The Emperor set aside the social letter and opened his mouth.
“Royal Steward, are you here?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As if anticipating the Emperor’s summons, the Royal Steward stood before him.
The Royal Steward, with neatly combed hair, had a few strands of silvery white that subtly hinted at his age.
Although he seemed to be in the prime between youth and middle age, he had been the Royal Steward since the Emperor’s days as a Crown Prince.
“Where is this year’s hunting competition scheduled to take place?”
“It will be held in the Mitro Forest, within the Condrius County.”
“Mitro Forest…”
The Emperor trailed off, lost in thought, as he played with the end of his words.
Mitro Forest was quite popular among the nobility as a good hunting ground.
With plenty of mild herbivores, it provided a suitable setting for enjoyable leisurely hunting without much difficulty.
It was regrettable that the difficulty for the knights to showcase their skills in the upcoming hunting competition hosted by the royal family was relatively low.
However, this hunting competition aimed to quell ominous rumors recently heard from the Kratyn Forest and boost morale, making it not a bad choice.
“Hmm.”
The Emperor, sinking deeply into his chair, remained silent, and the Royal Steward waited.
After what felt like some time, the Emperor, having resolved his thoughts, rose from his chair with a faint smile.
Then, patting the Royal Steward’s shoulder, he spoke.
“We need to send two more invitations. And Melsia should be on vacation until the hunting competition. Make sure she doesn’t enter the palace.”
“I will make the arrangements.”
Although no specific words were uttered, the Royal Steward nodded as if it were sufficient.
The Emperor, humming a satisfied tune, passed by the Royal Steward.
Left alone in the Emperor’s office, the Royal Steward looked at the social letter placed on his desk.
His eyes deepened in thought, and he gestured to summon the silent aide stationed behind him.
“You called, Royal Steward.”
“Send additional invitations to Emblem and Gray duke’s.”
“But, invitations have already been sent to both duke and the Emblem Commander.”
“Send invitations to Lady Cherrya Emblem and Lord Enoch Gray as well.”
“Oh?”
The Royal Aide stared blankly with a face of incomprehension. However, under the stern gaze of the Royal Steward, he quickly snapped to attention and nodded.
“Yes, yes! I’ll deliver the message right away!”
“Hm.”
Swallowing unease, the Royal Steward briskly left the office, closing the door behind him.
The Emperor then walked in the direction the Royal Steward had gone, swiftly giving various instructions to other aides.
“Arrange a visit schedule for Lord Enoch Gray. Also, prepare the Crown Prince’s palace and get it ready for guests.”
“Until when should we have the preparations completed?”
“Within a week should suffice.”
“Understood!”
In response to the Royal Steward’s instructions, the palace aides moved quickly.
***
“One! Two! One! Two!”
Following Lawrence’s commands, Cherrya maintained an elegant posture while wielding her sword.
With each swing, the practice dummy let out a solid thud, accompanied by simulated cries of pain.
“A bit stronger! Yes, like that. Don’t put too much force on your wrist, coordinate your shoulder and arm as one! That’s it!”
Lawrence applauded, praising Cherrya’s stance.
Amidst the continuous expressions of admiration, Lawrence went on to commend her. Though Cherrya’s heart fluttered, her posture remained consistently perfect.
“… You’re really doing well, my daughter.”
Melsia, watching Cherrya from a distance, couldn’t help but sigh with mixed emotions.
Cherrya, who confidently declared her intention to learn swordsmanship that morning, genuinely fulfilled her words by passionately embracing the training.
Emblem’s training never showed any leniency, even if the opponent were the heir to a noble lineage. On the contrary, it imposed stricter standards, pushing to the very limits.
Once upon a time, Melsia herself had undertaken similar training at Cherrya’s age, enduring it until the brink of collapse.
However…
“Perfect, Cherrya! A little more, and you’ll surpass Enoch Gray…!”
Thwack!
Just as Lawrence praised, Cherrya, with a frightening force, struck down the practice dummy, causing it to crumble to the ground.
At that moment, the paper attached to the dummy’s face flew off, making flapping sounds as it reached Cherrya’s feet.
“Ha, hahaha, ahahaha!!!”
Cherrya erupted into maniacal laughter as she stomped on the paper.
“I broke it faster! I was faster!”
Watching Cherrya joyfully trample the paper, Melsia tightly closed her eyes.
Unable to hide her gloomy feelings, she mumbled.
“Having a competitive spirit is good, but defacing your fiancé’s portrait like that…”
Indeed, the paper Cherrya aggressively stomped on was a portrait of Enoch Gray.
Although Melsia didn’t know exactly what had happened between Cherrya and Enoch, Cherrya was not only catching up with the gap that had formed between them but also striving to surpass him.
When news reached that Enoch’s palm was torn while wielding a sword, Cherrya, too, continued swinging her sword until her palm tore.
If Enoch managed 50 sit-ups, Cherrya would diligently accomplish 51.
It was good that she worked harder than Enoch. However, Cherrya wasn’t a child who would quietly let Enoch stay one step ahead.
‘Lady Cherrya! Just received the latest news! Enoch Gray did 52 more sit-ups!’
‘Lady Cherrya has started horizontal cutting, and Enoch Gray has mastered it completely!’
‘Hey, Enoch Gray apparently heard that Lady Cherrya mastered stabbing and created variations of stabbing movements!’
If Cherrya took one step forward, Enoch took two steps.
‘Move aside! I’ll do it 53 more times!’
‘I’ll master horizontal cutting today too!’
‘Not even funny. I know more about variations in stabbing!’
Cherrya, with determination, took three more steps while grinding her teeth.
“Is that really heading in the right direction, Diana?”
Melsia mumbled words she couldn’t share with her friend who was probably in Kratyn Forest, exhaling deeply.
Cherrya displayed a talent for swordsmanship that was dazzling, considering it was her first time holding a sword.
Her robust and sturdy physique aside, the intense determination, resilience, and competitiveness were unbelievable for a 7-year-old.
The Emblem family was in awe of Cherrya’s growing swordsmanship skills.
‘Lady Cherrya, Enoch Gray won in a sparring match against Sir Edgar, the apprentice knight of baron Edgar!’
‘Quickly send a sparring match request to Sir Edgar! Find someone with skills better than Enoch’s!’
‘Jade Gray apparently mixed swords with Enoch Gray, Lady Cherrya!!’
‘Grandpaaaa! I want a sword too! Give me a sword!!!’
Emblem knights eagerly sought news about Enoch from Cherrya.
Cherrya’s accomplishments, always surpassing whatever Enoch did, fueled the knights’ long-suppressed competitiveness.
The rivalry between the two knight squads, fueled by Melsia and Diana, was reaching a boiling point.
“Ah, my lovely baby…”
Seffield Emblem, seemingly unaware of Melsia’s feelings, gazed at Cherrya with eyes filled with affection.
His granddaughter was so pretty that he resisted the urge to hug and kiss her as if he were dying.
It was clear that when training was over, he would rush over and grab Cherrya.
“It’s all because of Dad.”
Melsia glared at her father with a resentful tone. Seffield Emblem winced, as if something had pricked him.
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