“I’ve only seen ordinary squires train, but judging by how fast you’re improving, there’s no comparison. I don’t know when your growth will stop, but if you keep this up, you’ll become a fine knight...” By the time Miguel finished speaking, his expression had grown rather awkward. My ability was exceptional compared with a commoner’s and more than enough to make me a powerful knight. But to a noble with an ability, knighthood wasn’t a particularly valuable position. Of course, it didn’t sound bad to me.

‘Hmm. Maybe I could become a knight in the territory?’ I considered it for a moment, but being tied to the ducal house didn’t seem like such a good idea after all. Besides, a six-year-old probably didn’t need to worry about that yet. What I did need to do was find out why the duke had taken an interest in me. For that, it was time to develop my rapidly growing skills as much as I could.

After a long stretch of training, it was time for a break. Just then, a servant came from the mansion to summon Miguel. “The commander wants me?” “Yes.” “All right. I’ll be back shortly,” Miguel told me. “Please rest.”

Of course. A by-the-book drill instructor like him would never simply call it a day. I watched him walk toward the mansion, then sat in the shade of a tree with Flora. She set out tea and snacks. “This is nice.” The warm drink spread through me, easing the tension from my muscles. ‘Being rich and noble really is the best.’ It was a shame I’d lose this kind of service once I grew up and left the mansion.

I asked Flora, who was sitting beside me, “Don’t you get bored?” “No! Bored? Not at all.” She shook her head vigorously. I could see her fierce determination not to lose this position. To be fair, it was such an easy job that even I thought it looked boring.

“It may look easy, but there’s a lot to keep track of. I have to prepare food that suits your tastes, young master, and have a damp towel ready so you can rest when you’re tired...” Flora diligently explained why she was needed. I let her voice wash over me and listened to the sounds from the woods instead. The wind brushing the branches. Grass stroking against grass. Chirping insects and birds...

Wait. I couldn’t hear any of it. No birds. No insects. That couldn’t be right. I’d heard them even while I was moving around vigorously on the training ground... Goose bumps rose all over my body. My expression went cold, and my relaxed body stiffened.

“I-I don’t mean it’s hard work!” Perhaps because she saw my expression change, Flora hurriedly corrected herself. But I wasn’t in any position to listen to her. When had the sounds stopped? Just now? Or had it been a while? Damn it. I’d let my guard down too much.

I reached for the wooden sword lying beside me. Honestly, it wasn’t a particularly reassuring weapon, but holding it made me feel a little better. Phew. I drew a breath as quietly as I could, then spoke in an ordinary tone. “Shall we get back to training?” “What? The knight isn’t back yet. You should rest a little longer.”

Flora stared at me in confusion. “Then could you go fetch him?” At that, she stood. It was an order from a child, but perhaps thanks to the impression I’d made on her, she obeyed at once. “Please rest here. I’ll bring him right back.”

She headed straight across the training ground, and I quietly rose as I watched her. Flora hurried toward the path leading to the mansion. Just as she was about to pass out of sight, someone stepped in front of her. “Who...?” She looked up at the person blocking her way. The figure was dressed entirely in black. The clothes and the cloth covering their face were both black.

“Flora, get out of the way!” Damn it. I shouted, and the instant she opened her mouth in surprise—

THUNK.

A black-painted blade suddenly jutted out through her back. Blood splattered onto the ground. “Ah...” With only a breathy moan, she crumpled. The sword was pulled free, and blood pooled on the dirt beneath her.

I bit my lip as I watched Flora fall. From the moment the masked figure appeared until the moment the sword pierced her, I hadn’t moved a single step. I hadn’t noticed the figure appear or even properly seen Flora get stabbed, but I still couldn’t move afterward. So much for getting stronger through training. How much could a six-year-old really change in a month? The first murder I’d ever witnessed had left me frozen.

I’d been far too complacent, too. I’d assumed there was nothing to worry about because the ability I’d gained was nothing special. But I’d been assigned a knight of my own, given the family training ground to practice in alone, and even the duke had shown up. That was more than enough to make whoever had tried to kill me suspicious. They might think a worthless illegitimate son had the duke’s full expectations riding on him.

‘Does he really have expectations for me? Or is he checking whether I’d make a useful tool?’ I recalled the duke’s face at my awakening. Those chilling eyes, like a predator watching its prey. They weren’t the eyes of a father looking at his son with hope.

STEP. STEP.

Damn it. This wasn’t the time for such thoughts. The man in black was slowly approaching me. He had stepped over Flora’s body and was now crossing the training ground. Slender and masked, he came toward me with the easy stride of someone out for a stroll.

Damn it. I was so terrified I couldn’t move. What good were all these thoughts running through my head? Wait. If I was paralyzed with fear, how could I watch my enemy and keep thinking this calmly? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move my arms or legs. But my thoughts—and my eyes—still moved as I willed them to. Then... Could it be? Wasn’t fear what was keeping me still?

I bit down hard on my lip.

CRUNCH.

Fortunately, my jaw moved. My lip split, and blood ran down my throat. “Ah. Ah.” Now my tongue was moving, too.

