Over the next couple of weeks, Colin would train with Catherin.

“You are wasting your energy on useless movements.” He lectured

He is easily dogging my attacks. Wasting energy on useless movements? This is the standard swordsmanship... Is he saying it is obsolete?

“Here… Try this…”

Before Catherin could even blink, Colin was behind her. He held her hand firmly before repositioning her body.

Under normal circumstances, what he was doing would be improper but this was a training exercise.

The difference in sex or noble status didn’t apply here. What mattered most was that the student learned what they needed to learn.

Catherin knew that, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Colin on the other didn’t notice her feelings. Rather than calling him dense to her emotional state. It was more like he was taking the lesion too seriously.

The training was a life or death situation for noble knights. He was making sure that Catherin got the teachings he was giving.

“Hold it a little bit loosely and then tighten the grip when you are about to strike.”

“Okay…” she replied

“Ho… What an interesting technique.”

“Father” Catherin cried

Appearing from the shadows of the trees was Catherin’s father, Victor A. Collwood.

“Unlike my daughter… You don’t look that surprised boy.”

“Eh… I knew someone was watching us ever since we came here.”

“Really?” Catherin uttered, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“There was no point in doing so. The presence I felt had no ill intent towards us… So I ignored it.”

He ignore my father?

Did he ignore me? Hmm

“Boy… Let us have a duel.”

“Umm…”

“Do it, Colin…” Catherin encouraged

“Really?”

“Yes.”

My daughter isn’t going to talk him down from doing this? She must have faith in his abilities. No. She must believe him to be my better.

Colin knew that Catherin’s brother was a royal knight, in his mind, it would stand to reason that her father might also be one.

Victor was wearing normal clothing with a sword on his hip. Under instructions from Queen Charlotte to investigate the fighting power of noble knights. He saw this as an opportunity to see firsthand the fighting power of the person said to now lead the noble knights at the academy.

“Don’t worry… I only wish to confirm whether you are a worthy teacher for my daughter.”

“Ah… I understand… I will be in your care.”

The two stood facing one another.

While Victor held his sword firmly with two hands, his opponent only used one.

Is he looking down on me? Victor thought, No most likely this is his style of fighting.

Indeed it was. By leaving one hand free, Colin would be able to use magic more easily. This was true for most noble knights.

“Begin!” Catherin uttered.

In the battle against her brother,  Hans made first move, however, Colin deemed it to be disrespectful to wait for the duke to attack. That is why he charged first.

Fast, Victor thought

Colin was fast, however, Victor wasn’t the commander for show.

He blocked Colin’s attack before pushing Colin back. Colin responded to this with a series of thrusts.

He is pushing my father back? No, wait… Something is off…

As Catherin thought this, her heartbeat began to beat faster. The men and women of house Collwood valued strength over everything else. They were the royal family’s sword and shield after all.

With every passing minute that Colin lasted against her father, Catherin grew more and more interested in him.

She had often seen other knights square off against her father before. However, only those close to his age were able to pose a threat. The younger generation was simply no match for him.

It was for that reason that she had resigned herself to the possibility of marrying Anthony M. Maverick or Leo J. Gabriel.

Her mother was the one pushing for the possible unions.

“You do not need a sword to protect the royal family” were the words her mother told her.

She understood her mother’s motives. If they couldn’t disrupt the three dukes from the outside, then they will do it from the inside.

She supported the move, however, that was before she met Colin.

She watched as her father began to lose ground in their battle. No. He never had any ground, to begin with.

This brat… He has been going easy on me this whole time… Fine then, if that is how you want to play it… Victor thought before unleashing his most powerful attack.

< Tripple Slash >

The triple-slash skill was an attack skill that targeted 3 points. The neck, the chest, and the weapon of his opponent.

It was his finishing blow in a battle. He had never encountered an opponent who could doge or block the attack.

Until now that is.

Colin had not only blocked his three strikes, he even launched an attack of his own. Victor’s sword laid on the ground a small distance away and Colin’s sword was pointing at his neck.

“Humph… It is my loss.”

“Father…” Catherin cried. Her unbeatable father was beaten right before her eyes. However, she was not sad or disappointed in any way.

“Catherin…”

“I will talk to your mother… You have my blessing…”

Colin didn’t understand his words, but Catherin did.