I Didn't Even Want To Live, But God Forced Me To Reincarnate! Chapter 129: It's Sword Time!

Time flew so fast and it's time for me, Luca, and Carbuncle to move to the physical combat lesson. Carbuncle only followed us, actually, saying that she wanted to observe the physical combat lesson, though she won't be partic.i.p.ating at all, unlike before with the magic cla.s.s. She said that she'd welcome it if anyone would like to go against her, but she'd just rely on her bare hands!

Dragons, they are really something else!

As expected, Keith-sensei's eyes brightened the moment he saw us.

"How is it, Little 21? Ah, I mean Little Lyra? Magic bores you, right? You've been waiting for my cla.s.s, right?"

"Eh… uhm… Well, I like both equally…"

I can only timidly answer it when he suddenly asked me that. It seems like he was a child who was asking me if I liked what he liked! Our position as adult and child has been reversed…?

Kiri's eyes also brightened the moment he saw us. He quickly approached us and joined the group again—before the lesson started. As he had taken the same lesson, he retreated to the side and continued with his individual practice.

Again, just like the magic cla.s.s, Keith-sensei gave a brief explanation that has more or less the same content as Miss Norma's briefing. Then, he asked us to display our skills first. Be it those who use swords, rapiers, bows, axes, daggers, anything!

When I displayed my swordsmans.h.i.+p skills…

"Hmm, as I expected! There's still some hints of Grabberton's swordsmans.h.i.+p in your style, Lyra! Say, do you have some kind of connection to them, or do you just admire them… or do you have someone from the Grabberton house that you're close with?"

"…N-no, it might be just a coincidence… Well, I like their style…"

As I shook my head quickly and answered with a small voice, Keith-sensei scratched his head in confusion.

"Well, the Grabberton and the Fumitsuna displayed their swordsmans.h.i.+p skills during her sixth birthday. It seems that she likes the Grabberton style and simply adopts it?"

Luca was the one who took over the explanation. Keith-sensei clapped his fists together and nodded in an understanding.

"I see, so that's why!"

"Yes, he's right, Sensei! I only take their style as a reference!"

I took a look at Luca and felt that he actually could save me?! Wow, my impression of Luca is becoming better now!

"…But eh, your swordsmans.h.i.+p skills have always been like this, right? Have you ever seen their styles before? Eh? But that didn't add up… Something is off…," Luca then put his hand on his chin and think.

…Right, my style has always been like this—it's only slightly modified as I try to improvise and erase the Grabberton style!

But Luca, can you please not point it out right now?!

That totally breaks the purpose of you saying your earlier words…

"Don't sweat out the details, let's train now, Sensei!" I quickly tried to s.h.i.+ft the topic over before it's too late.

"Hmm? Ah, you're right! Time is running out!"

Luckily enough, Keith-sensei followed my lead without any suspicion!

We quickly moved along with the training. The ones who don't practice swordsmans.h.i.+p went over to the other tutors. This… totally feels like a private tutoring!! I think I can't wait for the joint cla.s.s now, to experience a merrier cla.s.s!

But having such a private cla.s.s isn't that bad, I mean, we'd get more attention from the teachers and they can teach us more intensely. We can't really loaf around, huh? …well, we've gained the special privilege of being [The Chosen Children]. With great honor or power, comes great responsibility…?

I guess that's how I also can't escape from my destined chaotic days… that's what I've started to realize recently.

"How would you like to develop your style? Since I am a royal knight, I can only advise some of the typical royal knight's way plus my own improvisations. I'm more of a balanced fighter," Keith-sensei asked us. He looked so calm and composed—like a wise teacher this way. He emits a different aura than the usual musclehea—teacher that I know.

"Kiri and I will also take the balanced style," Luca was the first to answer.

"Ahaha! I know, I know! Feel free to improvise and personalize your swordsmans.h.i.+p style along the way, too! I'll make sure to give you my objective opinion and ways to improve it," Keith-sensei laughed without any restraint to his widely open mouth.

The others also voiced their opinions—like they wanted to prioritize their speed or agility, power or defense, and anything else…

And here I am, still confused.

I definitely can't go full raw power like Grabberton's typical style, but what kind of a style should I pick? I want to incorporate magic in my swordsmans.h.i.+p style… Is taking speed better, so I can complement the power with my magic? Or should I take a balanced one? Or just pick power again and then compensate the speed with any enhancing magic?

I know that as long as I incorporate magic, my style won't be a Grabberton's style anymore, as the Grabberton family members don't use magic—aside from physical enhancement magic for those who've been gifted with magic capabilities (it's rare in Grabberton house, though…)

They take so much pride in their power and pure swordsmans.h.i.+p, so it's rare to see their style being implemented alongside with magic. Their style doesn't accommodate the use of magic at all.

"What about you, little Lyra?"

After I contemplated for quite a while, Keith-sensei asked.

"I… I'm still confused. I want to develop a style where I can incorporate magic in my swordsmans.h.i.+p…," I honestly voiced my thoughts.

