Chapter 22 The Wife's Awakening

"Here you are, Leon!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than my father vanished like a phantom, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of me, his wooden sword slashing at me.

I'm not the kid I used to be anymore. I used wind and fire magic in both hands, and a wave of energy exploded between us. Although it would affect me as well, I had already created some distance between us.

I understand that such an attack won't have a significant impact on my father...

He swiftly swung his wooden sword, skillfully deflecting the shockwave, and then charged at me again.

After creating some distance, I didn't rest. With a wave of my right hand, many flying stones flew towards my father. Almost simultaneously, earth magic was activated, softening the soil beneath his feet. Once his feet sank into it, I quickly hardened the soil.

This left the father unable to move his feet. Seeing that the flying stones were about to hit him, the wooden sword in his hand danced like a flower, intercepting the flying stones one by one.

Seeing that it had no effect, I quickly moved away again. My immediate thought was to prevent my father from getting close. His close combat skills were too numerous. Taking advantage of the gap when the mud trapped him, I could only keep my distance.

Such a move was clearly overconfident. My father shattered the soil with a slight push of his feet and charged at me again, wielding his wooden sword.

Of course, this kind of magic can't possibly trap my father. My goal isn't to trap him, but simply to slow him down.

Seeing his father rushing straight towards him, he swung his left hand and sent another sandstorm flying towards him.

At the same time, I drew the wooden sword from my waist with my right hand. I knew it was only a matter of time before my father got close. Taking advantage of the gap in the flying sand, I stabbed the wooden sword into his chest with lightning speed.

To my surprise, my father didn't cover his eyes with his hands. Instead, he made a graceful turn, and the flying sand landed on his back. Then, as if it had a soul, the wooden sword in his hand blocked my attack.

I could only retreat again, widening the distance between myself and my father, while simultaneously scattering sand with one hand. Otherwise, I would face my father's fierce attack.

The father easily deflected two consecutive attacks; that's what makes a swordsman so terrifying...

After retreating, I didn't stop, but instead started circling around my father, constantly using magic—flying stones, water bullets, fireballs…

I must minimize his mobility as much as possible to increase my chances of winning.

Despite my magical attacks, my father kept dodging and blocking, but the distance between us kept getting closer and closer...

My father didn't make any mistakes. No! That's not right! I couldn't find any mistakes. Every move he made seemed to follow a pattern to me, yet nothing seemed superfluous.

Fighting in this state would be too disadvantageous for me. My father's swordsmanship is beyond doubt, and I would never win in close combat. I can only rely on magic to disrupt his movements...

But dragging this out is definitely not going to work! I have to think of another way.

The courtyard wasn't big, and it only took my father a moment to get close to me. Although I had told him beforehand not to use Shinto-ryu swordsmanship, I still couldn't find a way to break through.

"Wait! Where's Father?! Oh no..."

I was clearly running around him the whole time, but my father disappeared like a ghost. I was just thinking too much, and I made a lot of mistakes!

Before I could react, my father's figure suddenly appeared behind me, and the wooden sword slashed down towards my back. This! This is...

"The water supply has stopped!"

It's not that my father has disappeared; it's that I can't keep up with his pace!

Snap!

The wooden sword struck my body with a dull thud, and a searing pain instantly spread throughout my body...

"Finish!"

After saying that, my father put away the wooden sword and went into the house, completely ignoring me, who was rolling on the ground in pain.

"Ugh... Seriously! Knowing all five sword techniques is just too overpowered!" I kept complaining. To be honest, I had no idea when he would use any of those sword techniques, and I had no way to defend myself at all!

"Leon... are you alright?!" Anna would always watch my sparring with my father, but I always lost miserably. I've heard that countless times.

"Great goddess of life, in my name, by your power, grant those who have lost their strength the strength to rise again—Azure Crown"

Although I always told her I was fine, Anna would still use healing magic to ease my pain. By this time, she could use King-level magic just like me.

However, I've stagnated in both magic and swordsmanship, which is really frustrating...

“Leon… I’ve noticed that you subconsciously back down every time you fight Lord Seger!”

Anna's words at that moment stunned me. If a mage fights a swordsman, isn't it just courting death if they don't keep their distance?

"Wait a minute! I don't think I've ever thought about this before!"

The theory that mages must keep their distance when fighting swordsmen is an experience I gained from fighting Fisshill, but I never intended to be prejudiced against it.

That's how it is in Faith Hill! It's the same with my several sparring sessions with my father; almost the entire time I'm thinking about how to use magic to create distance between myself and my opponent.

Why not use magic to launch a preemptive attack? Even if it only shocks the opponent, we can find a weakness and gain the upper hand, instead of remaining passive like this forever.

"I see, I see..."

As I was thinking this, I looked up at Anna and couldn't help but hug her tightly. It was like a wake-up call!

"Anna! As expected of Anna!"

"Ah... Leon..."

I didn't notice Anna's face turning rosy; I was too busy excitedly exclaiming, "That's wonderful! Anna! Thank you!"

"Huh... what is Young Master Leon doing?!"

I didn't even notice that Sylvie was standing right next to Anna and me, staring at us with a mischievous grin.

Only then did I realize how rude I had just been!

"Cough cough...no...nothing..." I tried my best to hide my embarrassment, but my face turned red against me.

"It's nothing! Lady Sylvie, Leon is just too happy..." Anna explained for me first, which surprised me. But with her face so red down to her neck, who would believe that explanation?

"Oh my! She's already starting to speak up for Leon! She's ready to be a wife, huh..."

Upon hearing this, I felt something like steam rising from Anna's head...

"Lady Sylvie! What...what are you saying? Young Master Leon, how could this be...how could this be..."

Anna's voice had faded by this point; her head was bowed so low it almost touched the ground. Here we go again! A classic scene featuring Sylvie!