A Mysterious Enemy

The princess had recently begun her sword training. For the first time, she was facing a real opponent in combat, and it had to be a wizard, Jiro pondered. He knew how challenging it was for a novice swordsman to deal with wizards; he didn't even like facing them himself.

For now, Naige was doing well, perhaps because the wizard wasn't as formidable an adversary as he seemed. But another possibility crossed Jiro's mind when he wondered if the wizard, too, might be hiding his true powers, much like this swordsman appeared to be.

The saber in the princess's hands was not a very suitable weapon even against lesser magics, so it would be nearly impossible for her to handle higher-level spells. Therefore, Jiro wanted to interrupt his fight to go and help her, but he needed to get rid of an obstacle first: the man in front of him.

Jiro brandished his sword anxiously. Unbeknownst to him, his movements became less precise. As the battle grew tedious, the swordsman didn't seize the opportunity to win; instead, he stepped back a few paces and gave Jiro an ordinary look before saying, "You should worry about your own fight, pupil."

"My name is not pupil," Jiro retorted, his voice beginning to show exasperation.

"Oh, is that so?" the man said mockingly, flashing a cynical smile at Jiro before continuing, "Forgive me, but I haven't quite memorized your name yet, pupil."

Jiro tried to keep his cool in the face of these provocations. Even though he was concerned about the princess being in danger near that wizard, he had no choice but to get rid of this swordsman as quickly as possible. This seemed to be the only way to help her. With that thought in mind, he immediately launched himself at his opponent, and their swords clashed once more.

The black-clad swordsman held his weapon with both hands, suddenly changing his stance, moving to the side with agility, and releasing one hand to deliver a swift horizontal strike. Jiro had suspected such a move and didn't allow himself to be caught off guard. He crouched low, making the blade slice through empty air above his body, cutting half of a tree trunk that had appeared in his path as if it were a fruit.

Jiro didn't waste time pondering the absurd damage. He immediately used his sword like a spear to strike his opponent's chest, but the swordsman pulled back just inches before being impaled.

He wasn't even close to winning that fight, Jiro thought.

Although the swordsman didn't use many expressions and always maintained a lazy look, his movements and strikes were far from monotonous. On the contrary, he had a fast and unpredictable fencing style, but it was also aggressive. Moreover, he seemed to seek some kind of enjoyment while fighting, even when attacking or defending. He was an impressive opponent.

He was the opposite of someone like Naige, who used smart and subtle fencing, always prioritizing victory at the right moment. For now, that was also one of her major flaws. After all, intelligence, combined with a stubborn personality, limited her ability to make quick decisions, leaving her with a methodical and uncreative fencing style. Not to mention her more significant problem: her pursuit of the "perfect victory," something her brother always achieved masterfully. Therefore, she could learn a few things from this fast and creative swordsman if they had the chance to exchange some blows. But maybe that wizard would teach her a different kind of lesson, Jiro pondered.

"Still thinking about the girl?" the black-clad swordsman inquired.

He asked as if he could hear all of Jiro's thoughts. So Jiro focused only on the person in front of him. They exchanged a few more fast strikes but then stepped back from each other and stared for a while.

The black-clad man's breathing seemed normal, while Jiro was already almost panting. It had only been a few minutes since the fight began, and he shouldn't be in this state. Was it the result of facing someone so strong, or had he fallen into his opponent's trap?

"I guess that guy didn't teach you much, after all," the black-clad swordsman taunted.

Jiro revealed a bit of impatience when he said, "It seems like you're not taking this fight seriously. So why are you attacking us? What do you really want from us?"

The swordsman hadn't yet used his true strength. He was simply acting like an adult playing with a child, making things easier at times and then complicating them. This left Jiro a little annoyed.

"As I've said, I just wanted a fight with you."

"If that's your true goal, you could have challenged me to a duel, and we would have had a fight under better conditions."

Jiro briefly shifted his gaze to where the wizard and the princess were. The black-clad swordsman also looked in the same direction before continuing, "Well, he has his reasons... and I have mine for wanting to fight you this way." He then faced Jiro once more. "If you really want to find out, try to defeat me. How about it, pupil? I'll spill everything if you win."

Jiro thought that his words couldn't be more vague. There weren't many reasons for someone to ambush them in this way. Bandits looking for money would be the most common scenario. Or it could be an enemy of the duke, but this didn't seem like an assassination attempt. Perhaps the duke himself wanted to test his and the princess's strength. However, Jiro dismissed all these ideas after careful consideration. That left only a mysterious enemy in front of him, whose objectives remained hidden.

In any case, it would be easier for him to uncover the truth with his sword than with speculation. Jiro then cleared his mind of all useless thoughts and focused only on his opponent. Even his aura changed.

The black-clad swordsman soon smiled upon noticing this change. He then advanced toward Jiro and attacked with another swift blow, which was defended impeccably.

"Oh, now you look like your master," the black-clad man murmured, smiling as he and Jiro locked swords. "Lucky me!"