"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone! But speaking of which, Lady Mariana was really too powerful! She had just given birth not long ago, but that speed, that skill! It really made people feel as powerful as a dream!”
Cornelia comforted him again and brought the topic back to the battle just now.
"I really don't know when I can reach that level!”
Corelia did not tell anyone about her true purpose of working hard. It was not for herself, but to become Lelouch's sword and shield and help him ascend to the throne. Therefore, her initial goal was to defeat Mariana. It wasn't like what Bertolis said," It's already glorious to be able to practice directly with the shining Mariana!”
"Your Highness, I understand!"
Even though they were in the same class in school and were now friends, in the palace, she was a princess. As a nobleman, Nonette's words changed back to honorifics.
"However, I still agree with Bertolis. To be honest, we can't defeat that lord's sword skills right now. Speaking of which, ever since I saw the battle between Lady Mariana and the First Knight, General Bismarck, I've been wondering if those two lords were still humans!”
Nonette was talking about the last war of the Empire three years ago. After Mariana returned with victory, she agreed to fight with Bismarck. Because Cornelia had already gotten permission, the two of them were also fortunate enough to watch the battle. In the past, they had only heard about it and listened to Mariana talk about sword techniques. However, after witnessing the battle between Princess Mariana and the First Knight, General Bismarck, they realized how shallow they were.
Judging Mariana and Bismarck's strength with their knowledge and experience was an insult to the two Knights of the Round Table. That unrivaled power had already been deeply imprinted in the eyes of the three girls.
Flying figures, lightning-fast swords, and crisscrossing silver lights. The training ground made of solid granite for the Knights of the Round Table was completely destroyed by the aftermath of the battle between the two. After the training ground was destroyed, Mariana and Bismarck stopped fighting because they were worried about the three of them. However, based on the results, Mariana was clearly stronger than Bismarck.
General Bismarck had once said something that was deeply imprinted in their minds.
"As expected, I still can't force you to use your second sword!”
Lady Mariana was best at using a two-handed sword. From Bismarck's sigh, it could be inferred that the rumor that the First Knight was killed by Mariana's hidden second sword during the rebellion of the Blood Emblem wasn't groundless. It was the truth.
Bertolis, who was packing the first aid kit, nodded.
"His every move is really refined. He looks like a healthy leopard.”
"He didn't make any unnecessary movements at all. From afar, one could still roughly see it, but when one was close by, one's eyes could not catch up at all.”
"In Lady Mariana's eyes, our swordsmanship is like playing house.”
From the beginning to the end, the two of them sang the same tune, full of praise for the imperial concubine that they yearned for. On the other hand, Cornelia had a frustrated expression. If one person could not defeat Mariana, then the three of them could work together. Although they were very weak now and couldn't touch Mariana even if they joined forces, it might not be the case in the future. They were not adults yet. There was still a long time in the future.
However, if Nonette and Bertolis had the mentality that they were no match for their opponent and cowered before the battle, they might not be able to defeat Mariana even if they joined forces in the future. This was not good news for Cornelia.
As she thought about it, she clenched her fist and slammed it on the table.
"But, even so…"
The sound startled a bird resting on a nearby tree. It flapped its wings and flew away.
"We are the top three swordsmen of the prestigious Povallucostre Academy. The three of us fought together, but in the end, we still lost. Not to mention causing an effective attack on the other party, he did not even touch the other party's body. No matter what, didn't this result feel too embarrassing?”
Corelia wanted to arouse their pride. Lelouch was already three years old and would be four years old soon. She would enter the army after her coming-of-age ceremony. Now, it was time to prepare for a rainy day.
For the sake of Lelouch, I had long since made up my mind to help him cut through all obstacles in his path. However, it was like this now. Lady Mariana is His Majesty's knight. In the future, she's very likely to become my enemy.
Nonette and Bertolis looked at each other.
"That's true!"
"Indeed, I am a little…or should I say, I am very unwilling!”
The three of them sighed. As the top three students in the school this year, their strength was no less than that of a real adult knight. Every time they practiced with Lady Mariana, the result was the same. This could not help but make them feel a little discouraged.
An appropriate amount of blows could stimulate a person's motivation to improve, but if he failed again and again, and it was a crushing defeat, without a certain amount of willpower, his confidence would probably have long been destroyed. Fortunately, none of the students in the academy were their opponents. Therefore, every time they were defeated by Mariana, they would regain their confidence and courage from these students before the next practice.
