Chapter 6: The Ice Princess (part 2)

“It’s not easy. It’s never going to happen. And sometimes, there are those who abuse the power of the noble class.”

…I may have fundamentally misunderstood something.  

I’m sure Reina was cold and strict toward others, but that doesn’t mean she was cold-blooded. 

She said she wanted her to teach her a lesson, so I wonder if it was me who acted out of order because I was trapped in the image of her as an ice princess more than anyone else.  

But Reina had her say.  

“Well, to be honest, I overreacted,” she said in a casual tone.  

“I was shocked at the moment because the part she hit was your right chest.”  

Despite her words, she was biting her lip, her face distraught.  

“Is that so? I had no idea,” I replied, pretending not to know anything and turning my head away.  

“…I’m glad,” she said softly.  

After that, we chatted, finished our lunch, and parted ways.  

I guess my attempt to shape Reina’s first impression of the future heroine was a failure.  

By the way, why did we meet the heroine today? 

Reina and the heroine were supposed to meet for the first time in Arcana. I couldn’t figure out why the story was reversed.  

And no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t remember the female lead’s name. 

To be honest, although I enjoyed the original work, the only character that remained in my memory was Reina.  

I should have asked her before we parted ways. I won’t be seeing her for a while.  

***

“Ha!”  

I swung my sword with all my might. It was a blow of conversion—a move so swift that an ordinary person would have been cut down without even realizing what had happened.  

But my father blocked my sword with just a light twist.  

A blow of conversion was a surefire move to turn the tide when cornered. In other words, if you miss, the one in danger is yourself.  

“It’s soft!” my father barked.  

His favorite sword drew five lines in an instant.  

“Keuugh!”  

I managed to block the first four attacks, but my defense broke on the fifth.  

“Ugh!”  

Blood flowed from my left flank. I hurriedly channeled my mana to stop the bleeding.  

“Concentrate, Ike!”  

My father rarely held back during training. 

Of course, he never inflicted life-threatening injuries, but he didn’t hesitate to cut me either. 

Even after sparring, it was forbidden to seek immediate treatment from a doctor. I had to rely on first aid until evening.  

“Ha, ha, ha…”  

Considering that, today was especially harsh. 

I was already bleeding heavily from cuts all over my body. All I could do was perform basic first aid, which didn’t fully heal the wounds. Even the slightest movement caused the blood to leak again.  

“Enemy opponents won’t go easy on you just because you’re hurt!”  

“Keuugh!”  

Before I could react, my father moved to my right and struck mercilessly. If I hadn’t pulled back in that split second, the blow would have been fatal.  

Something was off about my father today. 

Normally, I could escape with minor injuries, but today, he seemed intent on delivering the most devastating blows. If it weren’t for Ike’s body, I would have died hundreds of times over. 

No, I probably wouldn’t have even realized I was dead.  

I couldn’t keep up with his speed or reactions.  

“Ike, how long are you going to stand there?”  

“Whoa, I’m going again!”  

I kept questioning his intensity, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. My goal of becoming stronger remained unchanged.  

It felt like I had only caught up to about 10% of the movement I’d seen at the ball. Still, sparring with my father was undoubtedly helpful.  

It would have been convenient if I could have received direct help from the voice I’d heard back then, but I hadn’t heard it since that day. Was it just a one-time perk granted to me as the possessor?  

The voice had been full of emotion, but now it was gone.  

“That’s sloppy! Aiming only at the opponent’s vitals isn’t a good attack!”  

Until today, I’d had countless sparring matches with my father. There had been times when I’d landed a few effective hits. 

But today was different.  

Today, my father didn’t allow even the slightest offense. It was a completely one-sided match.  

Just as I thought I had a chance, my father let go of his sword mid-thrust.  

Zennnn..channng!”  

I hadn’t expected him to throw away his sword!  

Then, burrowing into my guard, he mercilessly struck my stomach with his elbow, his expression grave.  

“…!”  

The impact knocked the air out of my lungs. I couldn’t even scream. 

My thoughts froze as I was sent flying about 10 meters.  

“Ugh…”  

I barely held back my nausea and struggled to stand. I burned with the determination to keep fighting, but my father’s voice declared the match over.  

“You worked hard, Ike.”  

“Thank you, Father.”  

I picked up my lost sword, sheathed it, and caught my breath. 

As I turned to head back to my room for first aid and rest, my father stopped me.  

“Ike.”  

“Yes, Father.”  

“Finally, it is time for the first appearance.”  

“…Yes?”  

“We will be going to the Duchy of Rogelia, next Thursday. Make sure to prepare.”  

With those words, my father left the training ground.  

But I couldn’t move a single step.

---

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