I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel

As the name suggests, it was a swordsmanship meant for defeat.
However, contrary to its name, the techniques contained within it were so refined that even the most famous sword styles on the continent would have to step back in awe.
This was only natural.

The swordsmanship was created by the most skilled swordsmen in the Leon Kingdom, a nation renowned for its knights. Often, the kingdom’s greatest swordfighter would be born from the royal family. Before claiming their position as royalty, they would first be a knight under the martial arts-centric royal family! Because of this, learning the Defeat Sword /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ was several times more difficult than learning the family’s traditional swordsmanship.
"Indeed, a genius of the ages!"
But in the end, the Defeat Sword was still a sword for defeat. It was incredibly flashy, powerful, but it always ended in defeat.

Thus, the talent needed to learn the Defeat Sword was not merely swordsmanship.
"You have already surpassed me."
These were the words from the head instructor of the royal knights, a renowned swordmaster, and a close friend of the current king. He was also the leader of the royal education division. As a swordsman, there could be no greater praise, but unfortunately, this wasn’t praise for my skills as a swordsman.

"I can’t even tell if it’s real or fake acting..."
Yes.
The completion of the Defeat Sword wasn’t in swordsmanship, but in acting. Swordsmanship, after all, is relative.

All I had to do was perform at a level that satisfied the 5th Prince.
So, I had to learn how to act. Build up the process of losing with true emotion, share the final blow with a soul-stirring strike, and after that, convey to the royalty my will to overcome it next time. This was the true completion of the Defeat Sword!
And I accomplished it.

So perfectly that even the swordmaster, at the pinnacle of swords, recognized it!
"Other instructors should learn from this."
The number of royal education knights was equal to the number of royals in the kingdom. Occasionally, if an instructor failed to keep up with the standards of the royal family, they would lose their position, but in such cases, a prepared backup would step in. Because of this, several instructors were already dispatched above the 5th Prince.

This meant that there were at least seven senior instructors above me, counting the four princes and three princesses.
"Don’t the seniors do well in their duties?"
"I thought so too, but because of you, the evaluation standards keep rising."
The head instructor, who had a hearty laugh, tousled my hair roughly, but his expression soon hardened.

"So, here's what I'm saying."
Though the head instructor often showed a lack of formality, he was one of the kingdom's finest swordsmen and the leader of the royal education division. Therefore, he often showed such expressions when handling official duties. I could roughly guess what he was going to say.
"Are you starting to make your move?"

"Huh? Make my move?"
"Aren’t you going to 'coincidentally' run into the 5th Prince?"
"Haha."

My expression seemed to satisfy the head instructor, and he nodded before answering.
"Yeah, looks like it’s time to start."
A few weeks later, I was informed that the preparations were complete.

"The scenario is simple."
"Right."
As a kingdom known as the land of knights, Leon Kingdom holds its knights in high regard. Because of this, the standard of knights here is never below that of the Empire, the center of the continent. Geographically far from the Mage Kingdom, there is no real friction between the two, and the knights of Leon Kingdom are highly respected. Thus, making contact with the 5th Prince was quite easy.

"Just swing your sword around, and a pre-deployed instructor will have you and the 5th Prince spar."
It was a perfect scenario!
As a kingdom known for its knights, Leon Kingdom was pushing knight training at the national level. So, children who seemed to have talent were called to the royal family to be trained in swordsmanship.

I, too, would simply be swinging my sword among them, and then eventually face the royal family in a sparring match, all under the pretext of an inspection!
"Mm...?"
But something felt off.

"Get into position."
The red hair, symbolizing the royal family of Leon Kingdom, fluttered in the wind. As I stared blankly at it, black eyes, symbolizing the royal family of our kingdom, glared at me.
It was a perfect situation for approaching the royal family by sparring with them. The goal fit perfectly, but the problem was, this wasn’t the 5th Prince.

"Judge!"
"I will proceed with the duel between Princess Heastia and Adam Smith."
At the sound of the princess’s voice, the knight assigned as the referee reluctantly approved the duel, and I couldn’t help but glare at the head instructor.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a perfect scenario?
Let’s rewind a bit.
Leon Kingdom, known as the kingdom of knights, takes great pride in the title.

Therefore, it was a given that the royal family would learn swordsmanship. By the time they were five, both boys and girls would receive wooden swords as birthday gifts, and by the age of ten, they would receive real swords—a unique tradition in the royal family.
Thus, it was no surprise that the kingdom often produced the greatest swordsman among its royals. When war broke out, the royal family would lead the charge, making the ministers’ hearts race with fear.
Because of this, the royal family had always maintained close relations with exceptional swordsmen. This also meant that, on the contrary, if one lacked the skills, even the best background would not protect them from discrimination.

"Heh."
"Wow, Your Highness."
Unfortunately, Princess Heastia, the 2nd Princess of Leon Kingdom, was particularly exceptional in this regard.

