The Necromance of Love and Death: Defeated Early in the Game, I Reincarnated as a Tragic Villainous Noble and Rebel Against the Scenario with My Beloved Using My Modern and Game Knowledge - Chapter 25

“There!”

“Abandon your fear and step in more sharply!”

“Got it!”

A few days had passed since our return from the royal capital. Vio and I were training hard in swordsmanship at the training grounds alongside with Enzo.

I gripped my wooden sword tightly in my right hand and charged at Enzo. Even I could tell that my speed, with the sharpness of Enzo, was lacking.

The reason was clear—I lost my right leg.

Now, I was like Captain Hook, with a single wooden prosthetic for my right leg and a hook-like prosthetic for my left hand. Compared to when I had my real limbs, my movements felt heavier and more cumbersome.

But dwelling on that wouldn’t change anything. The monsters in the dungeon wouldn’t care about my missing limbs.

“Ugh!”

Just as I expected, Enzo easily deflected my attack, sending me flying backward. It took everything I had just to keep myself from falling.

And in that vulnerable moment, Enzo’s sharp voice lashed at me.

“More precision! Be aware of your opponent’s gaze!”

“Understood!”

I focused on my opponent’s gaze as I moved in. I understood the theory, but executing it was another matter entirely.

After all, this was a one-on-one fight. Enzo’s gaze was locked onto me and wouldn’t waver. How was I supposed to throw him off in this situation?

The concept of a feint crossed my mind. But thinking about it and actually executing it were two different things.

Now that I had lost one leg, performing complex footwork to mislead my opponent was difficult—and very frustratingly.

But I had no choice but to try!

I braced myself and stepped forward with my prosthetic right leg.

Then, I immediately shifted my weight to my left foot and attempted to leap to the right.

For a brief moment, Enzo’s gaze flickered away.

Now!

“Hah!”

I slammed my prosthetic foot into the ground and tried to leap left—but—

“Gah!?”

My prosthetic leg couldn’t hold firm, and my body tilted out of control. Unable to recover, I tumbled to the ground.

“Damn it!”

I tried to get up immediately, but before I could, Enzo’s wooden sword was already at my throat.

“That was an excellent attempt.”

“I don’t need consolation.”

“I mean it. Trying something is far better than freezing up. Besides, you’re still growing, Lord Margrave. With training, your muscles will develop, and you’ll eventually be able to pull off more demanding moves. That’s something to look forward to.”

“I see…”

I wanted to grow up as soon as possible.

“Next up, Lady Violette.”

“Alright! This time, I’ll land a hit for sure!”

“I won’t make it easy for you.”

And so, Vio and Enzo began their sparring match. As for me, I sat back to observe while resting. Watching was also an important part of training.

“Here I go!”

In an instant, Vio crouched low and shot toward Enzo. Thanks to her Gift, Speed Star, she moved so fast that I lost sight of her for a moment. She practically skimmed across the ground, making herself a small and elusive target.

Enzo lowered his stance and readied his swords, but even from a distance, I could tell he was struggling to counter her. Vio had turned her small stature into an advantage.

“Take this!”

“Tch—!”

With dazzling speed, Vio unleashed her twin blades upon Enzo. She was so fast that even tracking her attacks with the eye was difficult.

The sharp clashing of wooden swords echoed through the training grounds.

Enzo parried with his own dual swords, but it was clear he was on the defensive side.

Both Vio and I had just recently started our training in swordsmanship. But while I was still struggling, Vio had a natural talent for it. Her progress had been remarkable—so much so that she had even managed to land a hit on Enzo in a previous match.

“She’s incredible…”

I could only marvel at her rapid improvement.

At first, my own sense of rivalry had made it hard for me to be happy about her growth. But before long, her sheer speed of improvement had rendered my petty pride meaningless.

I had nearly reached a point of resignation.

Now, I was training just to make sure I wouldn’t hold her back.

Even if I could never surpass her, my pride wouldn’t allow me to be a burden.

“Haaah!”

As I watched, the fierce exchange between Vio and Enzo came to an abrupt halt.

Vio’s right-hand blade was pressed against Enzo’s neck.

She had won.

“I did it! I did it, Kuro!”

Beaming with joy at her victory, Vio ran toward me and leaped into my arms.

Bracing myself, I lowered my stance to absorb the impact.

With a light thud, she collided into me.

Good—I didn’t fall over. That would have been embarrassing.

“That was amazing, Vio. You’re incredible.”

“Hehe, you can praise me even more, you know!”

“Alright, alright. You’re amazing.”

I ran my right hand through Vio’s silver hair. She closed her eyes, looking pleased.

Watching her success made me sigh at my own shortcomings, but I was still genuinely happy for her.

“You really are amazing. Your Gift is perfect for swordsmanship.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. It matches you better than anything.”

Vio’s Speed Star wasn’t just about running fast—it enhanced every aspect of her movement. And she had the control to wield that speed effectively. That was what made her truly exceptional.

“I can’t afford to fall behind.”

“It’s your turn next, Kuro. Do your best!”

“Yeah.”

With Vio cheering me on, I once again stepped forward to face Enzo.