[Targa]
Van-sama is an exceptional lord. I had always understood that. However, somewhere in the back of my mind, I still held on to the fact that he was just a ten-year-old boy.
When I thought of him as a ten-year-old, I probably thought of him as someone with astonishing knowledge and energy for his age, but that recognition was hard to shake.
But that perception was quickly shattered.
I, too, hadn’t just been guarding a fortress. Fortunately, I made achievements with the Royal Knight Order and, thanks to His Majesty's favor, I was able to rise through the ranks at an unprecedented speed. I had been entrusted with the defense of a critical stronghold, a duty that, if completed, could lead to a position as the governor of a small town.
With that in mind, I had been maintaining the fort and, in doing so, had learned many things. Since a civil servant had been sent from the capital in addition to the knights, I thought I was learning a great deal every day.
However, Van-sama's knowledge and way of thinking were on a completely different level.
Even a single casual remark he made could show this.
"For a country, there’s a saying that without the people, there is no country. So, I think the most important thing is to make the land a place where everyone who lives here can enjoy their lives. Set up food, clothing, and housing, and provide places to work. Then, aim for a peaceful land and prepare perfect defenses. If you do that, the people who live there will naturally begin to trust their lord, don’t you think?"
Van-sama said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world. How many nobles would openly agree with such words? It might have just been a coincidence, but among the nobles I had met so far, few had such a mindset as Van-sama.
Moreover, Van-sama responded so accurately to the villagers’ needs, almost as though he had lived as one of them, and had built facilities that exceeded their expectations. The innovative thinking and knowledge he possessed were certainly not things a ten-year-old child should have.
The town Van-sama had built was not only beautiful but also efficiently structured. He had often repeated that "sanitation is important," and as part of this, he had developed sewage systems, large baths, water intake, and boiling facilities—things I had never seen before.
Thanks to these, Ceat Village and the adventurer town were not only comfortable but also maintained a high standard of cleanliness. By prioritizing hygiene, fewer residents fell ill, and the overall atmosphere in the territory was bright.
Supporting the correctness of Van-sama’s way of thinking, the efficient design of the land and the improvement in the villagers' standard of living had resulted in high productivity across the board.
"Van-sama! We’ve harvested some delicious vegetables!"
"Van-sama, the Apkallu brought back some fish!"
"Van-sama, when are we going to have the barbecue again?"
As I walked through the village, residents kept calling out to Van-sama. At first, I thought it might have been a coincidence, but this seemed to be the norm. Van-sama’s way of governing had enriched the lives of the people and helped build their trust in him.
It was truly remarkable, and I definitely wanted to learn from it. But there was still something astonishing about Van-sama’s lifestyle.
"Ugh! If you stand like that, you won’t be able to strike!"
"But our body sizes are so different! I can’t do it head-on!"
"That’s what makes you a full-fledged fighter!"
"I told you, I can’t do it!"
And so, Van-sama was whining during his morning training with Dee. Seeing him act like a child, I felt a bit relieved, but Dee, glancing at me with a grin, spoke up.
"Hmm. Targa, would you mind giving him a hand? It’ll be good practice for Van-sama."
"Training partner, you say?"
I asked, surprised by Dee’s suggestion. Dee shook his head and smiled deeper.
"No, I meant a mock duel."
"With... me? Well, I don’t mind, but there’s a huge difference in our body sizes..."
As Dee suggested, I found myself looking down at Van-sama’s head. His height was probably half of mine—such a height difference that it would be impossible to make it a fair practice. Our strength was completely different too, so there was no way he could block my sword. What’s more, it would almost feel like bullying him.
"Wait, you’re doing it with Targa? Well, he’ll probably go easy on you compared to Dee, so maybe that’s fine..."
While I hesitated, Van-sama, looking at me, took the wooden sword in hand and began doing some light stretching, preparing himself for the practice. I couldn’t believe he actually intended to do a mock duel. At first, I thought it was just one of Dee’s unique jokes, but when I looked around, everyone seemed genuinely interested and there was no one trying to stop him.
"Van-sama, you’re going to fight Targa-sama?"
Kamshin, Van’s primary attendant, asked. Van-sama, twisting his body as he stretched his waist, nodded.
"Yeah. Dee is asking for too much. Kamshin, you might be able to handle it, but there’s no way I can."
Van-sama spoke with a sense of resignation, and Kamsin chuckled, shaking his head.
"I still make foolish, direct moves sometimes, so I think Van-sama would be a much better match."
"Huh? No way. Lately, you’ve been winning more than me."
"I’ve just been getting a bit of luck."
"Wild instinct!?"
The two of them, laughing, had a conversation like any young boys would. It was hard to believe that the head of a viscount family and his young attendant were having such a casual chat, but in this territory, it was an everyday sight.
By the way, this Kamshin, too, was an extraordinary talent. Though his height was above average and he was a head taller than Van-sama, making him look older, his swordsmanship was remarkable. He was said to be one of the highest-ranked knights in Dee’s order, and he practiced sword fighting with Dee one-on-one every day. Other knights like Arv and Lou were also impressive.
And then there was Van-sama, who could go toe-to-toe with such knights. How would he fight? The lord’s duties kept him so busy that I hadn’t had the chance to see him practice in the mornings, but now, I might actually see him fight.
I took a regular wooden sword, checked my movements lightly, and then looked around to confirm the setting.
It was the practice field located on the outskirts of Ceat Village. It was large enough to accommodate dozens of people training at once, but for mock duels that were closer to actual combat, it was better to do them one-on-one. The area was surrounded by tall walls, and the knights in training stood with their backs to them. In the center, there were only Van-sama, myself, and Dee, who was acting as the referee.
"Shall we wrap the sword with cloth?"
"Huh? Should I just switch to a sword made entirely of cloth?"
Van-sama happily responded to my suggestion, but Dee, with a wry smile, snorted.
"That’s not allowed."
"Cheapskate."
After a short exchange, Van-sama looked up at me with a bitter smile.
"Well then, let’s just do it this way."
"...Understood. I’ll at least let you have the first move."
"Oh, yes!"
Van-sama joyfully jumped around, sword in hand. He looked small and light, but his movements were incredibly swift. As I admired his agility, Dee sighed lightly, shook his head, and gave the signal to begin.
"Alright, let’s begin. Both of you are ready, correct?"
"Fine."
"Yeah, all good."
Once they both responded, Dee raised one hand, took a breath, and shouted as he brought his hand down.
"Begin!"
The moment Dee gave the signal, Van-sama vanished from in front of me in an instant.
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