“Yeah.”
“The adventurer occupation is easier said than done. So I’m thinking of giving you a challenge to complete.”
“A… challenge, huh…?”
Just what kind of challenge would Patrick be giving him?
Luru could somehow guess.
While his father was gentle, his real character was that of a knight.
A challenge that a knight would give.
It went without saying.
Patrick spoke.
“Yes… Until your fourteenth birthday, you have to get me to acknowledge your swordsmanship. If you can’t do that, even if you become an adventurer, you’ll just die, you see… Is that fine?”
Having said that, Patrick’s eyes blazed and housed a strong will different to the kind smile up until now.
Luru could feel an intensity from Patrick that was in no way inferior to the warriors that challenged him back when he was a demon king.
So Luru answered.
He understood that he couldn’t refuse; it was the same both today, and in the past.
“Yeah… I got it. Until my fourteenth birthday, I’ll show you that I can become a swordsman you can acknowledge, Dad[/Tousan].”
Whilst receiving Patrick’s intensity, Luru declared this without hesitation, and Patrick smiled once again.
However, that smile was as expected not his gentle one… but the very smile that a warrior gave having found a worthy opponent.
“As expected of my son. Now then, since that’s decided, it’ll be special training for you tomorrow, okay? I have confidence that you’ll become stronger.”
Having said that, his father’s expression returned to normal.
In the end, could Luru become strong enough to defeat Patrick?
Patrick was strong.
He was certainly not this country’s strongest, but his skill was guaranteed.
Why?
It was because his occupation was none other than the sword instructor of the Royal Knight Order, known as the strongest in the country.
If you wanted the Kingdom of Lezaad’s strongest, you would normally say it was the Head Knight of the Royal Knight Order, or the Head Magician of the court mages.
However, in swordsmanship alone, there was probably nobody in the country who could beat Patrick.
In swordsmanship, his talent was beyond a level that anybody could follow.
His strength was enough that you could declare this.
Sensing that he could become an adventurer with a normal level of determination, he quickly tidied the lunch table, and headed to the garden with a wooden practice sword in hand.
From now on, each day would be intense training.
Otherwise, something like beating Patrick would be beyond a dream.
So Luru thought.
Patrick uses ‘boku‘(僕) to refer to himself which is both humble, and not so formal. I suppose it’s to highlight his soft and gentle atmosphere.
‘Whilst receiving Patrick’s intensity‘ 威迫 means ‘making somebody obey by threat, by showing your power’. So it means ‘threat’ if translated, but it’s not really the threat you’d normally think of(脅迫) so I did it as ‘intensity’.
~Whilst being forced accepting Patrick’s terms (because of his intensity)~
‘beyond a dream‘ 夢のまた夢 means ‘a dream within a dream’. So like, a super far-fetched dream. Beyond your wildest dreams. An empty dream. That kind of thing.