I felt uncomfortable, watching the action of Gasper after that last blow. I thought it was a creative way of attack at first, but as it continued I tried to figure out how I should handle this situation. From the way he attacked, I understood that he had taken this seriously.
Which made it all the more strange that his movement were so poor, it was as if he only learned how to how hold and swing around his sword.
âFrom what my sister told me, you had been sword training since last year rightâŠâŠ?â
I asked in a daze.
ââŠâŠThatâs right! I began with cleaning the training grounds and polishing armor!â
Gasper says so, while glaring at me.
âDay after day I kept the grounds and armor in good condition for the knights. For my efforts I was finally able to use a wooden sword, since this autumn. As I began to run a set distance with it.â
I remember the students of traditional arts from my past life. If Iâm not mistaken, the senior students would often time have the new disciples to do medial task like that. In a way, actions like this can cause one to take 20 years to master what could have been studied in 10.
The marquis house is military family.
The Red Lion Lambert.
I didnât know you had to take up such an old-fashioned training style, simply because youâre the eldest son.
âI was glad to hear that I could do sword training at the start. Because it is my aim to become a knight like my father. But, I only did trivial duties for the knights and cleaningâŠâŠâ
Wanting to be like his father, seems to have only made the gap between the ideal and reality more painful.
In the case of my family, there is no warrior family background, and my father is only obligated to carry out the duties of a duke. So in my case, it isnât expected or necessary for me to become a knight. My training was completely left to Lloyd, who taught my the the skills steadily.
It was want some would call, a difference in educational policy.
For me , the minimum degree of ability is normal for a duke family, so Lloyd was happy to oblige when a requested more in-depth training. If I hadnât insisted to father that I needed training with Lloyd, I might not have even achieved the bare minimum of skill. Since Lloyd is so excellent, Iâm taking the training step by step, and am trained a an individual.
In Gasperâs case, his training method has been pasted down throughout the Lambert houseâs history. It was the education system of a family that has always produced knights.
Iâm the better in swordsmanship now, but there is no guaranty that it will last.
As the saying goes, if given the same amount of sand, I would make a mound, while Gasper would build a foundation.
Temporality I have the upper hand, but in the future I can be over come.
âI did exactly as I was told, yet my ability with a sword only amounts to this. Yet, I was worrying if I could become an excellent knight or not.â
Gasper speaks with a dark expression.
I can understand his feelings. I mean, it was something he had spent a year on.
If I was still the fat pig, I probably would have been kicked out the first day. In fact, I would have been tossed out in half a day. Well, that is an extreme example, but itâs as youâd expect from a military household. There are bound to be lessons piled up by the previous generations.
âStill, I believed father when he said there was a propose to what I was doing. ButâŠâŠâ
His was beaten 3 years ago, lost a race , and defeated in a dual all at my hands. His state of mind must be on the edge of collapsing. Thus he called out the word âLiarâ.
But Gaspar.
Your father is not a liar.
His was cultivating a foundation, so that an even greater mountain can be made.
Donât mind that I am at the slightly high position now.
Because you walk the royal road.
I thought so wholeheartedly.
But I canât form the words. You mustnât fall here.
The reason being that you have yet to realize it yourself, Gasper.
âI lost, to Marcel AldertonâŠâŠ To even be under the one famed in my generation , for being underwhelming at best.â
Word of my uselessness seems to already be widespread.
Where did it leak out from?
I wonder what I really did 3 years ago.
Or has a former servant or baron, driven out by father, spoken of our heartlessness in other places.
Both are possible.
However, it would be shocking either way.
âEven with all my training, I am still inferior to Marcel Alderton!â
I strongly try to hold back my feelings. It was not right to interfere with the educational policy of other noble houses. Besides, it was the traditional method of the marquis warrior family. Outsiders should mot interfere.
However, 3 years ago Gasper was a boy filled with a sense of justice, but nowâŠâŠ He has lost sight of his path, because of the shape change in the personality of someone from the same generation.
Is this alright?
For the sake of this person, rather the the marquis household.
With todayâs defeat, I feel that Gasperâs distortion has been accelerated.
ââŠâŠ Iâm done with the swordâ
âWhat?! Gasper-sama!â
âDonât stop me Sid! I donât have talent. Nothing was gained in that one year at all.â
It is frustrating when results arenât gained.
If my speed and stamina had not increased little by little as I ran, I would have found it had to continue with it.It would be ascetic training in which you cannot observe oneâs growth. It is really hard to maintain the course, when the your goals seem untouchable.
With Gasper about to fall from his path, I could not pretend to not see it.
âYou are wrong! Everyone believes that Gasper-sama can become a great knight!â
âIâm already done!â
Sid tries desperately to sooth the shaken Gasper.
What should I do?
This is not part of the original game. If I was still the fat pig, I would have not come to an open space to run when I visited the capital.The original Gasper, should have overcome the stagnation period himself, and completed the training method.This situation has caused a large shift in Gasperâs future.
The original me had to be changed, in order for Micheline and I to survive. But that did not mean I intended for my actions to negatively affect other people.Now because of a dual, Gasper is losing the chance to overcome his own stagnation. If I leave him alone, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.