"Eh?!"

Keith-sensei's surprised voice woke me up. I quickly looked up at him.

"L-little Lyra, you… you want to combine both?"

"Eh? Ah, y-yes? It's not impossible, right? Luca's style—the royal family members are also known to balance both sword and magic, so…"

"B-but… I thought… you were a daughter of a magician's family that was forced to learn magic and found it boring… then you wanted to immerse yourself in the way of sword!!"

…Keep dreaming, keep your imagination running wild, Sensei!

To the contrary, I'm even more interested in learning magic, as it's something new to me, so…

"Sensei, that's not true, you know? I also like both sword and magic!! I want to combine them!"

When I said it blatantly, I felt like I crushed Keith-sensei's delusion of a magician's daughter choosing swords over magic…

I felt guilty when I looked at Keith-sensei's surprised and dejected expression, though it wasn't my fault to begin with!

"…or… I can't? It's impossible? Or is it that it's impossible for me…?"

I didn't think that I had to resort to this way. I tried my best to make a pitiful appearance. Coupled with my basic "cute" appearance (as others said, not my own subjective opinion!), I tried to look like a discouraged child that was p.r.o.ne to crying if her dreams were to be crushed. …Yes, I acc.u.mulated some moisture in my eyes to create the effect of teary eyes!

"…kh!!"

Seeing Keith-sensei's reaction, it seemed like my tactic worked. He lightly shook his head as if to force himself to come to his senses and then he kneeled down so that his line of sight matched mine. He put his big hand on my shoulder and smiled gently.

"That's not true! There have been cases of that, and I'm sure you'd be able to do it! I'm sorry, Sensei was too immersed in my own imagination just now! Don't cry, okay?"

"Okay, thank you, Sensei!"

I quickly nodded and 'wiped' my tears away and a.s.sumed a happy expression.

"…"

I can totally feel Luca's strange staring from behind me, but hey, can you pretend that you didn't see anything? I know that you felt I was so "out of character" just now!!

"Little Lyra, your swordsmans.h.i.+p style is leaning towards the aggressive approach or full-of-power style, just like the Grabberton's. If you don't have any preference on how you'd like to combine magic and sword, what about trying to learn a balanced style? A balanced style means you can easily add magic to support either the power or speed or anything else, depending on the situation. But if you feel like you've got an idea on what style you'd like to adopt in the future, just change it to that. Or would you like to maintain the current style?"

Keith-sensei unexpectedly gave a long explanation on his opinion of this matter.

His words are correct, actually! If I have a balanced swordsmans.h.i.+p, then I can just add more speed or power or anything else with my magic. I don't have any preference of going full-speed with my swordsmans.h.i.+p as I was too used to full-of-power style. However, I also don't want to maintain my current style, lest it could reveal my secret of past life.

So, trying to learn the balanced style seems to be the best for now. My opinion of Keith-sensei increased. He actually isn't a simple musclehead!

"Okay, then I will try the balanced style, Sensei!"

"Good, if it's the balanced style, then I can teach you everything! Hahaha!!"

…Could this be his ulterior motive of recommending a balanced style?

But can I consider his advice earlier as an objective advice without any ulterior motive or bias? Yes, I can't read his mind, so let's think of it that way!

Afterward, I received some more advices and recommendations from Keith-sensei on what kind of training I should focus myself at, for the time being. His guidance is really useful, as I don't specially learn swordsmans.h.i.+p at home. Outside school, I can learn swordsmans.h.i.+p in the royal palace when I accompany Luca and Kiri. Then, at home, I can just practice by myself.

Yes, I have no swordsmans.h.i.+p tutor. Alt-nii also learned some of his skills from Dad and at school. Maybe since we're originally a magician's family, learning physical combat is treated as an addition, not as a focus. For my magic training, aside from private sessions with Mom, Alt-nii and I were also a.s.signed private tutors to learn from them when Mom can't accompany us.

I can understand why my parents would put more emphasis on magic training. The fundamental of a magician's family can't be shaken. For the combination of magic and swordsmans.h.i.+p, we have the Fumitsuna family already. …not that we can't switch our direction, but still.

I also don't have any objection with this arrangement. After all, I also agree that I need to put more focus on my magic training. I have gained around 10 years worth of swordsmans.h.i.+p training back in my previous life, so obviously I need to close the gap in my magic ability.

Besides, I also appreciate my parents' thoughts and consideration of keeping the status quo of [The Hartmann family, the family of magicians].

Before the final cla.s.s ended, Carbuncle has already left us. She said that she wanted to go and take a look at Elective cla.s.ses as well as paying a visit to her beloved little sheep—Iris.

I made sure to ask Carbuncle to deliver some message to Iris!

Since it's the first physical combat lesson, we don't spar against one another, but we only practice and hone the basic foundation diligently. Strong foundation is very important, after all!

As a conclusion—Day 3 is really tiring, and it might as well be the most tiring school day, but it's also very fun!