The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Rehabilitation (4)

Seeing the training grounds in bright sunlight felt different from when we'd only seen it during the twilight hours between day and night.

It was fascinating to see how a space that would have been dead without Sione and me came alive with the rising sun.

But that wasn't the only interesting thing.

'...It's really teeming with women instead of men.'

Finding even one man in the training grounds was difficult.

This was endlessly fascinating.

When any living organism begins to accept mana and the body starts adapting, physical abilities rise along with mana levels.

Apparently men, unlike women, hadn't been able to accept mana for a thousand years now.

As a result, the gender inclinations had changed from past to present—they seemed to recruit only women, not just for knights but even for what appeared to be common soldiers.

Though I understood it intellectually, seeing it firsthand was still hard to get used to.

Among the women filling the training grounds, two in particular caught my attention.

"Lady Diolia and Sister Siabel. Looks like they're about to spar."

The protagonists were Diolia, whom we'd met at dawn, and Sione's sister, whom I'd only briefly glimpsed a few times passing near the dining hall.

Unlike usual, Siabel had her platinum-infused hair tied back tightly.

Well, long hair would only get in the way when handling a sword, serving no purpose.

Her features made me think this might be what Sione would look like with all her weight lost and features sharpened.

With platinum blonde hair in the lord's castle of House Sianella, her identity was unmistakable. I'd been slow to recognize her.

"Let's watch this before heading to the archery range."

Sione's eyes wouldn't leave her sister.

She probably wanted to see Siabel's level that Sion had mentioned, and the sword talent befitting House Sianella.

After all, Siabel was well-known for wielding a sword worthy of the Sianella name.

Curious about her actual level myself, I watched the beginning of the spar alongside Sione.

"I'll give you the first move. Please begin."

"This time will be different."

"I look forward to it."

Just as they maintained their distance with swords at ready—

Tap!

Siabel stomped her position.

The moment her sword came within range of Diolia—

Siabel twisted her waist while grinding her foot into the ground.

Then she drew her sword in a clean diagonal from northeast to southwest.

Clang!!

Though it was a clean strike, Diolia's sword blocked it.

As their swords met, both Siabel and Diolia's gazes intensified.

As they measured distances, twisting and flowing their swords through attacks and defenses—

A blue light began rising like a heat haze from Siabel's sword.

In an instant, her sword tip that had been pointing skyward bent to thrust at Diolia's neck.

Boom!!

Diolia kicked the ground to leap back and struck Siabel's sword upward, creating a thunderous sound.

Siabel's sword tip drew a straight line upward, unable to overcome Diolia's strength.

This exposed her to the danger of a counterattack against her weakness.

"The speed of infusing Aura Blade into your sword was rather slow, making it a regrettable attack."

"I've only recently become able to use Aura Blade, so I'm still inexperienced. I'll work hard to show you a sword you'll find satisfactory as soon as possible."

"Good."

Aura Blade had already coated both Siabel and Diolia's swords.

Sione watched this without missing a single detail.

"...Aura Blade! She really has become an Expert knight."

"Would you like to watch more?"

"The main spectacle is just starting—wouldn't it be a shame to leave now? Expert knights fight powerfully and beautifully, so it should be quite entertaining."

"Looking forward to it."

The spar continued.

Siabel mainly attacked while Diolia defended.

Yet whenever a significant opening appeared, Diolia wouldn't miss the chance to thrust a counter.

Siabel would somehow defend against these and rebuild her momentum, repeating the cycle.

Watching their spar, I could roughly gauge their levels.

Siabel had just stepped into the Expert realm and still showed inexperience with Expert-level combat techniques.

Her aura showed unstable trembling spots and areas where the color was thin.

Her Aura Blade hadn't yet reached true Expert level either.

She also showed difficulty properly controlling sword rebounds from Aura Blade clashes.

As for Diolia... she was just insane.

Thinking that I'd aimed my bow at someone like her... sends chills down my spine again.

When sword users employing Aura Blade clash, their swords tend to bounce apart.

The weight and repulsion of their combined mana and sword strikes are just that great.

But Diolia?

"Lady Diolia's swordsmanship is always mysterious beyond words."

"Just as you say, Lady Sione."

Even a commoner like me could immediately tell this person's level was extraordinary.

