“Your father too.”
My mother, who was next to me, opened her mouth with a smile.
But for some reason, it seemed like my mother’s eyes were looking at him like he was an immature son.
My father isn’t really cool in front of the family.
“Wow, Dad! Dad is the coolest! Lara will cheer you on!”
Still, it seemed like my older sister liked it.
Of course, I couldn’t ignore the expectant look in my father’s eyes, so I only gave a clumsy applause.
“As expected, my daughters, just wait a moment!”
My father kissed his hand in our direction and then lightly held the wooden sword.
My father’s entrance was a bit strange to see, but I was curious about the duel itself.
Looking at the reactions of the knights and the way my father treated them, it seemed like he wouldn’t be in that position if he wasn’t very skilled.
The flag fluttered to signal the start.
The expression that had been wandering towards his family just moments ago was gone, and a beast-like expression appeared on my father’s face.
‘He’s just standing there.’
In an instant, I felt intimidated.
Without realizing it, I leaned forward and looked for an opening.
How would I have attacked him? This was the first time in a long time that I had an inquisitive mind.
“Anastasia, do you want to see our father closer?”
After saying that, Damian hugged me and took me a couple of steps forward.
Taking care not to stray from the wide shaded area.
Feeling a sense of comfort that was different from Mikhail’s, I quietly held on to him and watched my father’s movements.
The knight was completely frozen, unable to move first, even though my father waited for dozens of seconds.
‘It would be better to attack first than defend.’
Still, it would have been difficult to win.
My father’s partner may have just become an apprentice knight, but there were many clumsy aspects.
He waited, but when his opponent didn’t attack, he lightly lifted his foot and was on him in a flash.
Clack-! Clack-!
The sound of wooden swords clashing rang out refreshingly.
“Come closer, put more effort into it!”
“Yes? Yes Duke!”
Is this a competition or training?
My father may have taken into account that he was a young knight, but even though he could finish it in one go, they clashed swords several times.
Ta-dak-!
Nevertheless.
“Ah…….”
The match ended abruptly with an exclamation of shock from the opposing knight.
As soon as my father pushed him slightly, the opponent couldn’t hold on and lost his weapon.
“…….”
The knight looked at the fallen wooden sword for a moment, then lowered his head and meekly acknowledged his defeat.
“It’s okay, you’re still young, so train yourself better from now on.”
“Yes, Duke!”
My father ended the warm-hearted confrontation with encouragement instead of a reprimand.
“My son, daughters~! “Wans’t Dad cool?!”
I think it would have been really cool if you hadn’t said that last thing, Dad.
* * *
Mikhail, who went out confidently, became the winner of the final match of the first round.
He faced the youngest knight among the contestants – although almost ten years older than him – and perhaps because he was aware of the size difference, he didn’t relax in the beginning like my father.
As soon as the flag was raised, Mikhail used the lightness of his body to sneak up on the knight, delivering a blow that caught him off guard and sent his sword flying.
‘If it had lasted longer, it would probably have been at a disadvantage to Mikhail.’
I thought he had a great fighting sense.
It was a match that was over in an instant, but as I concentrated, Damian spoke in a tone of mixed emotions.
“Anastasia really likes Mikhail?”
“Aiya, -pa. Meyer.”
It was a misunderstanding that I really didn’t want to happen, so I shook my head and shook the hem of my brother’s clothes.
He’s a mean guy and definitely not a good guy.
He always says I’m small, small! How can he be good?
I need to grow up quickly!
Plus, for some reason, I have a strange feeling that I shouldn’t get too close to him.
‘This is my first time feeling like this.’
I was worried about whether I should believe this feeling or not.
It was my messy babbling, but it seemed like my brother understood it this time.
“You think brother is cool?”
“Right-!”
He was, after all, my older brother, who was famous for being smart.
Don’t forget to remember what Mikhail once explained to you.
“More than Mikhail?”
“Right!”
Why are you asking the obvious?
