Chapter 149: Rubens and Capella – The Strength of Two
“Start… now!”
They should have heard my signal, but Rubens and Capella stood there, eyeing each other. Most likely, both were trying to gauge each other’s intentions. However, there was a strange, cheerful atmosphere between them.
Rubens held his wooden sword in a straightforward stance, while Capella took a lower stance. The first to move was Capella.
He addressed Rubens, saying, “Hehe… Having a mock battle with a promising knight of the Bardia Knights was something I couldn’t even dream of a few months ago. But let’s enjoy this opportunity.”
“I too never expected to spar with a skilled individual from Renalute… Whether you are Lord Rid’s capable retainer or not, I’d like to see for myself.”
Upon hearing Rubens’ response, Capella’s demeanor shifted, and he adopted a more intense battle posture.
“Very well… Here I come!”
With his wooden sword resting on his shoulder in a low stance, Capella slightly bent his body and kicked the ground. The impact created a cloud of dust where he had been standing.
Rubens immediately shifted his gaze to the left, accurately tracking Capella’s movements, and intercepted Capella’s strike. In that instant, a hint of seriousness appeared on Rubens’ face.
“…!? Capella-san, impressive. I didn’t expect such a powerful strike.”
“…I apologize, but I also didn’t anticipate that you’d be able to intercept it, Lord Rubens.”
The two exchanged words, but what caught my attention was the move that Capella used against Rubens, which left me astonished.
“That move is similar to Asuna’s opening strike… Is it a fundamental sword technique of Renalute?”
Capella’s movement resembled Asuna’s initial deceptive technique, jumping out of sight and then launching a sudden attack. However, Capella’s version was sharper and more intense, kicking up dust as he propelled himself from the ground.
I was impressed by Rubens’ ability to follow and react to Capella’s swift movements.
After a brief exchange of clashing swords, Capella quickly retreated and launched another attack.
“What… what’s that?”
Once again, I was left astounded by their actions.
Capella was using body enhancement, darting around Rubens at an incredible speed, seemingly attempting to disrupt him. However, Rubens hadn’t lost sight of Capella’s movements and remained calm, waiting for Capella’s attack.
However, this was a mistake on Rubens’ part. Capella’s seemingly random dashes weren’t without purpose. By scraping the wooden sword against the ground while running, he intentionally kicked up sand into the air. As the sand obscured their vision, Rubens seemed to have indeed lost sight of Capella.
Capella wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this. Just when it seemed he would strike, Capella lunged at Rubens.
However, Rubens had also realized Capella’s intentions. He concentrated on the approaching sound and swiftly recognized and parried Capella’s attacks one after another.
“…This is so amazing that it doesn’t feel like a suitable ‘example.'”
As I watched their actions from a distance, I was left dumbfounded. While this mock battle had started with the intention of showing me “unconventional movements,” I thought that Capella’s movements were too unconventional. Rubens, on the other hand, was incredibly skilled to be able to keep up with them.
Then, I suddenly noticed something.
The wooden sword I had given to Capella had become shorter…? No, that wasn’t it. Earlier, he had deliberately scraped it against the ground to create the sandstorm, so the wooden sword had been worn down.
“…Did he intentionally turn the wooden sword I gave him into something like a wakizashi or a kodachi?”
It seemed my suspicions were correct. Once the sandstorm settled, the two temporarily distanced themselves. Simultaneously, Capella switched the shortened wooden sword into a reverse grip with one hand.
“Lord Rubens, please excuse me, but I’m going all out now.”
“Hehe… I’m surprised by Capella-san’s abilities. Let’s both give it our all!”
I couldn’t hear what they said to each other from my vantage point, but I believed both of them had gone all out. I could sense their magic power leaking from their enhanced bodies since earlier.
I couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief, “Aren’t they overdoing it a bit… those two?”
As I spoke, Capella charged at Rubens again, but this time, his movements were different from before.
Until now, it felt like they were practicing “swordsmanship,” but Capella’s movements were more akin to “dagger techniques” or “body techniques.” He dodged Rubens’ strikes by a hair’s breadth while counterattacking with slashes and footwork, utilizing his whole body. It felt a bit too unconventional.
Rubens seemed to be struggling initially, but gradually, he appeared to adapt to Capella’s style. The two engaged in intense movements, raising clouds of sand in the training ground, and the dull clash of wooden swords and swords filled the air.
I couldn’t help but wonder if our match with Asuna in front of Lady Farah was anything like this? As I pondered, I heard a voice from behind.
