I Reincarnated as a Mob Villain Prince Who Dies Before the Game Starts ~ In Order to Be Happy with My Favorite Heroine's Younger Sister, I Overcame My Weakest Magic [Dark Blade] with Excessive Effort, and It Became the Strongest Broken Power ~ - Chapter 11: The Mob Prince Learns Swordsmanship from an S-Rank Adventurer and Becomes a Master at Lightning Speed

Chapter 11: The Mob Prince Learns Swordsmanship from an S-Rank Adventurer and Becomes a Master at Lightning Speed

[S-Rank Adventurer Gain’s Perspective]

“You’re offering 300 gold coins for killing Prince Luke by using my position as a swordsmanship instructor? Sorry, but try someone else. I’m an adventurer, not an assassin.”

“That’s not enough for you? Then, I’ll double the reward. How about 300 gold coins upfront? S-Rank Adventurer, Lord Gain of Dandy Lion?”

“Hey, that’s not the point…”

Camilla, the 4th Imperial Consort, dressed in an overly extravagant outfit, rang the bell.

A maid came in, carrying a heavy treasure chest.

This was the private room of the Imperial Consort Camilla at the palace.

Luxurious furnishings were everywhere, and the sofa I sat on had a dreamy, plush feel.

As someone with no roots, I would never have been allowed into such a noble place under normal circumstances.

The name “Dandy Lion” came from my habit of traveling aimlessly between countries.

I hate being tied down by anyone.

…But now, I need money, so I couldn’t afford to be picky. That’s why I took up the Emperor’s request to be a swordsmanship instructor.

I never expected to be dragged into the court’s power struggle like this. Damn it, this is the worst.

“This is impressive.”

When the treasure chest was opened, the gold coins inside shone brightly.

It was a fortune that I would never see in my lifetime, even if I spent my time hunting monsters.

“But, killing a child? That’d make for a terrible morning. Besides, I have no idea how I would explain it to my daughter, Lena.”

I stood up to leave.

Not only was it unpleasant, but staying away from people like them was the key to living longer.

“Wait. Your daughter is in my care.”

“What…?”

I was stunned by the unexpected statement.

Camilla, the Imperial Consort, said it with a triumphant smile.

“If you refuse my request and become that fool Luke’s swordsmanship instructor, it’s the same as opposing me. Poor thing, I guess you won’t be seeing your daughter again.”

This…

For a moment, I almost lost my temper, but I managed to hold myself back.

“If you succeed in assassinating Luke, I will add to your reward and have my personal mage treat your daughter. How does that sound? Not a bad deal, right?”

“…Hah, it seems you’ve done your homework.”

I sat back down on the sofa.

About two months ago, I visited a village that was turned into an experiment site by a terrible mage, and all the villagers fell into a coma.

My 7-year-old daughter, Lena, was among them.

Some mages, those bastards, repeatedly use people for experiments in order to develop new magic.

Since then, Lena and the villagers have been asleep, as if dead.

Lena had started learning how to make recovery potions, wanting to become a pharmacist to help me in the future.

The thought that Lena might never wake up is absolutely ridiculous.

But to hire a mage capable of dispelling magic, someone who could use Dispel, would require a lot of money.

So, I agreed to become Luke’s swordsmanship instructor.

“…You’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Of course. But in return, make sure Luke suffers and is tortured to death. His body will be sent to his mother and sister.”

Imperial Consort Camilla smiled wickedly.

“Understood. I’ll try to fulfill your request. But in return, let me meet Lena before the job. Right now.”

I glared at Imperial Consort Camilla, exuding an intimidating presence.

Many nobles and royalty have no regard for the lives of commoners. Camilla is most likely one of them.

Once the job is done, it’s likely that Lena and I will be erased.

That’s why I have to meet Lena before the job and forcefully take her away from their hands. That’s the best move.

“…Fine. Then, you should take a good look.”

Camilla said, and the maid who had brought the gold coins took out a crystal ball. Lena’s sleeping face appeared in the crystal ball.

This was a spell that showed distant images—Farseeing magic.

“Lena!? Hey, where is this? Let me meet my daughter directly!”

I grabbed the maid by the collar and threatened her.

But the maid, far from being intimidated, gave a cold smile.

“…That’s not something I can do. Your daughter is a test subject for the rare Thanatos magic, [Realm of the Underworld]. If possible, I want to observe the progress closely.”

“What!? You… are you the one…?”

“Yes, I am. The village that was turned into an experiment site? That was me. And the one who can lift the magic is none other than me.”

I can’t believe I’m meeting the bastard who put Lena into a coma like this…

Although my bl00d was boiling, I carefully observed the maid.

She looked like she was in her teens, but she spoke like an old man. She didn’t seem to be a young girl after all.

Was it a transformation spell?

Still, why does she seem so calm even though my killing intent is overwhelming her?

“You’d be better off accepting the gold and doing as you’re told. This Zylas is a magic user raised by my family, the Ludwig Duke House. He was even taught by the renowned alchemist, Count Saint-Germain.”

