Chapter 46
Adi Grimaldi didn’t return after an hour, but appeared before two hours had passed. Their whole body carried a strange, stale herbal smell.
Yuls gestured to Adi upon their return. Though there was tobacco smell, their face looked normal. Their eyes weren’t glazed, and there was no smell of alcohol. He had wanted to give advice before Claude took them, but it seemed they had excellently sensed what was dangerous. Relieved, Yuls relaxed his eyes and asked:
“What did Claude say?”
Adi responded as if not understanding why Yuls wore such an expression:
“He told me to come to Ionad.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m His Highness’s knight.”
Adi said. Momentarily speechless, Yuls let out a scoff. Claude’s knight, they said.
“Don’t misunderstand, Adi. You’re my knight now.”
“Yes, I am Your Grace’s knight. Until you return to Woodpecker.”
Their tone suggested that, regardless, they had received their knighthood from Claude. Even if that wasn’t the intention, that’s how it sounded.
“But after that, I simply follow orders. Also, since His Highness the Crown Prince granted my knighthood, saying I’m his knight isn’t wrong either.”
“You mean the Crown Prince who didn’t even know your face?”
Adrian was meant to be the one to break his curse. Such a person couldn’t fall into Claude’s hands.
But why did Claude want to take Adrian to Ionad? Adrian Grimaldi wasn’t particularly valuable. Count Grimaldi was still active, and Adrian was quite inexperienced.
It seemed too early to start grooming them, and Claude himself wasn’t perfect either. If anything, he needed Count Grimaldi more. Then, had he realized this person could break his curse?
“Will you go to Ionad?”
“If the order comes, that’s what will happen.”
“I see.”
They were a typical knight. Then there must also be ways to prevent them from being sent to Ionad. Should he bring them to Woodpecker? Given their relationship with Count Grimaldi, they probably wouldn’t refuse if invited. That plan would need separate consideration.
“Adi.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“If given a choice rather than an order, would you go to Claude?”
“…”
Adi had no answer. Their thoughts were unclear.
But if they said yes, he would think them foolish. That path led not to advancement but to the goddess of death. And if Adrian made such a choice…
‘Perhaps, once the curse is broken, killing would be better than nurturing.’
Woodpecker had no need for fools.
“I.”
Adi opened their mouth.
“If given a choice, I would not go to His Highness Claude.”
“Then?”
“I wouldn’t stay with Grimaldi either.”
What did it mean to stay with neither the royal family nor Grimaldi? Could they mean they would come to him? If so, Adrian Grimaldi’s choice would greatly benefit Woodpecker—specifically, Yuls himself. Just not joining Claude was already advantageous.
To break the curse, Yuls needed Adi desperately. Not Adrian Grimaldi discarded by the Crown Prince, but a Grimaldi who chose him from the start.
“If neither the royal family nor Grimaldi, then…”
“Of course, I wouldn’t go to Your Grace either.”
“…”
Yuls closed his mouth. He couldn’t grasp what Adrian Grimaldi was thinking.
❖ ❖ ❖
It felt like seeing bright sunshine after a long time. Dalkatir’s spring festival begins with rain. But before the rain, it always maintained such clear days.
The Duke’s residence shared gardens with other nobles’ quarters, so looking out the window, one could hear groups of people gathering, laughing, and chattering. In that space where they usually only heard others’ voices, Adi now stood holding a wooden sword. Roy Gaillard stood before them. Roy said:
“I think my skills are similar to Ilyich’s.”
“I don’t know who Ilyich is.”
“That guy over there.”
Following Roy’s wooden sword point, Adi turned to see a man sitting on the lawn with a maid and frowned. Though wondering if it could really be that person, he was the only one wearing Palesa knight’s uniform among them, so it couldn’t be denied.
“He’s just playing around?”
“He’s a genius who’s good without effort. If he’d tried, he could have become Dalkatir’s master swordsman.”
That sounds enviable. While some work at night and train during the day.
“Anyway, with effort, I’ve reached his level of skill.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to make him work hard and beat Lev?”
“That bastard’s more interested in other things than swords.”
“Like what?”
“Just living comfortably.”
“…”
Adi thought that was truly pointless. Choosing to live comfortably when success was within reach.
“Can’t be helped. He’s a commoner-born knight. That’s why, despite his skill, he can’t go elsewhere and stays with the palace. And in Palesa, not Ionad.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Nobles look at commoners like they’re insects, right?”