“Lord Rid, what are those two doing…?”
Turning around, I saw Deanna with a very serious expression. Perhaps she thought the two of them were having a fight?
“Well, they’re giving me a lesson in unconventional movements for martial arts training. It seems like they’re sparring to demonstrate it.”
I finished explaining while watching their movements and then added a playful tone, as if to say, “Oh well.”
The truth was, they were so immersed in their match that they had forgotten it was supposed to be a mock battle to show me something. It was indeed interesting to watch and learn from, but what they were doing wasn’t something I could imitate right away.
After hearing my explanation, Deanna sighed, placed her hand on her forehead, and shook her head.
“Why do men always… act like fools, I wonder? Lord Rid, please try not to get too carried away like that.”
“Yeah, I’ll be more careful.”
As I responded to her, I suddenly realized something. Around us, there were many maids, household staff, and even knights who had stopped to watch the exchange. Unbeknownst to me, the mock battle had turned into a spectator event.
Realizing that it wouldn’t be good for the commotion to escalate further, I called out loudly to the two fighters.
“Rubens! Capella! It’s been a great lesson, but that’s enough!”
I had shouted loudly, but it seemed like they didn’t hear me. Maybe they were too engrossed in their match? I decided to give it another try, raising my voice even more.
“Both of you, that’s enough! …Huh?”
Still, they showed no signs of stopping. Did they not hear me again? I tried once more, even louder this time.
“Rubens! Capella! I said that’s enough! …Huh?”
They continued their intense sparring, seemingly oblivious to my calls. It was as if they were in their own world. At this point, I was baffled.
Deanna, who was standing beside me, couldn’t help but mutter in exasperation, “They seem too absorbed to hear you.”
I sighed, agreeing with her. Clearly, they were completely focused on their match. But how could I get them to stop?
As I pondered, Deanna cleared her throat and said, “Allow me to intervene, Lord Rid.”
“Are you sure? Is it safe to step into their match?”
“Yes, it’s a common practice in the knights, so I’m used to it.”
She smiled gently at my concern, then walked over and positioned herself between the two fighters. In an instant, I saw her land a punch on Rubens’ abdomen—or at least that’s what it looked like from my vantage point. I couldn’t see the details of what happened, but Rubens’ movements came to a halt.
In response, Capella also stopped his actions. It appeared that Capella had received some instructions from Deanna and looked a bit embarrassed, his head slightly bowed.
I hurried over to them, relieved that the commotion was finally ending, and spoke to the three of them.
“Rubens, Capella, that was quite something. It was a training session to show me some unconventional moves, right? I learned a lot, and it was interesting. But can we keep it within reasonable limits next time?”
“……‼ Hahaha, Hahaha……”
Their expressions shifted to a mix of surprise and embarrassment, and for some reason, Deanna couldn’t hold back her laughter. Capella and Rubens exchanged glances before responding.
“Lord Rid, we got carried away. We apologize.”
“I also got a bit too enthusiastic. It was my first sparring session since coming to Bardia’s territory. I’m sorry.”
After they finished speaking, they both bowed to me. I smiled back at them.
“Yeah, as long as you understand. But seriously, Capella, your moves were impressive. If you’re willing, I’d love for you to teach me.”
“Me? Are you sure about that?”
Capella seemed taken aback by my unexpected request, showing a hint of surprise despite his stoic expression. Encouraged by this, Rubens grinned.
“That’s a great idea. Capella here is quite the skilled fighter, so he’ll be a valuable mentor for you, Lord Rid.”
“That’s right. Just from watching, it’s clear how talented Capella is. I’ll make sure to relay that to my father.”
With these words from me and Rubens, Capella couldn’t help but crack a somewhat awkward smile and responded with enthusiasm.
“If it’s acceptable to you, I’d be honored to assist you in any way I can.”
And so, Capella joined my martial arts training, expanding the scope of our training sessions.
Our exchange seemed to leave Deanna quite exasperated, but since she didn’t say anything, I assumed it was fine. Later on, when I informed my father, he reluctantly agreed to let Deanna oversee Capella during our training sessions.
When I conveyed this to Deanna, she let out a small sigh but nodded in acceptance. I was thrilled that everyone was participating in martial arts training, but a thought suddenly struck me.
“…It’s a bit late to realize this, but having Deanna, Capella, and Rubens teach me all at once might make martial arts training quite challenging.”
I muttered to myself, and it felt like the color drained from my face. Startled, I shook my head, trying to dispel my doubts.
“It should be fine, right? It has to be fine… right?”
