provide some escorts and maids, so you just come empty-handed. I'll provide you with everything you need."
Efergan said that while staring at Rose.
"I don’t think there’s any way I can leave Alhatross alone."
"Hmm. I'll also give a room for Rose's attendants. My mansion is spacious, but mostly empty, with only the attendants, maids, and bodyguards."
Efergan said that as he sat down next to Rose.
"Do you have a cook?"
"Yes. She was my nanny, and her cooking was very delicious. She always made those candies in her spare time. That's why I knew they weren't poisonous."
"That's good."
"My life isn't that different from Rose's."
"A bird in a cage?"
"Yes."
Efergan nodded.
"Recently, I finally gained some strength, so little by little I gained some freedom."
"It's difficult when it comes to political discussions."
"I agree."
"If I have a normal life, I might not be this lonely."
"I'm thinking the same thing."
"I want to go somewhere and have fun to the fullest. Even on a small island with no one around, I want to run as hard as possible, fly in the sky, laugh, and have fun with you."
"The two of us? Sounds like a dream."
"Yeah. Without feeling like an escort...well, I guess it's impossible."
"That doesn't seem like something Rose or I can do."
Efergan said with a bitter smile.
"In Dwipa, we had much fun on Prince Jatayu's island. It was fun."
"Suzukinoyama is a country with many high mountains. But there is also the sea. My mansion is on top of a high mountain, and beyond that mountain is the sea. Although it is on a sheer cliff."
"Eh, really? It's a cliff. I guess we can't play in the sea."
"Well, if you fly to an island nearby, you can play, but it's an island with white sand."
"Hey, there is."
"It’s small though."
"Do you have been there?"
"Yes, when I was little."
Efergan smiled and said.
"Is anyone living there?"
"There's no one there. There are a lot of poisonous snakes over there."
"That's no good either. You can't sunbathe."
"I see. I might be inside a snake's stomach if I fall asleep."
"Hahaha. I'll tell the snake that you don't taste good."
When Rose said this, Efergan laughed.
"I hope the snake listens to you. But if you want to sunbathe, I think the garden of my mansion will be enough. It's warm all year round, so it's quite pleasant."
"I see. If I sunbathe here, everyone might get worried. People aren't used to that kind of thing."
Rose said with a wry smile.
"Does Rose have a swimsuit?"
"Yeah, I bought it in Dwipa."
"I want to go shopping with Rose someday."
"Yeah. But if you want to go shopping, you can do it in the capital, but the guards are too demanding so I don't feel at ease."
"It won't be a problem if you get used to it, but I guess Rose doesn't like that kind of thing."
"Yeah, I don't feel comfortable."
"Can I go to Rose's Palace again? Besides, I want to buy some souvenirs, and once I get permission to go out, I want to go shopping with Rose."
Efergan said and Rose nodded.
"I don't mind, and I'm actually happy about it. However, I don't know what my older sister will think..."
"I promise to persuade Her Majesty the Queen. I only have a short time left in my stay, so I want to make the most of it."
"Yeah."
"I want to fly in the sky with Rose. I also want to run races."
"Efergan, who specializes in flying, will win."
"In that case, Rose should fly first. After that, I want to chase after Rose and catch the one who flew first."
"What are you going to do if you catch me?"
"What should I do? I haven't thought about it."
"Then good."
Rose laughed and looked at Efergan.
"Why?"
"Not from a predator's perspective..."
"That's good too."
"Gah! I don't taste good, do I?"
"Hahaha. Interesting."
"Hahaha."
Efergan laughed. Unexpectedly, Rose thought he looked nice when he smiled that much.
"I have a meeting with Her Majesty the Queen, so I must prepare soon. I would like to get a chance to meet Rose again."
"Yeah. See you later."
Efergan took Rose's hand and kissed her. Then he got up and went to Ambassador Zurgun, who was waiting in the distance. He turned once and shook his hand.