“You’re a noble too.”
“I lived rougher than you’d think.”
Roy said, looking at the man. The tall, thin man didn’t look particularly skilled. Maybe he’d look different stripped down. Some people were full of muscle underneath. Even Adi only looked like a man when dressed—stripped down would be different, wouldn’t it?
“If I had proper power and family, I would have recruited Ilyich. He’s satisfied if the food’s good.”
“Then Grimaldi would be difficult. Northern food isn’t tasty.”
Adi said, raising their sword. Surprised, Roy yelled “Ack!” and parried.
“Is this how you start suddenly?”
“You should strike first when your opponent is distracted.”
“But not during conversation?”
“Would you say that on a battlefield too?”
Adi said, pressing forward. Though their technique was superior, they gradually started losing ground, seemingly due to difference in strength.
Watching Adi click their tongue, Roy smiled. Just as he thought victory was his if he struck down now, Adi dodged sideways, held their sword horizontally, and thrust it between Roy’s raised arms into his armpit. With a real sword, his arm would have been severed.
“…Is this Grimaldi’s technique?”
“Yes, Lev’s favorite method. It’s good against taller opponents.”
“I am taller than that bastard.”
“Want to go again? I’ll show you how to thrust at the neck. That’s another frequent move.”
As they said this and told him to take position, Roy frowned. He knew well what thrusting at the neck meant. Ilyich had fallen to that.
“Lev’s sword is the same as Grimaldi’s.”
“You think the Count taught swordsmanship to Lev, a mere retainer?”
“Lev was a training partner.”
This was before Adrian’s health deteriorated. They must have been five or six then. Actually, memories from that time weren’t entirely clear.
Among scattered memories, Adrian and Lev, wielding swords taller than themselves, received harsh training from the Grimaldi brigade commander and occasionally from Count Grimaldi himself.
When Adrina cut their hair and became Adrian, it was Lev who trained them. Perhaps the Count had such plans from then. After all, Lev understood and handled Grimaldi’s sword best.
Roy’s sword moved again. Adi pushed sideways and brought their sword to his neck. Though it looked simple enough to seem easy, it was actually difficult to execute properly.
“Don’t focus only on the present, Roy.”
They wanted to see Grimaldi’s sword fail.
“The present is most important. Without managing the now, there might be no future.”
“Lev’s sword is similar to mine. He reads ahead. Explores the opponent, understands their tendencies. So the more you duel, the lower your chances of winning. You must win at the very start, when nothing is known.”
“…Understanding, huh.”
“You said Ilyich is famous? Then Lev has likely analyzed him. If your family has a sword style, he’s probably analyzed that too.”
“You don’t know everything.”
Roy said.
“Our family were administrators. We only learned basic swordsmanship.”
“An administrator went to war?”
“It was urgent then. Besides, since we weren’t completely ignorant of swords, they sent us out. So my swordsmanship is just basics. No special techniques.”
“You had many variations though?”
“Results learned from street fighting. Your sword isn’t exactly the same as Lev’s either, right?”
“I’m also a result of street fighting.”
If they crossed swords with Lev now, there would be several variations Lev wouldn’t expect. Even so, they couldn’t win against Lev due to significantly inferior strength. But Roy was different.
“You have good strength.”
“Your technique was good too.”
“I trained that way because muscle wouldn’t grow.”
“Some people are built that way.”
As Roy sat down saying this, Adi pointed their wooden sword at him.
“Stop whining and get up. We have much more to do.”
“You merciless bastard. Should have recognized this when you killed the assassin.”
“Should have known before that.”
At Adi’s words, Roy groaned and got up. Yuls watched them through the window. They seemed unaware that their commotion had drawn attention. Even Ilyich, whom they’d mentioned, was watching them.
“How are they?”
The Duke asked Bert.
“Not bad. Better technique than expected. Though strength and basics seem somewhat lacking.”
“Is that why they run around so much?”
Yuls said. He’d noticed them going out often, and when he had servants check, they reported constant training ground circuits.
“Seems they’re working on their weaknesses. Though once they inherit the title, they won’t need to use a sword. Grimaldi has changed much from the past.”
At Bert’s words, the Duke made a “hmm” sound and looked across the window. Count Grimaldi’s figure was visible in the corridor window leading to another building. The Count was watching them too.
“I can’t understand what they’re thinking.”
Yuls said. Bert couldn’t tell whom he meant.