What can I do?
I grit my teeth and think.
He has to advance with his own power, so I have to push him to do so. But it canât be done with a simple lie. I seem to really like this honest guy, even if he is a little foolish.
There is also hesitation on whether or not holding out my hand would be enough.
I watch Gasper to find a advantage I could use.
All while being troubled by the quarreling of the Lambert master and servant.
âIâm sorry Gasper! I donât know what to do!â
I apologized for my own cowardliness.
ââŠâŠWhy are you apologizing to me! Do you intend to show sympathy? Or is it pity!?â
Gasper flies into a fit of rage.
âThat is not it!!â
I surprising lashed out.
âI canât find a way to lead you. That is a regrettable fact!â
Gasper has an expressionless face.
âGasper you are great. You simply donât know the meaning behind the training youâve undergone for a year, a normal person wouldnât have been able to do it. It would be absolutely impossible for me. Because it is you, I surely thought youâd have noticed by now. But I appear to have blinded you to it!â
I talked in a single breath. I donât care even if Iâm looked at strangely because of this.
âThe ascetic training that youâve undergone has a great purpose. It is premature of you to say that it has noneâŠâŠ It should go without saying, that nothing would be carried on if it had no meaning. I know that there is a meaning, after only hearing about it. Therefore, the year you spent training was not a waste!â
While my chest burned, I spoke vehemently.
âI should not have to say it! Iâm sorry, for nearly taking away your chance to find the meaning yourself.â
Oh, I seem to have let it out after all. The perspective I gained from old man Wolfram.
My crime of spoiling that is truly heavy.
âIâm sure that in the future you will be able to find the hidden meaning in many things. However, I will lend you a hand for this one, since I have realized my mistake. It is for this reason Iâm sorry.â
I noticed I was crying.
I regret that I almost removed the future possibilities of Gasper, someone that had so much hidden potential. It was not just about the original character settings. We had recognized the person before us, and had shamefully exposed our heart to each other.
âăThe king pulls the carriageă?âŠâŠâ
Gasper quoted a piece of the ancient world history.
âItâs so. I will reveal the meaning from the very beginning. I had no intention to let you pull to carriage yourselfâŠâŠâ
I am depressed.
This saying was also in my previous world, The king is ordered to pull the carriage by a fisherman around his kingdomThe king tried to pull the carriage by himself, but stopped after 200 steps. When a subordinate lends a had, they make 600 steps before stopping, The fisherman then revealed the taskâs meaning. The 200 step one can make on your own would mean it would take 200 year to finish. But it can be reduced to a faction with the 600 steps one can take with the help of others. It was such a divination.
ââŠâŠ This way the take that would take you alone 2000 steps to complete, can be achieved with 1000 steps from each of us.
Gasper said so in a quiet tone.
I looked up.
Gasper had an expression of as if the venom from before had been drained away.
âIt is a nasty world, that needs to be overturned when you consider the span of countries.â
âIt is foulâ
Gasper showed a natural smile.
âWhy are you so desperate to stop me?â
A difficult question popped up.
Well thatâs expected.
We just met yesterday, and the events of 3 years ago werenât something I wanted to remember.
âWellâŠâŠ, Itâs how it is?â
There are multiple reasons why, yet the word canât seem to form.
âHahahaha! Itâs what it is! Such a strange guyâŠâŠâ
Gasper roars with laughter.
The outer corner of his eyes shine a little.
âYeah, I may be strange. Hahaha.â
The two of us ended up laughing for a while.
Then, with the bamboo swords in hand, I gave a model lesson. It was a strange feeling. I was always on the receiving end of the lesson when I practiced with Lloyd, and always struggled to create openings. Yet Gasper, who didnât know the style, was following with ease.
As he evades with determination, I stop my swings just before they hit Gasperâs head.
I am surprised myself, that I could stop when on the verge of winning.
Gasper stood firm, as I stopped the sword, totally different from his actions before.
In this way, we kept training. Even when we blocked each others sword, we continued without any sense of discomfort.
It felt weird, but l donât dislike it.
Before I realized it, we were ready to face off.
âLetâs do one last match.â
âIf you want to.â
We say so, with the memory of what happen before still clear in are minds.
However, I face off against Gasper, our breathing matching each others.
Unlike the earlier, he now uses a mix of offense and defense.
He really will be something great.
I feel that with my mind and body.
Until now, I had the advantage.
I am convinced that my strike will land first.
âHaa!â
âSei!â
At the same moment, we striked the others head.
âIt was good matchââ
With a deeply satisfied smile, Gasper boost.
âI am proud of this draw. And your defeat tomorrow.â
Iâm also happy and I start to laugh.
My worries seems to have only been imaginary fears. This guy was not some narrow-minded person that couldnât learn from others.
âI will become a knight whoâs only loss belongs to Marcel Alderton.â
I almost said to stop overestimating himself, but I remained silent.
It was a pledge. An oath to never loss again.
Who am I to deny that?
âOh, look forward to it â
In that way we said good-bye and walked to the opposite direction across the park.
The end of the year brought about a new beginning for me.