“Your Highness, you are not strong. If you continue as it is, you will be no better than a foot soldier.”

  That was the first sentence, Bishop Leon said to me today.

  His word really hurt my pride.

  So, I replied in protest.

  “Master… I know I cannot measure up to you. I, at least, can fight on equal terms with the knight.”

  Yes, in my free time, I also joined mock battles with the knights of Duke Willow.

  I also managed to score several victories.

  It should be considered good progress, given my late start.

  Yet, he next word put me in more dissatisfaction.

  He really looked down on me too much.

  No one ever said those things to me.

  Not even, David.

  After he shook his head in denial, he strongly reaffirmed his stance to me.

  “That is why I said that, Your Highness. Heed my word, you will die in no time if you continue this way.”

  And his last sentence also mentioned my demise.

  Is someone targeting me?

  That was my first thought.

  For him to say those words out of the blue.

  Something might have triggered it.

  So, I cautiously asked him.

  “Master, why did you say that?”

  “No one is targeting you.” To my concern, he lightly dismissed my doubt. Then, he took several steps forward.

  After he stopped in front of me, he pointed his finger at my chest.

  Then, he firmly said.

  “It is you who will get yourself killed.”

  As the person receiving this kind of treatment, I could only hold back my anger in front of him.

  And I hastily asked him.

  “What am I lacking?”

  I knew it; although I tried to hide, I could not conceal my fury when I said that.

  Yet, Bisho Leon calmly received it.

  Then he let out a grin.

  With a grin still on his face, he asked me.

  “Have you ever seen the strong fight?”

  Facing this question, I could not give an immediate answer.

  Have I ever seen the strong fight?

  During my journey, and while I was staying here, I have observed countless fights between knights and with monsters.

  Many of them are considered to be a ‘named’ knight.

  They were great knights.

  They should be considered strong.

  Yet, for the legendary Leon, they might not be able to compare with him.

  Who else should I consider to be strong based on his standard?

  Duke Willow? Lady Iris? Luke? Rick? Rowan? Bishop Leon, himself?

  They should be strong based on his standard.

  Ah, no, Luke and Rick were not there yet.

  I could at least go toe-to-toe with them.

  So, have I even seen Duke Willow and Lady Iris fight?

  Never.

  So, who else?

  Duke Raven?

  Although we have spared some time, it was not a fight.

  It should not be counted.

  How about David?

  I have never seen him draw a sword.

  Not even during our journey to the South.

  Never once did he draw his sword.

  The only instance I saw him draw a sword was when I sneaked to the training ground last time.

  That too could not be counted as a fight.

  ‘That fight’ ended before he could properly finish his first swing.

  Is David strong?

  No.

  It was around a year or two ago that he was appointed as a knight.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  So, he should not be different from the great knight of Duke Willow.

  So, ultimately, based on Bishop Leon’s standard, I have never seen the ‘strong’ fight.

  Yet, I refused to give him an answer as it would hurt my pride and reinforce his belief.

  He would continue to look down at me.

  After he saw me fall into silence, Bishop Leon mockingly smiled at me.

  “You might have. But you did not know.”

  After he said that, he turned his back on me.

  Then, before he walked, he said.

  “Follow me.”

  So, I followed him to the underground training ground.

  After we opened the door and walked inside, David looked at us in confusion and asked.

  “Is the physical training over?”

  “Sorry, we didn't know you were training here, Sir David.”

  That was his lie to David.

  It was not our turn to use the underground training ground yet.

  We could not see Duke Willow.

  So, he might have finished giving David instructions.

  However, I was aware that he still had more time for self-training.

  As for Bishop Leon, he came here knowing that David would be here alone.

  We could see him smile when he said that.

  Yet David suspected nothing.

  He lowered his head to Bishop Leon and gave his apology.

  “I apologize. I overstayed in the training ground.”

  After he shamelessly lied through his teeth, Bishop Leon tried to act generous to David.

  With a benevolent smile, he acted as if he forgave David.

  “It is good to be diligent. You can continue a bit longer.”

  After he said that, he added.

  “Is it possible for me to observe the training?”

  Receiving this question, although he hesitated at first, David agreed to his request.

  “I don't mind.”

  That was how David fell into a scam.

  Thereafter, Bishop and I began to observe his training in silence.

  It was the same thing as the thing I saw when I sneaked in last time.

  David conducted the imaginary training with the same opponent as last time.

  Yet, he only repeated the same thing.

  Just one swing, and it would end with his defeat.

  At some point, he could not even draw his sword.

  It was pointless in my view.

  Yet, with the message from Bishop Leon’s eyes, I silently looked at David.

  “......”

  “...…”

  Thus, we stood there until David finished his training.

  It was his rest time, and bishop Leon stepped forward and asked in great interest.

  “Sir David. Who was the one you fought with?”

  Facing Bishop Leon, I could see David frown.

  Then he gave a short answer, as he had last time.

  “... a monster.”

  “Do you mean him? That boy?”

  That word from Bishop Leon surprised me.

  From what he said, he also knew that individual.

  Yet, he never mentioned him to me.

  I have been wanting to know that individual; however, I could not bring myself to ask Devid.

  As I was about to ask him about that person, I was interrupted by David.

  He calmly responded to Bishop Leon.

  “It looks like you two have crossed road.”

  “I received their help at some point.”

