Rebellion Helesta: The Betrayed Princess and the Cage of Twisted Love - Cage Training: The Loyal Knight and the Cold-Blooded Sword

The second morning since the summoning arrived. When Hayato awoke, the world outside the window was still dyed in a pale blue-gray. It was the quietest hour, before the sun fully revealed itself. He rose from the bed and, just as he had the night before, walked to the window. It wasn't locked. He couldn't open it from the inside, but he was at least permitted to look at the scenery beyond. The cityscape of the royal capital, Cardinal, lay submerged in the morning mist. The roofs of the whitewashed houses rose up, hazy and indistinct. Along Luce Boulevard, early-morning merchants walked slowly by. The same view as yesterday. And yet, something was different. (This is a cage.) Hayato murmured to himself. "Well, whatever." —Knock, knock. Someone rapped on the door. "Good morning, Hayato. Are you awake?" It was Lize's voice. Before Hayato could answer, the door opened. He heard the sound of the lock clicking open from the outside. Her long silver hair swaying, Lize entered the room. Today, she wasn't wearing the long white dress, but rather dark navy clothes that looked easy to move in. Even so, the fabric was of high quality, with silver embroidery adorning the shoulders. "Did you sleep well?" "Well enough, I guess." When Hayato answered curtly, Lize smiled with satisfaction. "Today, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to. Vikto Zelner, the captain of the Argent Guard. He'll be in charge of your training from now on." "Training." "Yes. You'll learn how to use Laevateinn, and how to manipulate this world's power—Vene. Even a savior is meaningless if they don't know how to handle their power." Hayato gave a small nod. (Training, huh. At least I won't be bored.) The corners of his mouth relaxed slightly. Seeing that expression, Lize narrowed her violet eyes. She looked pleased, but there was also a hint of something testing in them. "You're looking forward to it." "I guess." "Heh heh. That's a good face. ...Now, let's go. I'm sure he's looking forward to meeting you, too." So saying, Lize reached for Hayato's hand. Hayato casually evaded it and picked up Laevateinn. "I can walk on my own." Lize's eyes flickered for just an instant. But they immediately returned to her usual perfect smile. "...I see. Then, I'll show you the way." Led by Lize, Hayato walked through the stone corridors of the royal palace. From the high ceiling hung numerous lamps emitting a pale blue Vene light. Glass spheres filled with magical essence produced a faint resonating hum. Old tapestries hung on the walls, each depicting scenes of heroic battles. Along the corridor, they passed soldiers clad in silver armor. All of them bowed deeply to Lize, and cast glances at Hayato that mixed curiosity with wariness. (Even if I'm a savior, they're looking at me like some rare animal.) Thinking that, Hayato returned their gazes with an expressionless face. After walking for a while, they arrived before a large wooden door. Lize pushed it open. The moment they stepped outside, cold air touched his skin. The royal palace's training grounds were a vast stone space facing a courtyard. The ground was packed hard with earth, with wooden swords and straw dummies placed here and there. Targets lined the walls, and in the center was a circular space resembling an arena. The morning mist still lingered, and the air was chilly and damp. And in the center of the training grounds stood a single man. Neatly trimmed ash-brown hair. White hairs were prominent at his temples, and a large scar marked his left cheek. His gray eyes were sharp, and the silver armor covering his entire body reflected a dull light. He stood 185 centimeters tall. A full head taller than Hayato. Just by standing there, he made the air feel heavy. Argent Guard Captain, Vikto Zelner. "Lady Lize, good morning." Vikto bowed deeply. His voice was low and dignified. "Good morning, Vikto. This is the savior, Kirishima Hayato." Vikto's gray eyes turned toward Hayato. A gaze that seemed to appraise him thoroughly, from head to toe. A scarred face, heavy armor, deep wrinkles between his brows. Everything about him embodied the phrase "veteran soldier." Hayato looked back at Vikto. (This guy's tired.) He thought that intuitively. Despite his sharp gaze, something smoldered deep within. "So you're the captain. Nice to meet you." Hayato raised a hand lightly. Vikto's eyebrows moved slightly. It was a tone clearly too casual for addressing an elder. "...Lady Lize. Is this person truly the savior?" "Yes, he is." "With all due respect, he is young. And—" Vikto cut his words short. "What?" "...No. Lady Lize, I have one request. I would like to gauge the savior's abilities." Lize tilted her head slightly and smiled. "A sparring match, you mean?" "Yes. Without an accurate grasp of his abilities, I cannot provide proper training." "Very well. Hayato, what do you think?" Hayato shrugged. "I've got no reason to refuse." Vikto nodded, then fetched two wooden swords from the wall. He held one out to Hayato. "The rules are simple. One of us surrenders, or falls to the ground. If you take even one heavy blow, it ends there." "Understood." The two faced each other in the center of the training grounds. The distance was about three meters. Lize stepped back to the wall, lightly clasping her hands as she watched. Her violet eyes held expectation, and a hint of something dangerous. The morning mist flowed away on the wind and vanished. Vikto readied his wooden sword. A chudan-no-kamae stance, faithful to the fundamentals. No wasted movement, no openings to exploit. "—Begin." Before his voice had even faded, Vikto's body moved. Fast. A step-in that Hayato could barely follow with his eyes. The wooden sword cut through the air, aiming for his right shoulder. (I can't take that head-on.) Hayato shifted his body half a step. Vikto's wooden sword grazed his shoulder. In that instant, Hayato's wooden sword sprang upward from below, aiming for Vikto's flank. Clang! Vikto instantly pulled his sword back and blocked. Wood splinters flew like sparks. (His reaction is fast.) Hayato felt like clicking his tongue. That attack just now had been a counter delivered while evading. It was a timing that a normal opponent shouldn't have been able to block. "...You have an interesting way of fighting." A hint of surprise mixed into Vikto's voice. But that was all. Immediately, a second and third strike flew at him. Precise slashes. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal. A relentless combination born of years of experience. Hayato didn't try to parry. Instead, he narrowly dodged the attacks while constantly searching for a chance to counter. (If I go on the defensive, he'll overwhelm me. In that case—) He layered attack upon attack. A dangerous tactic. One wrong step, and his own body would be cut first. Vikto's wooden sword struck Hayato's left shoulder. A dull thud. Pain shot through him. But Hayato didn't stop. At that moment, he dropped his body low and lunged into Vikto's chest. His wooden sword aimed for Vikto's flank. Thwack! A heavy impact. The leather training armor dented, and Vikto's body staggered for a moment. "Guh..." Both of them stopped moving. Vikto stepped back, pressing his flank. His face was twisted in pain, but more than that, his eyes were filled with astonishment. Hayato grimaced at the pain in his shoulder, but a faint smile played on his lips. "That actually hurts quite a bit." He said this while lightly rotating his shoulder. It hurt. But it wasn't a bad pain. Rather—it felt good. (Clashing with someone is this much fun, huh.) Vikto stared at Hayato in silence. What surfaced in those gray eyes was clear wariness. —Such cold eyes. That's what Vikto thought. He was grimacing in pain, yet smiling. A composure beyond his years, as if he was enjoying the situation itself. And that fighting style. An abnormal aggressiveness that abandoned defense to layer attack upon attack. (There's something different about this boy.) Instability. That was exactly what Vikto felt from Hayato during the fight. Clap, clap, clap. The sound of applause rang out. Lize was clapping her hands, looking delighted. "Wonderful, Hayato! To land a blow on Vikto in your very first sparring match. Just as I'd expect from my savior." Her voice was buoyant. Her violet eyes, catching the morning sun, held a dangerous gleam. She looked happy, yet there was something almost mad about it. "...Lady Lize. There is one thing I would like to confirm." "What is it?" "Who taught him his fighting style?" "Taught? No, yesterday was his first battle. He hasn't learned anything from anyone." Vikto's brow furrowed even deeper. "...I see." Saying just that, Vikto fell silent. After the sparring match, Vikto led Hayato to a simple waiting room in the corner of the training grounds. A small room surrounded by stone walls. Inside were a wooden desk and two chairs. A yellowed map was pinned to the wall, and old documents were piled on a shelf. "Have a seat." Hayato sat in the chair. His left shoulder still ached. Vikto sat opposite him and spread a map and documents out on the desk. "First, there is something I must explain to you." "What is it?" "It's about your position." Vikto pointed to a spot on the map. It was an overall map of Cardinal, drawn with the royal palace at its center. "You were summoned as the savior. That is a fact. However, the Kingdom of Helesta has something called the Empress Edict System." "Empress Edict System?" "The Empress's commands possess absolute authority, transcending all laws and council resolutions. In other words, Lady Lize's word is law itself." Hayato listened in silence. "And the Guest General System is being applied to you. The royal palace guarantees all food, clothing, and shelter for external collaborators—including the savior—but in exchange, you require the Empress's permission to move outside the palace grounds." Vikto's voice was matter-of-fact. As if he were reading a pre-prepared text, word for word. But his gray eyes were intently observing Hayato's reaction. Under the desk, Hayato clenched his fist. (In other words, that's how it is.) House arrest. Lize hadn't said that. But Hayato understood immediately. They guarantee his necessities. In exchange, he has no freedom. "...Is that Lize's order?" "Of course." Vikto added, his voice tinged with bitterness. "In my position, there is nothing I can do. This is how saviors are treated in this country." Hayato stared at the map on the desk. Outside the palace, Luce Boulevard stretched straight out, ending at the capital's south gate. Beyond the gate was a world that spread endlessly. But he couldn't pass through that gate. (A prisoner. Not a savior, but a prisoner.) Hayato repeated the words in his mouth. Anger welled up. But at the same time, there was another emotion. (Interesting.) Rebellion against being caged. The absurdity of having his freedom stolen. All of it was transforming within Hayato into "a stimulus that wouldn't bore him." "...Vikto-san." Suddenly addressed, Vikto's eyes widened slightly. "What is it?" "The rebel army—are many citizens deceived by Nova Liberta?" Vikto was silent for a moment. His gray eyes gazed into the distance. Beyond the walls of the training grounds. Outside the ramparts of the royal palace. The city of citizens spreading beyond. "...I'll be honest. Approximately half of the citizens side with the anti-Empress faction." "Half." "Yes. They are people who find hope in the ideals of democratization that Nova Liberta advocates. Whether they are being deceived, or truly desire a new era—even I cannot say." Vikto let out a deep sigh. "Many of those who were once my subordinates have also gone over to their side. The Argent Guard has a fixed strength of two hundred. But now, only one hundred and twenty have sworn loyalty to Lady Lize." We

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Episode 2

Name: Rebellion Helesta: The Betrayed Princess and the Cage of Twisted Love
Author: Novelia

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