Chapter 20
“Who’s scheduled to spar with me today?”
At Aileen’s gentle question, a few of the knights—who had been moving in synchronized formation—raised their hands high. By now, she had grown close enough to the unit that she spoke to them informally, per their own request.
“Me.”
“My turn!”
“…”
Three knights stepped forward, while the others stepped aside to make space for the sparring match. A few sat down quietly to watch from the sidelines.
“I’m ready.”
“Then let me go first!”
A knight, a few years older than Aileen, stepped forward with a wooden sword in hand. With a physique comparable to Cylas, he rolled his shoulders with a loud crack before fixing his eager eyes on her.
After the real-sword duel with Vendy, Cylas had thoroughly investigated the situation and summoned the involved knights for discipline. Vendy, who had been the one to push for the dangerous duel, received the harshest punishment.
He stepped down without resistance, unable to meet Cylas’s chilling gaze. The other two did the same. Since their defeat by Aileen had already shattered their pride, and their leader Vendy had quietly accepted punishment, the rest followed suit.
—“Aileen will serve as the knights’ sparring partner.”
When the others had left and only Cylas, Siran, and Aileen remained, Cylas had given the order.
Delivered in his usual dry tone, the sentence was technically a punishment, but in truth, it wasn’t.
Unlike confinement or weeks of grunt duty, this was something that could actually benefit Aileen. And Cylas knew it.
A newly inducted knight sparring with the regulars would usually be unthinkable, especially one who hadn’t even been there a full month. But Aileen was not a typical recruit—and Cylas, as commander of the Khan Order, was smart enough to make use of her rare talent.
Her ability rivaled that of both the commander and vice-commander. Sparring with her was an entirely different experience from their usual rough-and-tumble duels. Her small frame and quick, precise strikes provided a new kind of training that benefited the other knights.
“You attack first.”
At her signal, the knight charged like a bull. But Aileen, fluid as water, parried his sword with ease—and in an instant, she transformed into something fearsome.
She caught the intent in his movement the moment he lowered his torso to strike at her side.
She twisted out of range and, in a single motion, swept her wooden sword diagonally across his back.
“Ugh!”
His pained groan cut through the quiet training hall.
But Aileen didn’t pause. She followed up immediately.
There were scattered chuckles and playful jeers from the watching knights, but she couldn’t afford to pay them any mind. Her opponent was a proper knight of the Imperial Order—among the finest in the empire.
The knight quickly regained his stance and blocked her incoming strike with brute strength.
Smack! Smack!
Their swords clashed again and again, the gaps between strikes growing shorter.
In the end, Aileen’s relentless attacks left no room to breathe. The knight held on for a while—but finally, overwhelmed, he admitted defeat.
“I yield.”
Aileen’s wooden sword was aimed squarely at the center of his chest.
Knowing that her natural strength could never match that of a man, she had worked endlessly to hone her speed and flexibility.
If the difference wasn’t like that between a human and a fly, she could close the gap—and she had. Her raw talent had bloomed like a flower in its season.
“…Wow.”
Murmurs and sighs rose from around the arena. The defeated knight, bruised and battered, limped back to the spectators.
He slumped beside a familiar comrade and sighed.
“She’s a demon. An actual demon.”
“…”
“But I’ve seen the light. That one move I could never get—it finally made sense.”
“…”
“If any of you want to level up, you’ve gotta spar with her. I mean it. It’s worth it.”
“…”
This was already his third match with her.
Some knights were reluctant to spar with Aileen, since she wouldn’t end a match after a single hit. She kept going until her opponent declared defeat.
But there were others—like him—who kept asking for more.
The others shook their heads. Clearly, they thought getting hit too many times had scrambled his brain.
Meanwhile, Aileen had dropped to the ground, catching her breath before the next duel.
—Milady, I heard the Marquess of Hessiden and that woman had a bit of a fight. About the wine incident. They say he’d never raised his voice at her before, but it sounds like he finally got angry.
That was the news Sera had shared not long ago.
The Marquess, known for doting endlessly on his daughter, had apparently called Judith back after a private meeting with the Emperor.
