It’s been two weeks since I started working at the Helpion Duchy.
Life in the Duchy was so monotonous that its nickname as the fiercest territory in the world seemed pointless.
At dawn, just as the sun rises, the Maid—no, the Head Maid herself—comes to wake me up.
I never imagined that when they said only one person was chosen for each position in the Duchy, this was what they meant.
I was so embarrassed when I first learned the truth.
A newly hired Clerk like me had the nerve to ask the long-serving Head Maid to bring meals to my room and run errands for me.
The Head Maid accepted my apology and said it was fine.
But she’s always so expressionless, meticulous, and neat that I can’t tell what she’s really thinking.
In the morning, I have breakfast with the Duke and then process documents.
Maybe it’s thanks to the hardships of the past two weeks.
The pile of documents is now only one-tenth of what it was when I first started.
It might only be one-tenth, but still, it’s progress.
Just twenty more weeks.
So, in four months, I’ll have cleared all the backlogged paperwork!
“Chamberlain, here.”
“Thank you as always.”
While I’m working through the documents, the Head Maid brings tea.
It’s tea brewed from Selbinus Leaf, grown near the corpse of a giant magical beast, nourished by its mana and dew.
This is a rare and famous luxury product—if you want to drink it in the Empire, you’d have to pay at least a gold coin.
But here, it’s as common as cold water after a meal in the village.
What on earth is the economic sense of this territory?
We need the Merchant Guild to get properly established here and make some profit.
Did Lone get my letter? Why isn’t there any response? Anyway, I wish they’d come faster.
A Merchant Guild is essential for the territory’s development plan.
At this rate, nothing will get done.
“The paperwork has decreased a lot.”
“Haha, there’s still a long way to go. By the way, Head Maid, I can fetch my own tea, you know.”
“No. You’re the only one here who acts like a proper person among these filthy battle maniacs. At least let me do this for you.”
“Ah, hahahaha……..”
When she says things like that with such a calm and serious face, I can never tell if she’s joking or not. The Head Maid, with her youthful, neat, and composed appearance, sometimes delivers the most terrifying curses.
She looks younger than me at first glance, but I heard she’s actually older.
Maybe that’s why she has so many secrets and strange qualities, and why she’s the Head Maid of the Duchy.
“It’s truly a relief that you’ve come, Chamberlain.”
“Haha, thank you for saying so. All I really do is organize documents and write letters.”
“Thanks to you, even the Duke seems a bit more human these days.”
That’s not my opinion.
As far as I can tell, the Duke is still no different from a combat golem obsessed with training.
I sighed, thinking of the Duke.
The supposedly most luxurious tea in the world tasted bitter.
The Duke’s daily routine was simple.
After meals, he trained.
After lunch, he trained again.
After dinner, he trained.
When night fell, he would sleep.
About twice a week, he’d go out on long hunts.
It was to keep Demons from crossing into human territory.
On those days, the entire territory was in a flurry.
Not just the Duke, but even the Butler and the village’s warriors all went out to hunt.
Those days, many people died, and many more were injured.
But then, the Duke’s routine changed.
Because of me.
After lunch and before training, he now held a one-hour meeting with me.
The reason for the meeting was just one thing: to write a love letter.
And today was a special day.
It was the first time we’d ever received a reply to the endless letters we sent.
“You’re here!”
The Duke in his office was more excited than usual. His face was flushed and his breathing was rough.
He jumped up and strode quickly toward me.
Um, Duke. You look really dangerous right now. Please calm down.
As expected.
Overwhelmed by the Duke’s approaching momentum, I took a step back and tripped.
My body wobbled, and just as I was about to fall, the Duke grabbed my arm and steadied me.
“Oh dear, sorry. I got too eager.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine. I’m always clumsy and tripping over myself. Thank you. But more importantly, did you read the letter?”
“Here it is!”
The Duke let go of me and quickly handed me the letter.
The contents were, to put it nicely, very proper, plain, and formal.
To put it not so nicely, there wasn’t much to it besides some polite phrases.
Just things like asking who Lady Titania was, thanking him for saving her that day, and saying she was surprised by how many letters he’d sent.
Well.
We did send letters every single day for two weeks, so it’s no wonder she’d be tired of it.
“Raward, about the contents of this letter.”
“It’s pretty ordinary…….”
“She’s saying she wants to have two children, right?”
“What?”
What kind of nonsense is that?
Has he gone mad from finally receiving the long-awaited reply?
The Duke’s face was extremely serious.
“Lady Squaret also has a younger sibling, right? And Duke Squaret runs the territory with his younger sibling, and her mother’s family also has an aunt, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t tell me you think that means she wants to have two children?”
…Isn’t it?
“Of course not!”
You madman!
I kept the last part to myself for the sake of my social standing.
The Duke looked at me suspiciously.
“Really?”
“Anyone in the Ducal Family would give you the same answer, no, anyone in the Duchy would!”
“Hmph. Well, that’s fine. Then this part must be clear. She wants to have the honeymoon at the Demon King’s Castle…….”
“Please stop with the crazy talk!”
“Crazy, what?”
Ah, I slipped up. But I couldn’t hold back.
“No, I mean, that’s just a figure of speech. Where in this letter does it mention anything about a honeymoon!”
Demon King’s Castle?
It’s mentioned, sure.
She wrote about seeing the Duke cut down a drake in one blow and imagining how fierce the battle must have been at the Demon King’s Castle.
That was it.
How cultured and sensible! It’s just, ‘I’ve heard about you!’ That’s all!
How does he get a honeymoon at the Demon King’s Castle from that? Ugh.