  Upon seeing a friendly smile from Bishop Leon, David showed an understanding expression as he nodded his head.

  “... I see.”

  That was when I learned that Bishop Leon met that individual.

  That person also saved him at some point.

  While I was lost in thought, Bishop Leon quietly asked David.

  “How are they doing?”

  In which David sadly replied.

  “They are doing their best as usual.”

  However, I noticed something.

  Bishop David used the word ‘they’ to address them.

  David also responded to it in the same manner.

  However, from my conversation with David, he identified that individual as ‘he’.

  So, I previously assumed that the individual was a man.

  Yet, this time they changed the pronoun to ‘they’.

  I was really confused.

  However, I could not solve it.

  It was because I saw a grave face that Bishop Leon showed at that time.

  “good”

  I could also detect his sadness underlying that word.

  While I was unsure whether I should ask him more about that individual, I lost my chance.

  It was because David suddenly asked Bishop Leon to spar with him.

  “May I spar with you?”

  Facing that sudden request, Bishop Leon let out a knowing smile.

  “I don't think I can offer you any useful insight. But I will try my best.”

  As he said that, he drew his sword as if he were waiting for it.

  As for David, when he saw that, he let out a wry smile as if he had just realized that he had been played.

  “...”

  Then, he silently threw his gaze at me briefly before turning his attention to Bishop Leon.

  It was one hell of a show.

  It was a great spectacle.

  I have never witnessed such a fighting scene like that.

  I never imagined that David could go toe-to-toe with Bishop Leon.

  He could fight on equal ground with the legendary Leon.

  I have always thought that he would be only slightly above the average knight.

  I never imagined that he would be this strong.

  I never saw him fight properly.

  However, I saw that he lost to that imaginary opponent in one move.

  So, I thought he would not be much stronger than me.

  However, the prowess he demonstrated that day shattered my prior belief.

  No wonder my father had great trust in him.

  It was Bishop Leon who stepped in first.

  It was also he who made the first move.

  Toward a downward swing that I could not track with my eyes, David effortlessly evaded it with a side step.

  Immediately after that, while standing at Bishop Leon’s blind spot, gripping his own sword with both hands, David tried to counter it with a pummel of his sword.

  However, his attack was stopped by a small shield manifested with divinity.

  Everything happened in an instant.

  Yet, the pressure from this exchange alone was enough to make a mess out of the training ground.

  While still maintaining their postures, Bishop Leon spoke to David with a smile.

  “I apologize, Sir David. However, you are not ready to face him yet.”

  “I know.”

  When David replied to him with a calm voice, I could see Bishop Leon’s smile deepen.

  With that small exchange of words, I could grasp how high his standard was.

  Although David could effortlessly evade his serious attack while also countering it, Bishop Leon still said it was not enough.

  I really wonder what kind of monster that individual is that Bishop Leon needed to raise his standard this high?

  “Don’t give up.”

  He said that while laughing.

  Then, he turned to look at me and said to me.

  “Your Highness, I hope this spar serves as a good inspiration for you…. I have to say, you are too weak. So, please train harder.”

  After he said that, they began to fight each other fiercely.

  They silently traded blows.

  Yet, no one could land a solid hit on the other.

  For how long, I wonder.

  For several minutes, David could equally match Bishop Leon.

  However, cracks began to form in this swordsmanship.

  It was when Bishop Leon began to use divine art.

  While David was occupied with Bishop Blade, Bishop would employ small sneak attacks on David.

  However, I could see that David could respond to a big attack, such as a divine judgment or a divine impact, without trouble.

  Yet, he found trouble dealing with small art, such as a light spear.

  Bishop Leon also quickly noticed it.

  So, he kept using those arts to attack David’s blind spots.

  After about ten minutes, the spar ended with David’s defeat.

  Although he could land a solid hit on Bishop Leon, it had no effect as it was prevented by Bishop Leon’s armor.

  And that one hit was granted with an exchange for his ‘life’.

  “It was reckless of you, Sir David.”

  As David lay down on the floor, with the tip of his sword resting on David’s chest, Bishop Leon said that with a stern voice.

  Facing his angry face, like me last time, David could only apologize.

  “I apologize.”

  Then, when he saw that Bishop Leon let out a long sigh.

  “Never be too emotional.”

  Bishop Leon said that as he extended his hand to David.

  After he got up with Bishop Leon’s help, he lowered his head to Bishop Leon and said.

  “Yes, thank you for your guidance.”

  His attitude toward Bishop Leon was that of a good and polite knight.

  It was different from how he behaved toward me.

  It was too far apart for me to pretest immediately.

  However, before I could do it, Bishop Leon turned to me and firmly said.

  “Never get too full of yourself, Your Highness. You must accept the fact that you are too weak to survive on your own.”

  After he said that, he immediately left the underground training ground.

  He left David and me behind.

  Then, I turned to David to ask him to explain the thing I just witnessed

  “What was that? Why did you hide your strength?”

  To which David replied.

  “I never did.”

  After he said that, he also left me alone.

  That day, I stayed in the underground training ground until dinner.

  I tried to replay the scene I'd just seen over and over.

  I also attempted imaginary training with ‘David’ and ‘Bishop Leon’ as my opponent, alternatively, multiple times.

  Yet, I could not even react before I was helplessly ‘cut down’.

  Finally, I could understand why David had been trying that hard on that meaningless action.