Even though it had been his own decision—one made for her sake—the consequences must’ve hit too close to home. In the end, his anger boiled over.
Still, he couldn’t even bring himself to raise his voice at Judith.
And yet Judith—even after that—had lashed out at Aileen with everything she had.
Aileen’s lips curved briefly into a bitter smile… then quickly faded.
Some of the weight she’d been carrying felt a little lighter—but not by much.
Not yet.
After a short rest, she stood again. Her mind remained sharp, her body constantly in motion.
By the time the matches were wrapping up, a new sound caught her ear from across the field.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Someone had begun to applaud.
Aileen and the knights turned their heads in unison.
Expressions that had been relaxed just moments ago stiffened into stone.
And at the end of their gazes stood a man who shattered the silence as if it meant nothing.
“That was an impressive match. I must say, appointing you to the Khan Order was one of my better decisions.”
When had he even arrived?
Emperor Edys was standing near the entrance, watching her with arrogant ease. Aileen frowned slightly.
She must have been too caught up in the sparring to notice.
No matter how focused she was, failing to sense even the presence of someone like him—a non-knight—was unlike her.
With a subtle tilt of his chin, Edys gave them permission to speak freely again.
Immediately, all members of the Khan Order straightened and saluted in unison.
Aileen followed suit.
“I greet the most exalted sun of the Empire.”
“That’s enough of that.”
Edys gestured for her to approach. Cylas was nowhere in sight, but standing behind the Emperor was Siran, who nodded at her with a composed gaze.
“I came all this way for one reason— to inform you that a swordsmanship tournament will be held.”
The announcement caused a stir throughout the field.
Even Aileen, now standing beside him, widened her eyes.
A tournament?
“As you all know, the Empire only holds two official sword tournaments: one for recruiting talented commoners, and one through the Academy. There’s never been one held among the knight orders themselves.”
“…”
“This time, I’ll be holding a special tournament just for you. The winner will receive a generous reward. The purpose is to boost morale and improve the skill level of the orders as a whole.”
Only Edys’s clear, cool voice rang across the training grounds.
“You’ve probably heard—activity among the northern tribes has been troubling as of late. They seem to be lying low, but who’s to say they won’t bare their fangs and strike without warning?”
A wave of tension passed through the ranks. Some knights clenched and unclenched their fists without realizing it.
“Until now, the Sel Order has been solely responsible for handling that threat. But it’s time the other orders shared the burden. And to do that, you’ll need one thing above all else—skill. The skill to kill your enemy and walk away alive.”
His voice had turned icy—so cold it gave Aileen chills.
The northern tribes had long been the Empire’s sworn enemies.
The Hadrein Empire had always served as a bulwark, shielding the continent from northern invasions.
In return, the surrounding kingdoms refrained from challenging the Empire openly.
It was a delicate balance—mutual benefit forged in quiet understanding.
That’s why the Sel Order had been the only one tasked with confronting the northern tribes.
But now, suddenly, the Emperor was inviting other orders to the front?
There had been no word of diplomatic shifts. Nothing to suggest the balance had changed.
Still, Edys showed no sign of concern. Ignoring the flickers of unease in the knights’ eyes, he continued with a composed smile.
“This tournament will test many things. Sloppiness will not be tolerated. It will be held as a contest between orders—no fighting among your own ranks. So fight to the fullest for the honor of your order. The tournament will take place two months from now. Train well. That is all.”
As his declaration ended, quiet murmurs erupted across the field.
Some voices held discontent, others buzzed with excitement.
To some, it was a long-awaited chance to put arrogant orders like the Lil Order in their place.
To others, it was an opportunity—to catch the attention of their superiors, to rise to prominence in one blow.
Those in the latter group trembled with anticipation.
Aileen didn’t belong to either camp.
She remained calm. Neutral.
It was sudden, yes—but all it stirred in her was the weary sigh of someone expecting trouble on the horizon.
“Now then, Dame Aileen. Let’s have a private word.”
The Emperor smiled—a knowing, sly smile that hinted at something more.
“I’ll take over the rest of the training,” Siran offered from the side.
“Then, I’ll return shortly.”
Aileen turned and followed Edys to a quieter part of the training ground.
