Older Bother, match with his rival
“Come, Marcel!”
I arrived at the park at the appointed time, Gasper seems to be heavily motivated as he was ready and waiting.
After all, his sword was already in position.
I think he was quite rude, making me wonder about the education policy of the marquis household.
“Here I come, Gasper”
I greet him normally, as I begin to stretch.
“Whats your game, doing those strange dances!!”
“Ah, before the sword fight, I was thinking of doing a little running”
“…… That so. Certainly what happened yesterday can’t be called a equel bout can it”
A victory declaration was done obstinately, but the person himself seems to be aware of it.
“So how many laps are you doing ? Last time it was 15”
“10 laps ! That will be a good limit. I usually do around 15 laps!”
Apparently, Gasper seemed to have been fighting to complete 10 laps. Should I slow the pace to keep him from getting completely exhausted.
“That would be good. Then, I’ll go. Oh, you should probably do what I’m doing”
I recommend it, while stretching my ankle.
“Are you telling me to imitate such strange movements? What is this about!”
“It is a custom before exercise. It would be embarrassing to call off the duel over a sprained ankle”
“What was that!”
While Gasper was outraged, I just continued to stretch my ankles.
Surprisingly, he was an obedient person.
“Okay, just this time. So give the attendant the signal.”
Gasper called to his attendant.
“You, do not use people selfishly.”
“Have Roy give the signal, since he is right here.”
“Aah!! I hate to lose! We will have both of them do it.”
Gasper says such a troublesome thing.
Roy makes a troubled face, but carries on when I glazed into his eyes.
“Do it, Roy”
“Certainly.”
So, on the opposite sides of the path Roy and Sid , give the starting signal.
Gaspar was the to first moved.
He quickly disappeared as he ran.
His senses aren’t bad.
The sidewalk of the park is made into a circle, elevated middle prevents a majority of visibility.
Pressure is felt when one doesn’t know the location of his opponent.
For now, I will simply maintain my pace here. I will run the first 5 laps a familiar 3km, while holding on to a reserve of energy.
Using the first 4 laps to determine my policy.
At the side, the attendant of the person ahead had a happy look on his face.
When I think so, I begin to sign.
While I ran, it appears that I’d be lapped.
“You seem very relaxed, Marcel”
Gasper appears next to me breathing heavily, it seem that the accelerated once he caught sight of me.
“Ah, it is important to begin things leisurely, as to finish without tiring yourself out.”
“………………”
Gaspar was silent. He probably did not understand sarcasm?
We ran my 4th and 5th lap side by side.
And on the 6th lap.
Once I pass the starting point, I start to burn through my saved stamina.
“!”
Gasper snapped up.
However, he slowly dropped back down, by the time I entered the 7th I was no long behind.
Roy smiled, and Sid had a frightened expression.
What, I’m only emulating what you guys did in the beginning.
I flew smoothly, and finally caught up to Gasper in the middle of the 9th lap.
He looked back and showed an astonished expression, but immediately turned around and resumed running.
I don’t miss it.
From here, I accelerated more.
On the 10th lap, the final stretch, I took the lead.
Gasper, showing his pride pursues me.
I don’t look back, as his footsteps and breathing are transmitted to me.
However, as I entered the last half it was cut off.
At the goal I accept a towel from Roy, Taking deep breathes, I try to cool down.
I wanted to eat some fruit and have a drink as well, but it would be rather difficult to accept a rival that way, so I stopped my self.
When my breathing calmed down, Gasper came.
Though he was breathing roughly, he was not as bad off as yesterday.
“It was a good race.”
Two cups of my homemade sports drink are poured.
“………………”
“I’m not going to duel you while you are dehydrated”
Understanding my intentions, Gasper silently took the the drink and drank it.
When both of our breathing has settled, Gasper again takes up his wooden sword.
“Lets go”
Probably because he lost the race, he now had a stiff expression.
“Wait, in this duel lets each use this.”
I declared so, while picking up two rod-shaped items.
“…… What are those?”
Gaspar asked with a questioning look.
They were bamboo swords.
If we had dueled with wooden swords there would be a chance that one of use could get seriously hurt, so I asked a craftsmen who is employed by my family here in the capital, to quickly make these.
In my previous like I used these when I learned Yagyu Shinkage-style kendo, I remember reading manga and gaining some random knowledge on how to make them. The craftsmen was truly excellent, being able to create them at my request.Because the swords were made of a bamboo like plant, they were divided into several types. I had a leather craftsman help me seat the ideal strength and flexibility.