“Saint-Germain?”

If that’s true, then could he be a magic user who’s been taught the secret techniques of immortality…?

I heard that some of Saint-Germain’s disciples received his immense wisdom.

Damn it, so that’s why she’s so confident.

Even if it’s a bluff, with Lena held hostage, I have no chance of winning. For now, I have no choice but to accept the demands.

“…Alright, I’ll take the job.”

“Good. Once you kill Prince Luke, I’ll let you see your revived daughter. Focus on your task.”

Zylas laughed with a muffled voice.

Thus, gritting my teeth in frustration, I took on the task of assassinating Prince Luke.

The next day—

“…You’re Prince Luke?”

I met Luke in the palace courtyard, feeling completely unenthusiastic.

At first glance, Luke had white skin that didn’t seem to suggest he had any Dark Elf bl00d.

No, his extraordinarily beautiful face was truly something almost otherworldly…

It’s easy to believe the rumors that his mother is an unparalleled beauty.

“Yes. It’s an honor to be taught swordsmanship by an S-rank adventurer. I want to get stronger as soon as possible, so please teach me strictly.”

“Is that so?”

Luke bowed politely.

What I liked about him was that there was no attitude of looking down on others, which is typical of royalty and nobles.

Curious, I decided to talk to him a bit.

“…Why do you want to get stronger? I heard you volunteered to learn swordsmanship from the Emperor, didn’t you?”

“I want to protect my mother and sister. Because we have demon bl00d, we are persecuted at the court.”

…Tch, I shouldn’t have asked that.

“I’ll say this first: Call me Master Gain and show respect. My orders are absolute. While you’re studying under me, forget that you’re a prince.”

I gave a commanding order.

I needed to make sure this kid followed me completely, as I would eventually trap and kill him.

“I’ll call you Luke without any honorifics. No polite speech. Got it?”

“Yes, of course. If that’s the case, it’ll be impossible to teach me swordsmanship otherwise.”

His response was far more composed than I expected for a 7-year-old.

More than that, his entire body radiated a strong determination.

Even though my resolve was wavering, I decided to harden my heart.

“…Then we’re going straight into actual combat from the first day, Luke. This is the fastest way to get stronger.”

“Yes, Master Gain, please!”

Master Gain, huh? Now that I think about it, I never imagined I’d be taking on a student.

Although I had gained fame as a swordsman, I had become strong through self-taught methods, so I didn’t even know how to teach a disciple properly.

So, I began with what I believed to be the best method to become the strongest—immediately starting with sparring using wooden swords.

There’s no better training than actual combat against a stronger opponent.

Formal sword training with forms, like the traditional ones, is secondary, even tertiary.

But even though they were wooden swords, they still hurt like hell if you were hit, and if you weren’t careful, bones could break.

As requested by Empress Camilla, I relentlessly beat Luke from the first day.

However, Luke didn’t flinch at all and kept attacking me.

I was shocked—this kid is used to fighting.

For a prince, his moves and boldness made it seem like he had already experienced actual combat many times before.

The next day, and the one after that, every time Luke came at me, I countered with a painful blow.

But Luke never gave up on his training.

“…It seems there was no lie in your words from the first day.”

“Of course.”

Moreover, his movements were becoming more and more refined.

Luke had agility that you wouldn’t expect from a child, but at first, he still made many unnecessary movements, so it was easy to counter him.

However, Luke quickly started copying my moves and incorporating them into his own.

Now, after a week, he even started using feints to confuse me.

Although it was still based on copying me… using a mixture of truth and deception is already the realm of a master.

For him to reach that level in just one week—it was an abnormal growth rate.

Not only did he have talent, but his strong desire to become stronger was pushing him to grow at an explosive speed.

“Still not enough, Luke. Even with your gaze, deceive your opponent. Swordsmanship is about predicting your opponent’s next move.”

“Yes, Master!”

Without realizing it, I started enjoying teaching Luke swordsmanship.

I wanted to see how far he could go as a swordsman. I suddenly found myself wanting to make him the strongest with my own hands.

Is this what it’s like to take pride in raising a disciple…?

I would have preferred not to meet him under these circumstances.

That tiny conflict made my sword dull.

Our swords struck each other’s ribs at the same time.

“I did it! It’s a draw, Master Gain!”

“Well, I never thought you’d come at me with a reckless strike like that.”

Holding my sore side, I was deeply impressed.

Seriously, this kid is something else… He doesn’t fear pain and boldly comes at me.

In actual combat, fear and hesitation can create fatal openings.

I’ve taught him various tricks, but the most important thing is courage.

Once you decide to fight, the most important thing for a swordsman is the courage to dive into your opponent’s space without hesitation.

Luke, who has resolved to protect his mother and sister, already has that courage.

I see now—he’s strong.

“Ah!? Please don’t bully my big brother!”

“Wha!?”

Suddenly, a small girl in a dress came flying at me with a kick.