Chapter 95

After the enjoyable shopping with his mother came to an end, Leord decided to return to the mansion. Since there was still time before dinner, Leord decided to borrow the courtyard to practice with Barbarotto and Gilbert as usual.

Barbarotto was tense because it was the Duke's residence. Seeing this, Leord teased him, saying he looked like he had seen something new.

"What's wrong, Barbarotto? You seem stiff?"

"L-Leord-sama, please don't be mean. Just being invited to the Duke's residence as a knight of low rank like me is already an honor..."

"Hahaha. Don't worry about it. Mother and Father won't mind either."

"Well, the Dukes might not, but..."

"Hmm?"

Following the direction of Barbarotto's gaze, Leord saw the knights responsible for the Duke's residence's security. Each of them held a higher rank than Barbarotto and was highly skilled.

"Hmm... then I'll make them shut up."

"Leord-sama? What do you plan to do?"

"Nothing, just show them something. That should change their minds."

Not understanding what Leord was planning, Barbarotto could only tilt his head. But since Leord said it would be fine, he stopped worrying.

"Let's go as usual, Barbarotto!"

"Yes! Anytime!"

After shouting in unison, the two clashed. The sound of wooden swords colliding echoed through the courtyard of the Duke's residence. But in the next moment, the sound of wooden swords clashing at an incredible speed filled the air. Hearing the rapid clashing, the security knights turned to see Leord and Barbarotto engaged in a high-level battle.

The knights responsible for the Duke's residence's security were also highly skilled, but they were no match for Leord and Barbarotto. The two were that strong.

"Haah!"

"Huff!"

By now, the two were focused solely on each other. After all, even a moment's distraction could mean defeat. Leord's sword skills were already on par with Barbarotto's. And Barbarotto, determined not to lose to such a Leord, had been training hard and had yet to give Leord a single point.

Thus, Barbarotto was the better swordsman. That is, in swordsmanship alone. If Leord used magic, he would surpass Barbarotto. But he didn't use magic. It was purely sword training. Therefore, Leord was determined to take a point from Barbarotto with his sword alone.

"Haah!"

"Ugh!"

Indeed, Barbarotto was slightly superior. Barbarotto's strike grazed Leord's cheek. He managed to avoid it, but he still took a hit. Leord and Barbarotto stopped their movements and bowed to each other.

Then, Leord plopped down on the ground.

"Ah! I thought I could do it."

"Of course, I won't lose in swordsmanship yet."

"You're right. By the way, are you less tense now?"

"Yes, definitely. In fact, I feel silly for being so tense."

"Hahaha! That's the best. Look at the security knights. They're watching our training with dumbfounded faces."

Remembering this, Barbarotto turned to look at the knights watching them. Indeed, as Leord had said, they had dumbfounded expressions.

"Hehe. You're right. I feel very cheerful now."

"Haha! That's good. Let's continue, shall we?"

"Sure. I'll win again."

"Don't be so sure. This time, I'll take a point from you!"

The security knights watched the resumed training with rapt attention. However, when the head of security came, the knights who had been watching Leord and Barbarotto were scolded and sent back to their posts. Many of the knights felt frustrated, wishing they could have watched longer and even join in.

Not only the knights, but Olivia was also watching Leord and Barbarotto's training, sipping her tea and smiling happily. She was delighted to see her son's growth.

"Hehe. Leord looks so happy. He really is a boy. He looks better than when we were shopping."

This made her a little jealous. But she was glad to see Leord's smile again, so it was a minor issue.

"Hey, Gil. I don't understand, but how strong is Leord?"

"Indeed. I think there's no one of his age who can match him in a proper fight."

"What about Siegfried, who beat Leord in a duel?"

"That's hard to say. The reason Leord lost was because he had been skipping practice for years. But if they were to fight again, I think Leord would win now."

"True... But it seems unlikely they'll have another chance. Leord will be very busy from now on."

"Leord might cry and come to you."

"If he does, I'd be happy if he came to me. I'd love it if he could be as clingy as he used to be..."

"Haha. Leord might be too embarrassed to come to you, but there are times when one wants to be spoiled by their parents, so it's possible."

"You're right! Hehe. I'd love it if Leord could be a little spoiled again, just a little."

Until recently, Leord had been very spoiled, but he had grown up well recently. As a result, there were fewer things she could do for him as a mother. This was a happy thing, but Olivia felt a little lonely.