Another three months…

It’s been a seven-month streak. Only five months are left before I’ll be introduced to the dark lord as his bride.

I still can’t land a hit against Brodveth for the past few days. But this time, I can easily breathe with relaxed muscles. This day might be my calling.

Yesterday after practice, as he went to his room to rest, I blocked him with my chest out and chin high. My gleaming eyes stared at his dead eyes.

“Dear Brodveth, I humbly request the honor of engaging in a noble battle with you. May our swords clash in a display of courage and chivalry.”

“May I inquire about the nature of this special day, Your Highness? Your radiance and grace shine brighter than ever, and I can only assume that something truly noble is afoot.”

“Allow me to present the fruits of my labor, demonstrating just how far I have come. It is with great pride and a sense of nobility that I share with you my progress in the hopes that it may inspire and encourage you as well.”

“Very well, then. I accept your conditions. If I am hit once, the victory will be yours.”

And now, we claim the center of the training zone as the rookies watch from afar. Ellyn volunteered to be the referee who’ll start the match.

The rumored battle of the Princess and the Cavalry Knight reached the palace. The queen sits with a clear view together with Marina, who shows off her Ciamera.

In no time, Ellyn raised her hand and shouted affectionately. “Are both parties ready? Ready… Start!”

Our feet launched our bodies toward each other. The wooden swords clashed with a loud thud, sending dust sparks into the air.

We circled each other, eyes locked in a fierce stare as we moved with grace and agility, dodging and striking with skill and speed.

Each blow was met with a counter, and each feint was anticipated. But as the man in this kingdom with the most experience, he takes the lead.

He controls my maneuvers, planning where I’ll step back and evade. I can dodge his attacks, but he isn’t attacking my weak spots until…

He unexpectedly slashed directed at my neck, which I lately noticed. Vulnerability harbors my left channel. I spun my body, bringing my sword in my right hand to block it.

I countered it with force. However, my foot slipped. My body bends in the direction I can’t control my balance. But before I can think of my next move, his sword swings already from the top of his head.

He’s as quick as a cheetah! That hit, even if it’s wood, would literally kill me. Damn, I have my trump cards, but I never expect to use them soon.

“Boo!” I whistled.

Suddenly, I launched myself like Ironman. Air blows out from my feet, ejecting me into death’s seat. I flew backward and regained my balance as I put my feet on the ground.

The crowd cheered as I escaped the fatal blow. Their voices deafen each ear and fill the air with chants and songs.

“You’re amazing, princess!”

“That’s a deadly blow! I couldn’t have escaped that!”

“I love you, Princess Veniara!”

“Go, sister! Go!” My sister even brought her fan club to wave with her.

Slowly, Brodveth came back into his fighting stance and smirked. “Not bad, milady. May I have permission to go all out?”

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“I told you, right? Never go easy on me,” I replied. He should have remembered our promise before I asked him to train.

He points his sword at me, ready to strike at any moment. He shifted his weight slightly, adjusting his stance. The blood of the enemies he killed on the battlefield gathers around his aura.

He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling its weight and balance. He breathed deeply, calming his nerves and clearing his mind.

At the moment I didn’t expect, he launched himself at me like a gun bullet. In just a second, he appeared before me. I did parry his strike, but it knocked me back.

He isn’t the same person as before. This is how he looks on the battlefield, glamouring with rage and filth. He breathes no air to focus on his opponent.

Like the book told me, he’s the legendary and undefeated knight who stopped the crisis two years ago. It isn’t just words.

He’s the real deal.

I might have the advantage of magic, but I only mastered a few spells. One of them is…

“Lighter.”

Before his sword strikes me, my hand emits a blinding light which retracts his head back. As I close my eyes, the light still passes through my eyelids.

Even though he’s vulnerable within a second, it’s still not enough. He even predicted how to counter my blinding light.

Our parries continued without me hitting him. I’m showering pain when he sees a weak spot in my stance. It still hurts even if I cast defense and resistance.

Even if my body glows from buffs, he’s bypassing it. If he wields a real sword, I’m dead on the spot. He slashed a powerful force to knock me down to the ground.

I grunted, sitting on the grass. My blotchy skin heats up under my armor. I can only hiss to hold the pain.

He might be ending this already. He steps in front of me with his sword over him. It’s his final blow since I can’t get away.

But can’t I?

The moment he puts his weight on his arms, gravity pulls down and catches his ponderous sword. It didn’t hit anything except the grass.

Where am I? I’m right behind him, poking my sword at his back repeatedly with no effort. While I do it, silence breaks through.

The birds chirp across the bright sky. I looked at the audience, expecting to see their faces full of anticipation and curiosity.

But instead, they hang their mouths open, showing me nothing but shock. The silence deafened me. Did I do wrong to cause them to panic?

Yet my worry isn’t related at all. The dead silence vanished. The crowd cheers, shouts, and jumps, filling grins and smiles. Their chaotic high spirits pulled out their happy tears.

“That’s legendary! Our princess is a warrior!”

“A miracle happened this day! The undefeated was defeated! What a joke! Don’t forget that I’m here!”

“Princess Veniara, I love you!”

“The future of the knights is secured! We have a descendant that will protect the kingdom from danger and harm!”

My heart pounds, circling my head at each audience’s smile. Tingles invade my body, starting from my foot. My hands trembled, releasing my sword unconsciously.

I can’t believe it. I did defeat him!

I slowly grin, stretching my lips from ear to ear. My eyes sparkled with the accumulating water that escaped my eyelids.

“I won…”

I kneeled, staring far away as I thought things through. I tucked my lips, shaking my head vigorously. At that moment, Ellyn approached me.

“Ellyn, I—I hit Brodveth. I win!” I exclaimed, clenching my fist at the level of my chest.

“Congratulations, little princess. Your hard work paid off. You’re now a strong little girl no one can take advantage of.”

“Did you see what happened? It’s cool, right!? I forced Teacher Jes to teach me that cool trick!”

“That’s Phase Shift, right? Only mischievous adults can do that trick. For a kid like you, that’s a scary thought. Or are you planning to peek at your future husband while bathing?”

“Don’t rub me with your pervertedness, Ellyn!”

I utterly vanished from Brodveth’s sight. Using Phase Shift, when he knocked me down, I pretended I didn’t move my spot.

I’m invisible, and using enhanced magic ‘Swift,’ I can move without anyone noticing. Before Brodveth raised his sword, I was already behind him.

He did slice me— though not exactly me. It was my afterimage. It vanished the moment it made contact with the sword. I revealed myself after that. No sweat.

After Ellyn accommodated me, Brodveth approached me and lent me a hand. I stood up as he raised my arm over our heads like a champion. The crowd fires up again.

“It was a dirty trick you did there, Princess Veniara,” he remarked.

“Stop with the flattery, Cavalry Captain. I have a handicap because of my abilities. I’m a cheater, to be fair, a sleight of hand, crooked as a dog’s hind leg.”

“In war, no restrictions will stop you. Limits aren’t a thing. All’s fair in love and war.”

“I really did develop since then,” I muttered, exhaling as large as I could. This victory might be a stepping stone to my first goal. I do not forget my promise.

“By the way, since I can now protect people, I’m sure Elara will be happy about this. By the way, where is she?”

I’ve never seen her since then. I’m still a weakling to consider. Now, I must accomplish my promise to her. I can never be a burden to her again.

But I didn’t get a response, an incredulous stare instead. They bit their lips and lowered their heads.

I asked again. “Where’s Elara? And what’s with that expression?”

Ellyn gulped before she replied. “Four months ago, after you confronted her,

“She resigned.”