“Shhhk!”
Throw away your thoughts.
Now, I have a sword—a weapon that exists solely to cut.
Positioning myself in the middle stance, I exhaled sharply and swung my sword.
“Ugh!”
A harsh, grating sound rang out as my blade bounced off.
Gritting my teeth, I looked ahead. The thick iron plate stood firm, completely unscathed.
“D*mn it.”
My hand went numb from the impact.
Frustration surged through me, and in the end, I collapsed onto the floor.
How many times had I repeated this now?
I lost count after thirty.
And yet, I still hadn’t achieved the result I wanted.
Even the smallest scratch would have been reassuring.
“If I can’t even do this much, I’ll never make it.”
The imperial family’s order to advance to Heros, the Duchy of Rogelia…
My father had made it clear.
The Axus was a family of knights who had remained loyal to the empire since its founding.
When enemies needed to be punished, we were the first to act. When the empire needed protection, we stood as its last bastion.
In other words, when the imperial family issued an order to march, it meant one thing—eliminate the enemy.
“Today marks the third day.”
Three days had passed since my father left for the imperial palace to prepare for the march.
Since that day, I had been repeating this training, trying to cut through this enchanted steel plate with my sword.
A normal iron plate would have at least shown a scratch by now.
But this one was reinforced with magic.
“Are knights supposed to be monsters?”
In the Empire, a knight was more than just someone who wielded a sword.
Simply swinging a blade didn’t make you a knight.
Only those born with talent—those who honed their skills to the highest level—could earn the title.
Even as a member of the Axus’ household, being part of a knightly family wasn’t enough.
Without skill, one could, at best, secure a management position within the order.
What I was doing now was the most basic test to become a knight.
A trial where one had to cut through an enchanted iron plate using nothing but their sword and body-strengthening magic.
A mere scratch wouldn’t suffice. It had to be split in two.
Yet here I was, unable to leave even a mark.
“At this rate, I won’t be able to protect Reina.”
The Duke of Axus’ order to march meant eliminating the enemy.
This time, our destination was Heros, the Duchy of Rogelia.
Of course, we weren’t going to war against them.
I had met Reina last Friday, and she had seemed the same as always.
It was unthinkable that the Rogelia family, one of the empire’s two great ducal houses alongside ours, would turn against the empire.
But I knew the truth.
This world had already diverged from the one I once knew.
In the original story, Reina had never met the heroine before entering Arcana.
If I hadn’t intervened at the last moment during the ball, she would have died.
The grand outline of events remained unchanged, but the details had shifted.
Perhaps because I wasn’t the real Ike.
If that was the case, then Reina could very well be in danger again.
“…No.”
I had to become strong enough to protect her—no matter what.
At the very least, I needed to be strong enough to help her escape if necessary.
But how?
I hadn’t missed a single day of training.
I had shed blood and sweat, pushing myself to my limits.
And yet, it still wasn’t enough.
Not just a little—not even close.
How could I protect her if I couldn’t even clear the most basic trial required to become her knight?
It was the same body, and I was using the same strengthening magic—so why was there such a difference?
If only someone could teach me…
“Young Master Ike.”
“Huh?”
A voice pulled me from my thoughts as I lay on the ground, lost in frustration.
It was Noel, the maid who had helped me change clothes on my first day here.
“The master has returned.”
“Already?”
I had expected him back tomorrow.
“Yes. And he has ordered me to bring you to him.”
“Understood.”
I wanted to train a little more, but if it was my father’s order, I had no choice.
Getting to my feet, I sheathed my sword and followed Noel.
***
As soon as I stepped into my father’s office, he spoke.
“We leave for the imperial palace tomorrow. Make your preparations.”
“What?”
His words caught me completely off guard.
“His Majesty has summoned you personally. This is a great honor.”
“That… that…”
“It means the Emperor has acknowledged your abilities. Be ready. There shouldn’t be any problems, but just in case.”
I had no idea what to say.
It was too sudden.
What had I done to earn the Emperor’s recognition?
“Father, I… I’m supposed to meet Reina tomorrow…”
“His Majesty personally summoned you, and you’re still thinking about that girl?”
“It’s not that…”
“I’ve already sent word, so there’s nothing to worry about. Focus on the imperial summons.”
“…Understood.”
With that, I was practically dismissed from the office.
What the hell was going on?
Everything was happening so fast.
“D*mn it.”
I wanted to voice my frustration, but of course, I couldn’t.
All I could do was prepare to leave for the imperial palace tomorrow.
***
“Haah…”
I let out a quiet sigh as the carriage rattled beneath me.
This was only the second time I had left Akkad, the Duchy of Axus.
Both times, my destination had been the imperial palace in Orkeon, the capital of Astraia.
The difference was that last time, I had only gone to the ballroom outside the palace for a formal event.
This time, I was headed to the imperial palace’s main building itself.
And this time, it was by the emperor’s direct order.