“Duke. Please remember, we’re just exchanging social letters right now.”
“I confessed, and Lady Squaret said to start with letters, so aren’t we planning our future through correspondence?”
“That’s what you call a runaway carriage.”
The Duke’s face fell, though he still eyed me doubtfully.
Every time this happens, I feel disillusioned.
I even accessed the Akashic Record and swept up the world’s Secret Manuals, but is this what I’m using that knowledge for—babysitting a foolish Duke?
Hmph.
But the pay is good, so I’ll stick with it.
I’ve already earned quite a bit in just two weeks.
“Hurry up and write the letter. Tell her about today’s events and your training.”
I urged the Duke as I sat down.
And then.
“Ahem, I have a topic I’ve been pondering lately. It’s about the ‘single line.’ It connects to the insight I shared in my first letter.”
What kind of riddle will today’s letter be?
When the Duke raises a question, I have to turn it into a love letter.
“What does it truly mean to wield a sword? If the belief that the fastest line is a straight one is gone, and swordsmanship is a totality that mixes curves and straight lines, then how should that totality be constructed to create the ultimate swordsmanship?”
Today, too, I had to listen to nonsense I couldn’t understand.
The problem is……..
“Oh, so today’s topic is about the totality of swordsmanship. Yes, if there’s an ultimate, then there must be ultimates that bind together the ultimates! I am moved.”
Lately, whenever we exchanged letters, the Chamberlain would hover nearby, chiming in with comments.
Today was the most ridiculous of all.
What on earth is so moving about that?
The Chamberlain’s eyes were even moist with emotion.
What’s so profound about this?
Is it like a sacred beer contest—empty content, but since it’s from the Duke, it’s treated as sacred?
“Duke.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand a single word.”
Both of them gave me a dumbfounded look.
Why do you look at me like I’m pathetic?
“Really?”
Even you, Chamberlain, are looking at me like I’m some kind of outsider…….
The Head Maid was right.
These people are savages who do nothing but fight all day. And their chieftain is the Duke of Helpion.
“This is a problem. How can my true feelings reach Lady Squaret like this?”
“No, the fundamental problem is that you’re putting swordsmanship theory and training riddles in your love letters…….”
“It can’t be helped. Clerk. This is an order. From today, you will learn the sword.”
“What?”
“Two hours every day. I will personally teach you swordsmanship.”
Duke, have you been taking private lessons in nonsense somewhere?
Every day, you come up with new and creative ways to be ridiculous.
“What are you—……”
Even the Chamberlain seemed surprised for once and looked at Duke Helpion.
“Duke. Didn’t you refuse to teach even the many warriors and knights who sought your guidance? Why the Clerk, of all people…… Ah! It must mean your feelings for Lady Squaret are that deep and passionate!”
Don’t judge the depth of someone’s feelings by something like that!
The Duke, perhaps embarrassed, coughed and hid his blushing cheeks.
“Well, that’s part of it, but there’s another reason.”
“What is it?”
“I noticed your body is out of balance.”
“Not just me, most Academy students are like that. We sit at desks all day, hunched over paperwork, so our backs hurt and our shoulders are rounded.”
“That’s not what I mean. Have you ever learned martial arts, grappling, swordsmanship Secret Manuals or Secret Techniques, even in theory? Or have you ever taken an Elixir you couldn’t handle, or absorbed power for a long time in a Sanctuary or Altar full of spiritual energy?”
The Duke’s eyes scanned me, as if piercing right through.
Steady, unwavering eyes.
I’ve seen those eyes now and then since working in the Duchy.
The kind of deep gaze shown by those who have touched the world’s truths.
It was the same look as the rare professors at Delphi Academy who were called sages.
“Sometimes, from your movements, your reactions, and your muscle and physical balance, I get flashes of inspiration. But you, Clerk, have a terribly weak body.”
“Weak body? I’ve lived fine for 25 years with this body, you know.”
You people are the ones with monstrous physical abilities.
“Lived fine? You might think so. But at most, that will last you another ten years.”
“……What?”
I don’t know what Secret Manual you’re talking about, but there’s faint mana with spiritual energy swirling in your body. If your body isn’t properly prepared, what do you think will happen?”
“What will happen?”
“If you want to hold a lot of water, you need a big, sturdy vessel first. You can’t gather a lot of water if you don’t even have a vessel.”
I asked what would happen, and he answers with a riddle.
That just makes it scarier.
“Isn’t there a chance you’re mistaken, Duke…….
“You said it yourself—you trip and stumble often. Even today, it happened.”
That’s because you charged at me like a hungry troll spotting prey.
“Hmph. Fine. I’ll exercise. If it’s a matter of life and death.”
“Good thinking. Exercise will help. Once your body regains its balance, you’ll be able to handle the power swirling inside you. If that happens, reaching the entry level of Swordmaster won’t be out of reach. If you push yourself, maybe even intermediate Swordmaster. Then, you’ll understand what I’m saying.”
Swordmaster? That’s not something I ever imagined for myself.
It’s a bit fascinating.
I obsessed over the Akashic Record because I thought I might be able to develop magic or supernatural abilities.
But the ability I might gain is not magic, but the path to Swordmaster.
Truly, the world is unpredictable.
“One more thing. Since you’ll be working hard, I’ll make a proposal. Since the training time is because of letter-writing duties, I’ll give you a bonus for the extra work.”
I can’t resist a bonus.
“How about four hours instead of two?”
“Haha. Then you’ll die. Two hours is just enough to leave you half-dead.”
What did you just say?
And that evening.
After running through the training course, I was literally carried to bed, half-dead.
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