"She can’t even last ten exchanges."
Heastia's black eyes, like an abyss, sank deeply.
As someone born from the royal family, where swordsmanship was the very essence of life, her talent was unmatched among her peers. Her natural thirst for the sword was even stronger than her innate talent.

Thus, she regularly sparred with the kingdom’s best prodigies, but never once was she satisfied. It was unfortunate, but at the same time, it couldn’t be helped.
Heastia had the talent that was recognized even by the royal family, and from a very young age, she received various potions and treatments that helped with magical circuits. Not only that, but with her innate talent and background, there was no shortage of effort.
Unfortunately, unlike other children, Heastia loved to wield a sword more than anything. She would skip meals just to practice with her sword.

She was someone who was truly born to be a swordsman. Expecting the same level of performance from other children would have been unreasonable.
"Hah."
Despite defeating a young prospective knight three years older than herself, Heastia still wasn't satisfied.

‘The skill gap is too big.’
The one brought in as a trainee knight was merely at that level.
But she still wasn’t confident enough to fight a real knight. If she were a newly knighted soldier, she could fight with all her might, but unfortunately, Heastia’s title as the 2nd Princess added pressure to the situation.

‘It would be better to just fight a trainee.’
Trainees who had just become knights were burdened by the thought of sparring with a princess. Winning would be a problem, and losing would also be a problem. And if they accidentally injured the princess, who knew what consequences might follow?
Though Heastia and the royal family would never raise a problem with such matters.

In the royal family, one must be a knight before a royal.
In the royal family where such values were passed down, there was no way a knight would be persecuted for a wound received during sparring.
However, regardless of the high-ups' intentions, those beneath them would always have their own issues.

Even if the king and princess said, "Oh, some cuts can happen when we spar," among the knights, it would be a great crime to shed royal blood.
So, most new knights would try to lose visibly on purpose.
That kind of playacting wasn’t good for either the one performing it or their opponent. If they had to do that, they might as well just spar with a scarecrow.

Though Heastia thought this, she couldn't resist rushing toward new recruits who seemed like they could be a challenge.
"Hah, I should have just waited for Lucia."
She sighed softly, thinking about Lucia, a fragile friend she could at least spar with fairly. The only issue was that Lucia had a weak constitution and had to frequently return home to recover.

Heastia made up her mind to prepare some restorative tonics for her. It was something for herself, but also something for the kingdom.
It would be a loss for the nation if such a talented swordswoman gave up her sword because of her frail health!
Unaware that Lucia had already submitted her fourteenth resignation letter, crying in front of her superior at the royal education division’s dormitory, Heastia prepared to leave after her third victim.

"Nu, Nuna!"
But she had to stop in her tracks when she saw her younger sibling leading a group of people.
‘Has that time already come?’

One of the royal family’s traditional events.
At five years old, they receive a wooden sword, at ten a real sword, and at twelve, they receive someone to train with.
A peer assigned directly to them from the royal family.

An eternal companion, rival, right-hand, and most trusted vassal. This was a long-standing tradition of the Leon royal family. Depending on who one gained as a companion, their life could be changed.
Even Heastia herself had obtained Lucia two years ago, hadn't she?
Unaware that Lucia had already torn up her resignation letter for the twelfth time, Heastia planned to find another excellent companion like Lucia for her younger sibling.

"Heastia, Your Highness?"
Unfortunately, this would be a disaster for everyone who had prepared everything and set things in motion.
"What did you just say?"

"I said I would take the test myself!"
Though she was still at an age where her boldness seemed cute, her words were anything but. To the head instructor and those involved, it was like a horror show.
"No, according to royal regulations..."

"Isn’t there no such rule?"
"......"
Despite trying to move past it with a reasonable explanation, it failed.

There really was no such rule.
‘How does she know?’
Not everyone involved in the procedures knew them all, so if someone at a higher level mentioned a rule that could exist, they would just accept it and move on.

"Traditionally, the royal family tests their own matches and selects suitable partners, but it’s just a tradition, and historically, other royals have stepped in to take the test on occasion, haven’t they?"
Was she probing? When the head instructor heard the exact explanation, he had no choice but to remain silent.
"So, it’s okay, right?"

With no choice but to nod, the head instructor reluctantly agreed.
‘How far can this go?’
The reason Heastia was so stubborn wasn’t just for the affection of her younger sibling.

The head of the royal knights, Kariks, was a figure of immense authority as the royal education instructor, and he was like an uncle to Heastia.
Not only that, but he was also a well-respected swordsman recognized even beyond the kingdom, and Heastia's younger sibling had already been set as her partner in a way.
‘Lucia never received this level of praise.’

Unaware that Lucia was currently wiping away her tears while filling out her fourteenth resignation letter, Heastia wanted to confirm her sibling’s skills—skills that were even better than her friend’s.
For her sibling, for her friend.
And for herself!

"Draw your sword!"
And, of course, for her own selfish reasons too!