“This is the Duke of Gresia’s training ground. You’ve committed murder here. Haven’t you thought about what will happen afterward?” The man stopped and tilted his head. I’d brought him to a halt, but he didn’t answer. Gripping my trembling sword, I tried again. “I don’t know who hired you or what group you belong to, but if you kill the duke’s son, you, your family, and whoever hired you had better be prepared to die!” He didn’t answer that shout, either. Only his eyes, visible above the black mask, stared at me as though I were some curious object. So much for bluffing and fishing for information.

Black leather from head to toe, a mask covering half his face, a sword painted black. He had killed Flora first, but one look told me he’d come to kill me. ‘Damn it. I’m sorry, Flora. I’ll treat you better next time.’ I silently apologized as I looked at her body behind him.

The masked man started moving again. With his grim air and obvious skill, he looked every bit an assassin or hired killer. But from the look in his eyes a moment ago, I could tell he hadn’t known how clever I was. An assassin who didn’t know his target properly? ‘Is he short on information? Or that confident in his skills?’

Even without an answer, the way he walked told me little things about him. A hardened, trained body. Right-handed. Confidence that showed through despite himself. Swordsmanship too fast for my eyes to follow. An assassin who didn’t know his target well, yet knew where to find me. And knew when he wouldn’t be interrupted.

Wait. How did he know that? How had he known Miguel would be away? Was he so skilled at hiding that Miguel hadn’t noticed him? Or had he arranged for Miguel to be called away at just the right time? If so, had he bribed the servant who’d summoned him? Every new clue raised another question, but unfortunately, I couldn’t answer any of them right now.

The masked man drew closer, and my body began to tremble harder. Why was I shaking? Had fear finally overwhelmed me? But my mind was still perfectly clear. Tremble. Tremble. Tremble. The sword in my hand shook along with my body. Perhaps thanks to that, I could move a little again.

‘Please, stop shaking!’ I forced my other hand to move and gripped the wildly trembling sword with both hands. Damn it. My nerve hadn’t broken, and I wasn’t overcome with fear. Yet my body wouldn’t move properly, and now it was trembling on its own. Why couldn’t I move? This wasn’t psychological. Then what was it? If it wasn’t in my head, could he be projecting killing intent, like in a martial arts novel? Wait.

This world was different from my previous life. There were priests who could heal the body and genuine alchemists. My immature second older brother could even make sparks fly from his fingers. So some energy I didn’t know about might be keeping my body from moving. ‘Wait. Energy? Am I being bound by energy?’ Something clicked in my mind, as though a switch had flipped somewhere in my head.

Then I felt something around my body: an energy I hadn’t been able to sense until now. It enveloped me, pushed into my body, and made me tremble. It was flowing from the masked man, who had nearly reached me. But that same energy was inside me, too. It flowed through the grass, the trees, and the air. ‘What is this?’ Just as that unfamiliar sensation swept over me—

STEP.

The masked man’s footsteps stopped. He stood right in front of me. “You were amusing me earlier, for a little kid. Why so quiet now? Go on, say something.” His low voice came from behind the mask. His eyes were laughing at the sword trembling in my hands. So he really was the one who had first made my body go rigid and was now making it shake.

“You’re skilled enough. Does your family know you go around killing people for money?” The masked man frowned. “I don’t know if you’re married, but what would your son or daughter think of their father? And what would your dead mother think, watching her son behave like this from the afterlife...?” “You little bastard, my mother is alive and well...” As expected, insulting someone’s family worked best. My words immediately made the once-composed man lose his temper.

At the same time, he raised his black sword, Flora’s blood still clinging to it. It was no longer the strike of a calm man. Just as I’d hoped, the energy surrounding me had wavered, if only a little! ‘Please! Please, move!’ I pushed the energy I possessed into the slight opening. I didn’t know how I’d done it. The moment I sensed the energy, I’d simply known I could.

And as his sword came down—

CRACK.

I broke through the energy around me and threw myself sideways.

SLASH.

The instant I moved, blood sprayed before my eyes. Damn it. A six-year-old body with only a month of training couldn’t dodge properly after all.

THUD.

I landed about two meters away and rolled across the ground. Blood was gushing from my chest. Fortunately, I didn’t think the blade had cut my heart or any major blood vessels. ‘But I’m losing so much blood!’ Without proper treatment right away, this was exactly the sort of wound that could kill me. The pain was beginning to set in, too.

The masked man stared at me in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to dodge. Seeing his eyes widen was satisfying, but the pain soon swallowed that feeling. “Aagh!” Hearing my scream, the masked man muttered, “You dodged my sword. And what you said earlier—was that meant to throw me off? You seem good at enduring pain, too. Hmm. It’d be a shame to kill you. You look perfect for the organization to use...”

He looked at me regretfully. But he raised his sword again. Apparently, his regret was just talk. Either that, or he was a professional who always honored a contract. ‘So I’m going to die after all?’ I clicked my tongue as I looked up at the raised blade. Then I heard a shout in the distance. “Young master!” It was Miguel’s voice. All that shouting I’d done had paid off. Miguel was running toward us.