I Became the Butler of the Seventh Princess, Who’s Regressing Into a Child - Episode 32

Episode 32

Early morning, before work.

I was in the garden to train with Klaus-san. He had already arrived, and I quickened my pace toward him.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“No problem.”

As soon as Klaus-san noticed me, he drew his sword.  

…Klaus-san has been arriving earlier than usual lately. Originally, the training was supposed to last an hour. But sometimes he stays even longer.  

Though I managed to defeat the dungeon boss, I’m still not certain if I could win against Klaus-san if he went all out.  

Even so, I’m managing because Klaus-san adjusts his pace to match mine. He’s really good at gauging his opponent’s level.

“You’re training your magic control every day, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, more or less.”

I thought back to my daily practice. Each night, I’d head to Elena’s room to train my magic control using that magical tool. My response came out hesitantly. It was probably because of the way Elena acts.

“Then, come at me with everything you’ve got today and use your skills.”

Klaus-san said this and fixed his gaze on me.  

I’ve grown quite comfortable with magic power manipulation. And my abilities as an [Enchanter] have improved considerably alongside my swordsmanship.  

With my current skills… I should be able to put up a decent fight against Klaus-san.

I took a deep breath and gathered my magic power. Starting with the basics, I activated [Acceleration] and [Strength Enhancement]. Since I train daily with Luciana-sama, my skill level in [Pampering] has reached level 6.  

When I activate these abilities together, my stats increase drastically.

Combining “加速” (acceleration) with “しゅんそく” (swift foot) results in ”瞬足” (flash step). After activating [Flash Step] I kicked off the ground.

“…Oh.”

In an instant, I closed in on Klaus-san and swung my sword. Klaus-san effortlessly reacted to my fastest possible strike.  

He tried to slice through me with his sword. So I activated [Jump] and jumped high, aiming a strike from above. At the same time, I used “じゅう力３ばい” (juuryoku sanbai)—[Gravity 3x] to increase the gravitational force on myself and my surroundings. It both slowed him down and made my strike hit harder.

“…Hmph!”

But Klaus-san brushed off my debuff with ease.  

Though he faltered for a moment, he quickly adjusted by using a skill of his own. He aligned his sword to parry mine.  

Though lightly deflected, I immediately launched my next attack.  

My sword used “れんざん” (renzan)—[Chain Slash] to continue with relentless consecutive strikes. It enhances my strikes with mana, increasing both speed and frequency.

“Not bad, but… too soft!”

Klaus-san swung his sword, sending me flying back.  

As I gained some distance, I rotated my body to cast [Flame Arrow].  

The arrow was written in flaming letters in mid-air and shot directly at Klaus-san. But he easily swept it away.  

In an instant, I imbued my sword with “ざんげき” (zangeki)—[Slash], launching an attack from afar. The energy-infused blade sliced through the air, heading straight for Klaus-san.

“Impressive… an [Enchanter] truly has a versatile range of skills.”

However, Klaus-san deflected every single one of my slashes with ease. As expected. But I wasn’t finished yet.

“Now for this…!”

First, I needed to restrict Klaus-san’s movements. For that, I cast the debuff magic “くもいと” (kumoito)—[Spider Thread]. Thin strands of mana extended from my hand, aiming to entangle Klaus-san and limit his mobility.  

If I could restrict his movements, even just a bit…  

However, Klaus-san severed the threads with a single swipe of his sword and closed in on me.  

He cut through the threads effortlessly and launched a counterattack. His sword came bearing down on me.  

I managed to meet his strike with my own sword. But… it was heavy.

“Ugh…!”

The impact of the powerful blow resonated through my entire body.

When it comes down to it…[Enchanters] have a weakness. Activating magic requires writing symbols. Even back in the game, entering text meant I couldn’t do other actions simultaneously. It creates openings that could be exploited.

At this rate, I’ll be overpowered.

“Ahhh!”

With a loud shout to focus myself, I deflected Klaus-san’s attack to the side and evaded it. I quickly moved to counterattack, but Klaus-san parried everything I threw at him.  

…I’ve got plenty of techniques at my disposal, enough to launch a fair number of attacks, including smaller tricks.  

And yet—Klaus-san deflected and returned every single move. His skill was, indeed, overwhelming.

In the end, without landing a single hit on him, our training session came to an end.

“No matter how many small moves you have, relying solely on minor techniques won’t help you break through. Adding small moves isn’t bad, but think of them as setups for delivering a powerful strike.”

“…So, you’re saying I should polish a kind of ultimate move?”

“You don’t need to use such grandiose terms. But…like this—”

At that, Klaus-san sheathed his sword, then unsheathed it with a swift motion.  

In that instant, a sharp sound tore through the air, and a tremendous shockwave burst forth. It was as if the strike had sliced through the very fabric of reality.

“…I have this technique. All my swordsmanship exists to make this move possible. Every part of my skill with a blade is meant to connect flawlessly to this finishing blow.”

With those words, Klaus-san unleashed another strike before my eyes.  

The move he demonstrated was the ultimate sword technique, [Celestial Severing Blade].  

A massive arc of slashing energy ripped through the air in front of him, creating a storm-like gust that blasted across the area.  

The force was devastating. The ground where Klaus-san struck bore a deep gash.  

A single, overpowering blow that looked capable of crushing any enemy. …Certainly, if I were struck with something like that at close range, I’d be done for.

Combining that move with Klaus-san’s swordsmanship, avoiding it would be practically impossible.  

I caught my breath for a moment, then steadied myself and asked,

“That technique…that’s [Celestial Severing Blade], right?”

…If I had enough skill, I could replicate it as an [Enchanter]. But even if I managed to activate it at my current stats and level, the power would be minimal.  

Klaus-san looked at me in silence for a moment before scoffing.

“That’s just the skill name.”

“…What do you mean?”

I asked, slightly bewildered, as Klaus-san’s face broke into a smug smile. He seemed to be in an especially good mood today.

“This technique has a true name.”

“A…true name?”

“Yes. I call it [The Midnight Blade of Finality].”

“…Huh?”

I was at a loss for words. Klaus-san’s brow furrowed at my reaction.

“The skill’s official name is [Celestial Severing Blade], but the true name has to be something grander. That’s why it’s [The Midnight Blade of Finality]. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?”

“…”

…It seems Klaus-san gave a unique name to an already established skill.  

Apparently, he’s the type to name his techniques with a bit of an over-the-top flair.  

And, he’s clearly quite proud of it.

“Exactly. It’s the ultimate move, meant to obliterate everything. The skill name is just for show. This true name captures its essence. You should consider giving your own techniques names like this.”

…Yeah, no thanks.  

Perhaps…Klaus-san might have a bit of a “chuunibyou” complex.  

Inwardly, I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just nodded. Klaus-san’s skill is undeniable, but I decided not to comment on his taste in naming things.