Moreover, every time he suffered a crushing defeat, his improvement was obvious. In the beginning, there were still a few opponents who were close to them in the Sergeant Academy. However, after the repeated defeats in the practice battles, the gap between them and their opponents was rapidly widened. From ten minutes to eight minutes, the time they took to defeat their opponents was getting shorter and shorter. Until now, other than the three of them, no other student could last more than a minute against them. Even the teachers who taught swordsmanship classes could not gain much advantage over the young girl.
The three of them were able to successfully graduate before reaching the age stipulated by the academy and even occupy the top three rankings in the school. Apart from their own talent and hard work, it was also not unrelated to Mariana's private guidance.
When they thought about how they had only learned a little bit, and how they had already achieved such results and surpassed all the students in the academy, the little courage that the three of them had just mustered up disappeared again.
"Eh? All three of them are here!"
Under the shade of a tree next to the pavilion, the figure of the central figure mentioned by the three of them, Queen Mariana, appeared in their line of sight and walked over.
To their disappointment, there was no sign of Lelouch, only Nonette. Despite their disappointment, there was also a hint of joy. The next time they met would probably be a week later on a rest day. By then, the injury on his face would have healed long ago.
Mariana's current attire was completely different from the light attire she wore during practice. Dressed in a graceful and luxurious green gown, she had the demeanor of an imperial concubine. The dress that extended to her ankles slightly puffed up and spread out. This kind of quiet beauty complemented the flowers and trees in the courtyard, making her look like a fairy from a fairy tale, making people feel ashamed of their inferiority.
"Lady Mariana!"
It seemed that the light enveloping Mariana was too dazzling. Cornelia subconsciously jumped up from the bench and looked at Mariana with burning eyes. As the most devout believer of the shining Mariana, as long as she saw Mariana's figure, her attitude had already formed a conditioned reflex.
Admiration, love, these were the emotions.
In addition, as far as the relationship within the royal family was concerned, although she was not directly related to Mariana by blood, Mariana was still one of the concubines of her biological father, Zarulu, and could be considered a nominal mother. It was just that Mariana was too young as the imperial consort. Coupled with her healthy body that had been trained for a long time, when she stood with Cornelia, she was more like a sister than a mother and daughter.
Nonette and Bertolis followed closely behind Cornelia and came to Mariana. Unlike Cornelia who was still standing in front of the princess, the two of them immediately knelt down on one knee. This was different from when they were practicing. The other party was the wife of the noble and great Emperor of Britania, the fifth princess. As a noble, he had to follow the royal etiquette.
"Thank you so much for today, Lady Mariana.”
As the representative of the three of them, Cornelia used a clear voice to express her gratitude. Even though he was just being beaten up, this kind of extreme battle experience was extremely rare.
Nonette and Bertolis, who had just stood up, returned the greeting with a smile.
"I should be the one thanking you! It's been a long time since I've exercised, Cornelia, Nonette, and Bertolis.”
Mariana smiled gently and nodded in a good mood. This was not a refusal. She was truly enjoying the battle with her three disciples. Although the hibernation of wild beasts was to let their teeth rest so that they could hunt stronger prey in the coming year. However, if one indulged in rest for a long time, the rusty body would make one's movements slower and slower, and eventually become someone else's prey.
Mariana seemed to be in a good mood, and the smile on her face never faded.
"Speaking of which, it's a little too much for me to deal with the three of you. Next time, if there's a chance, let's spar one-on-one.”
" Impossible!!"
Cornelia shook her head in a panic in response to Mariana's words.
"Although it was a battle of attrition, there were still three of us. At a time like this, we can't even withstand a single blow, Lady Mariana!”
"You're taking this too seriously, Cornelia.”
Mariana smiled bitterly this time.
"I was joking about half of what I said.”
In other words, half of it was serious!
Cornelia was not that easy to fool. Ever since Lelouch was born three years ago, she had been fooled like this several times. Therefore, she had prepared many strategies to deal with Mariana's joke.
"We are still very immature. I think it is very cunning of you to ask us to continue the next course before we pass the test! " We are very self-aware when it comes to things that are beyond our reach. You should know that, Lady Mariana!”
In the past three years, Cornelia's words had become sharper. She was not as flustered and immature as when Mariana teased her to be Lelouch's bride for the first time.
"You are really more powerful than your mother. Haha, then there's no other way. Next time, it'll be three against one. Not one by one, it's fine to attack together, but I won't show mercy. Everyone, you have to train well before challenging me!”
"Yes, sir!"
It was not only Cornelia, but Nonette and Bertolis also responded to the princess with vigor.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]