When I saw Mikhail waving at me and Damien from under the venue, I quickly turned my head.
My brother keeps feeling anxious because of you.
* * *
Am I lucky or unlucky?
Mikhail immediately became my father’s opponent in the second round.
However, he ran even fiercer than my father’s opponent in the first round.
My father smiled leisurely and dodged all of the attacks.
“Father, aren’t you amazing?”
“Right.”
I answered that, but at the same time, I wanted to give Mikhail a round of applause.
‘You know you can’t win against my father.’
Usually, thinking that way would make one feel discouraged.
However, Mikhail seemed to have put the thought of losing out of his mind and did his best to chase after my father.
‘He’s only six years old….’
I suddenly pictured that guy 10 years from now.
‘I’m sure he will have a similar level of skill like my father now.’
Perhaps in 20 years, he will surpass my father and become the best swordsman in the country or continent?
Well, I won’t be there at that time, so I won’t know.
My biggest regret is that I couldn’t live beyond twenty years.
‘So I quit making disciples.’
No matter what world it was, there were people who wanted to become strong.
They asked me to learn without worrying about age or status.
But I have never once been able to see my students reach that level.
‘Because I died before that.’
Or betray me before that.
Eight out of ten betrayed me, one died young, and one was still in progress.
Haven’t I also lived a wonderful life?
Still, habits are terrible things.
Watching the sparring between my father and Mikhail and gauging the qualities of both men.
‘Maybe, I still want to leave something behind. I…….’
I laughed to myself.
That day, after meeting the strange baby in my dream, the emotions I had been suppressing tightly, rippled through me.
‘It is enough to be motivated to live this life to the extent of living with my family.’
So, I shouldn’t be more greedy.
‘Of course I have to investigate that strange baby.’
While I was thinking about that dream, the results of the two people’s sparring concluded.
“I lost. Duke.”
Mikhail meekly admitted defeat as he looked at my father’s wooden sword aimed below his neck.
My father smiled with an amused expression on his face and put down his sword.
“You’ve improved a lot since last time, young duke.”
“Thank you.”
I was surprised by his very polite attitude.
That guy is being polite to my father.
Mikhail Leventis landed two effective hits on my father and was eliminated in the second round.
Even though he’s obnoxious…….
I shouldn’t think that I want to watch his swordsmanship too, right?
I’m sure it will be helpful later.
* * *
Well, of course, the winner of the swordsman competition was my father.
The moment the win was confirmed, my father opened his arms to me, my older sister, and my older brother.
“This dad will continue to receive congratulations from my babies!”
No, father.
Are you going to continue this crazy competition?
When I walked hand-in-hand with my older sister and older brother and arrived in front of my father, he opened his arms and welcomed us with a wide grin on his face, unlike the one he’d worn during the competition.
“Dad, you’re cool! Lala’s dad is the best!”
“Oh my, my daughter. Really?”
“Yes! Lara is going to marry her dad later!”
Oh my. My sister has earned her childhood black history point.
There are many fathers who worry about something like that until their daughters actually get married.
‘I should never do that.’
Black history is also black history, but I have a reason not to do that.
Promises that cannot be kept aren’t meant to be carelessly made.
“-Pah.”
Since I couldn’t speak properly anyway, I congratulated my father by calling him and giving him flowers.
However, my father must have been very happy just because of that, he hugged us three siblings, tightly in his wide embrace.
“I’m so happy this year, my babies are so cute and adorable, and daddy’s showing off his wonderful side to his babies!”
“Awww! Daddy Mercy!”
“…….”
“…….”
However, the only one who responded to my father’s words was my kind sister Laurencia.
I pretended not to notice and looked away, and my brother blushed as if he wasn’t a baby.
And Mikhail.
“When will the youngest princess stop pretending not to know?”
Seeing me not reacting to my father’s words, he blurted out another sarcastic comment.
That was the beginning of his future education plan.
And my father was poked in the side about three times by my mother and suffered a lot.
How cute 😅Thank you ❤