Because it was the end of the year, I rewarded the craftsmen generously.
With this, our safety is insured.
Last night――
I took the completed bamboo swords and visited Micheline.
“Thanks to you Micheline, I was able to come up with a good tool.” It won’t hurt to get hit by this, so I can safely sword fight”
While expressing thanks, the structure of the sword is explained. Then,
“Even if you are hit, you won’t be injured?”
Micheline still anxiously asked.
“Yeah, it’s okay. Want to give it a try?”
I passed the bamboo sword to Micheline, and encouraged her to hit me.
“To hit onii-sama in such a manner……”
“It was made by a trusted craftsmen, it should be fine.”
“Alright then……”
Peshi
The shock of being hit had more impact then the actual blow.
“Hahaha, I won’t feel it unless you swing harder.”
I pretend to laugh.
“Then, EI!”
Micheline increases her power, and strikes.
Peshi
“Haha, that tickled a bit.”
“Ehaa!”
Peshi
“Well, that stung a bit.”
“Haa! Yaa!”
Peshi! Peshi!
“Well, I actually felt that”
“Sore! Sore!”
Peshi! Peshi!
“See, Micheline?”
“Oh! Yaa!”
Bop!! Bop!!
“Hay! that one actually hurt a little!!”
At that point I was desperate to get the bamboo sword away from Micheline ,who was emitting a strange aura.
“Oh, Lets stop……”
Micheline let out an ashamed breathe.
Somehow, I feel that an unnecessary door has fully opened for my sister.
What should I do?
Because I am hopeless, I went to sleep rubbing my back that had become slightly painful.
When I woke up this morning the pain had disappeared, so the swords functioned without a problem.
But with Micheline, “Onii-sama, can I try it once again?”, I seem to have created a big issue.
The bamboo swords were made, in exchange for future fears.
Gasper didn’t complain.
“Although we have the strength of children, a hit from a wooden sword would be painful. Reciprocally, that would be bad. Worrying about that, would make us unable to show our full level of swordsmanship. With these, we can strike without hesitation.”
“…… that would be good.”
Gasper passed Sid his wooden sword, and received a bamboo sword from me.
“Victory to the one that gains the point first. The imposed degree is ignored. The judgment is reciprocal. How is that?”
I repeated the conditions I heard Lloyd uses for knight training.
“Understood”
Gasper also familiar with these formal rules, accepts just like that.
“Also, lunging shall be prohibited. Since there is a possibility of injury when you thrust this weapon”
Gasper nods, while keeping the bamboo sword in a middle berth.
“Then, shall we begin?”
“Let’s go!”
We confirm the start of the battle.
Gasper attacks at once.
Fast.
I try to take some distance, while receiving the blow head on.
I focus on the character on the other side, that continued to strike, and managed to return my sword to middle berth and assume a posture.
He is surprisingly cautious.
As you would expect from a member of a marquis family.
“Haa!”
I prepared this time.
This shrike is to squarely hit my head.
The other side does not move, so I would receive the strike on the spot.
It a fierce completion, saw the timing of the opponent’s sword and drop down.
There is no chase.
Once again we distance ourselves, take a fighting stance, and glare at each other.
In a flash, Gasper covers the distance.
I avoid, and counterattack from a distance. This was also stopped.
I had snagged something.
Gaspar’s blow are fast for certain. But the attacks are monotonous and there are a lot of openings.
Though it was inviting, I decided to study them closer.
It may seem foolish, I try it.
Once again face to face, Gaspar attacks.
When I go down a half step and avoid, I throw myself into a counter touch just as Gasper’s sword is shaken off.
My single blow, managed to hit Gasper’s head.
“…… another one”
Gasper did not release his stance.
His expression seemed to be frozen.
“Seo!”
I cater to his want of a rematch.
However, the result was cruel.
I see through Gasper’s opening perfectly, and end it with a counter strike.
Head, arms, torso, legs, hit hit hit hit.
Gasper demanded a rematch to each time. After the 10th time, Gasper, with a warped expression, just rushed in with headlong drives.
That’s how it went.
I drove the last blow in, while we exchanged blows, as expected.
Gaspar sits in place.
“Father’s a liar…”
With a faint voice, Gasper began to shed tears.
“…… Don’t you undergo sword training?”.
Gaspar nodded to my question, and broke down into tears.