She didn't flinch at all when receiving Siabel's strikes.

Not only that, but upon collision, she'd pin the blade and scrape it while pressing down.

Such techniques were only possible because her mana and control abilities were several levels above Siabel's.

Though Siabel seemed to have considerable talent too.

Still, it was too early for her to overcome Diolia's years of experience wielding a sword for the Sianella County.

In Earth terms, Siabel would be like a swordsman who'd just reached A-rank Hunter level, while Diolia would be a well-seasoned A-rank Hunter.

That comparison seemed about right.

While I was focused on watching the spar, their intense match had somehow ended.

Siabel, wiping sweat from her brow, turned around and her eyes met with my master Sione's.

"Oh? Sione? What brings you all the way here?"

"I came to practice something privately at the archery range."

I observed Sione's demeanor.

Unlike when talking to Sion, where she'd growl with an atmosphere of having stepped in something foul,

Sione's reaction to Siabel wasn't entirely negative, aside from speaking overly formally.

"You gave up the sword a while ago, didn't you? Hmm, looking at you now, you seem to have lost some weight... Have you started wielding the sword again?"

"I abandoned any lingering attachment to the sword long ago. I came here because my business is at the archery range."

"The archery range?"

"Yes, I came to practice archery."

"Archery? You're shooting a bow?"

"I heard rumors are circulating about ghosts appearing at the archery range every morning. Have you heard about them, Sister Siabel?"

Siabel tilted her head curiously.

"I have heard those rumors... Don't tell me that ghost was..."

Sione just showed a faint smile without speaking.

Siabel read the intention in her smile and quietly nodded.

After a few conventional exchanges, as things started getting awkward,

What seemed like it would be a long conversation between the sisters ended, and Sione's gaze turned back to me.

"Well then, shall we continue?"

I followed behind Sione as she slowly led the way, with Diolia watching us from a distance.

After giving a small bow to Diolia, who wore a slight smile while watching Sione, I followed after my master.

***

When we reached the archery range, the archers at the entrance showed surprise at seeing Sione.

Though their expressions varied, the reason behind them was the same.

'Huh? This person shouldn't be here.'

One of the women who barely managed to hide her obvious thoughts asked:

"Lady Sione...? What brings you here...?"

"What brings me here? Coming to the archery range, isn't there only one thing to do?"

"Pardon?"

"Stop asking the obvious and move aside. I want to enter the range."

"Y-yes!"

When the dumbfounded woman stepped aside and opened the entrance, Sione walked straight in.

All eyes turned to her at once, then shifted to me as I followed behind.

The situation inside the range was similar to outside in the training grounds.

Though women were more numerous, there were relatively more men here than in the training grounds.

As Sione swept her gaze across the range, a woman who appeared to be an instructor hurriedly approached.

Her eyes moved from Sione's face to her hair.

"Ah, uhh...?"

The instructor's reaction was understandable.

Well, who could have imagined Sione Sianella coming to the archery range?

Until now, no one knew she'd been shooting arrows, nor had she shown signs of exercising hard in her room.

It must be hard to believe that someone who should be in her room eating snacks and tormenting her servant was here instead.

"I don't think it's polite to stare at someone's face like that."

"...Might you be Lady Sione Sianella?"

"Do I look like Siabel Sianella or Sion Sianella to you?"

"N-no...!"

"Then why ask what you already know?"

"Th-that's..."

The only Sianella who came to the training grounds was Siabel, yet suddenly Sione appears?

With the infamous Sione Sianella and a new man appearing in the sweat-filled archery range, attention naturally gathered.

The archers in the range tried to be subtle about it, but their gazes began converging on us.

"What brings Lady Sione here...?"

"Hah."

Sione crossed her arms after letting out an exasperated sigh.

Her irritation showed clearly in her furrowed expression.

"What other reason would there be to come to the archery range besides archery?"

Sione jerked her chin toward the weapon rack where bows and arrows were arranged.

"What are you doing?"

"Yes...?"

"Why aren't you quickly bringing me a bow and arrows?"

Tsk, Sione clicked her tongue, and the instructor hurried to the rack with a frightened expression.

Meanwhile, Sione turned to look at me with a mischievous grin.

...It reminded me of when she'd jerked her chin at me about changing bed sheets.

No matter how I think about it—

This brat is pure evil.

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