Chapter 9: Knight Competition I (part 2)

“Congratulations on passing the preliminary round, Young Master Ike.”

It was Raina’s father, Richard Rogelia, who said that.

He bore a subtle resemblance to Reina, with his light blonde hair and deep blue eyes. However, the cold atmosphere emanating from his sharp gaze clearly revealed that he was her father.

“Congratulations on passing the preliminary round, Young Master Ike.”  

“Congratulations, Brother Ike!”

We were currently in the dining room of the Rogelia duchess’s mansion.

Originally, we were supposed to stay at the family’s annex in Heros, but we were invited by Duke Richard to reside in the main mansion for the duration of the dance competition.

“Thank you,” I replied with a soft smile, bowing my head politely.

“How is Addos doing?”

“Yes, he’s very healthy.”

“It would have been nice if he could have come too,” Duke Richard muttered as he clicked his tongue and sliced into his steak.

My father and Duke Richard had been childhood friends—just like Reina and me. It was said that the Axus and Rogelia families had been close for generations.

“Brother! How was the qualifier? Was it easy?”

The boy who called me “Brother” was Reina’s younger brother, Rupert Rogelia. He had stark white hair and sky-blue eyes—a contrast to Duke Richard and Reina.  

Perhaps he resembled Reina’s late mother, Alicia Rogelia.  

The portrait of the Duchess, displayed prominently in the entrance hall, showed a woman with silver hair and light blue eyes.

“I was planning to go watch today, but I missed it because it clashed with class time.”  

I wondered if Rupert’s cheerful energy came from Duchess Alicia.

“Rupert. Young Master Ike must be tired. Calm down a bit.”

“Yes, Sister!”

After Reina’s scolding, Rupert quietly returned to his meal.  

Though the reprimand might have been unpleasant, he didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he looked rather pleased.

After that, the meal continued in silence—as if each of us were eating alone.

***

“Wasting.”

That was what the masked man had said to me after the preliminaries yesterday.

No matter how many times I mulled it over, I couldn’t understand what he meant.

Today was Tuesday. The finals would begin next Monday.

That gave me seven days, including today.

Could I figure out the meaning of that word in seven days?

“It must be difficult…”

Maybe it was a tactic to confuse opponents before the main event, but it didn’t seem like that.

There was no reason for someone as overwhelmingly strong as that masked man to resort to tricks. I also didn’t get the sense that he was lying when he said he wanted a serious fight.

Above all else, my instincts screamed at me—If I understood the meaning behind that word, I would be able to take the next step forward.

Wasting… what?

No matter how hard I tried to think about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

I left the guest room, my scabbard in hand, and after receiving permission from the chamberlain, I headed to the arena.

***

“Whoo…”

I let out a slow, deep breath and drew my favorite sword. 

Closing my eyes, I spread mana throughout my body.

Body strengthening.  

The most basic yet most vital magic for becoming a knight.

There was even a saying: “A knight’s talent begins with body strengthening.”

I felt my muscles awaken.

Up to this point, it was the same as always.

What more could I do beyond this?

No matter how many books I read, there were no clear instructions on how to improve body strengthening magic.

“Hah!”

I swung my sword with full force from a middle stance. The air split with a crisp sound as the mana flowed once more.

I didn’t know how many times I repeated this motion, but before long, I was drenched in sweat.

“Hmm… I still don’t get it.”

Swinging my sword until my clothes were soaked was part of my usual routine.

In other words, I hadn’t gained any new realizations.

***

“Young Master Ike, it must be hot. Please drink some water.”

While I was lost in thought with my sword in hand, Reina approached me.

“Reina, Lady—”

I almost called her casually, as I usually did, but seeing the look in her eyes, I quickly changed how I addressed her.

It must’ve been the right choice—Reina smiled gently.

Looking behind her, I saw several attendants standing together, including Anna.

We weren’t alone. Reina must have been reminding me to observe proper manners.

“Whoo…”

I drank the water Anna handed me and exhaled deeply.

“Thank you, Miss Raina.”

“Young Master Ike is a guest invited by my father. It’s only proper to ensure you’re treated comfortably.”

As Anna retrieved the cup, Reina bowed slightly and turned to leave.

“Um, Lady Reina.”

“Yes?”

I called out to her shyly and asked,

“If something you own is going to waste… how would you deal with it?”

“Wasting, you say?”

Though I felt it was something I needed to resolve myself, there were limits to what I could do alone.

The best course of action might be to ask someone else for help—even if that person was Reina.

“Hmm… I suppose I would start by identifying why it’s going to waste.”

“You mean… start by finding the cause?”

“Exactly. It’s important to determine whether it’s actually wasteful or not. For example, if water is scarce, taking a bath might be considered wasteful or luxurious. But if it’s to wash a child, then it’s a different matter. For children, cleanliness is directly tied to their health.”

I nodded slowly.

Of course—the idea of waste is relative.

But how did that relate to my current situation?

“Once the cause is clear, it’s time to make adjustments. Continuing with that example, you can’t go your whole life without bathing. So, the next step is to figure out how to bathe without wasting water. Maybe the simplest way would be to reuse the water after washing the child.”

With that, Reina bowed once more and left the arena, saying she needed to tend to her official duties.

“Not just blindly reducing consumption… but learning to control it?”

It was the opposite of what I had assumed.

Until now, when I thought of the word waste, I would relax my grip on the sword or hold back my mana—trying to reduce usage.

Because I thought that was the answer.

“Waste, bath, reuse, luxury, water, adjustment, waste…”

Instead of only thinking about the results of waste, Reina said to consider the process and find the most efficient method.

“I think… I’m starting to get it.”

It felt like the answer was within reach—just a little more.

Water. Waste. Bath. Adjustment. Process. Method. Cleanliness. Life. Luxury. Reuse… reuse… reuse—

“Re…Cycle?”

My eyes snapped open.

I wasn’t entirely sure, but I had a strong feeling I was on the right track.

At some point, I had picked up my sword again and taken a stance.

And just like before, I began to swing it—slowly.

I was getting closer to the movement I had been searching for.