The Lazy Swordmaster

Chapter 19: Hide and Seek (Part 4)

"Phew…"

Somewhere within the mansion, Riley sighed as he leaned his back in a shady place.

"I've accidentally given some advice."

During his escape from Stein, Riley had run into Sera, who was training with a broom in each hand, and gave an unsolicited suggestion.

"Was I being too nosy?"

In reality, it was closer to a teaching rather than a piece of advice.

Riley spoke in a questioning tone, saying 'Isn't doing this better than that?' to her who was squeezing in her training during her cleaning duty.

It's not even a joke.

For someone who is both lazy and has nothing to do with swords to correct her?

Unthinkable.

"Tsk."

Riley remembered how Sera's face went blank after hearing Riley's words of teaching.

It was embarrassing.

And what gave him the idea to put his index finger on his lip and say 'Shh' after correcting her?

"…Uuuh!"

At his mistake, and the embarrassment that followed it…

Riley furiously scratched his head with his face going red, not knowing what to do.

The good side was that no one was watching his current state.

He was currently in one of the secret rooms hidden within the mansion.

"It's because of my memories of my previous life…"

Riley mumbled.

The stress from resurrecting with his memories intact was quite significant.

The advice he threw at Sera was one of the bad habits he had before.

How his mouth wouldn't stop running when he sees others swinging their swords.

"And that's why I tried so hard not to go to the training grounds…"

In the Iphelleta House, even the maids would fit their training in the slightest gaps in their schedule.

Previously, he was blessed and received the Holy Sword.

Making his accomplishments as a hero, throwing countless swings of his sword.

He could never ignore those who would put so much effort into it.

Therefore…

He tried not to see, or create any such situations since he was young.

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"And it had to come out today."

His memories of the past were a lot clearer than usual just then.

Perhaps his conversation with his father forced the memories out of his head.

While he was running, Riley who was seeing his past play out before his eyes ended up giving advices to Sera.

'Oh? Master Riley? What brought you here…'

'How about you use the fingers? If you change the angle to a reverse grip in the middle, the next move can become much smoother.'

'Sorry?'

'Your finger. Roll the sword.'

'…?'

'Ah, no… It's nothing. Sorry, I'm quite busy right now. Act like you didn't hear anything.'

'…Damn it, Sera!!'

'Huk?! Master?!'

'Uh oh…'

'Riley, get Riley!'

'T-the Young Master?'

Riley wrapped his face in his hands with a sigh as he remembered what had just happened.

Sera may not have the loudest of mouths, but she's still a maid.

A maid who liked a good gossip.

If she were to try spreading what happened just now…

'Then, with my own hands.'

He may end up in a situation where he would 'taking care' of Sera.

Personally.

Riley sighed again as he wished as hard as he can for that situation to not arrive.

"Haa…"

As he dropped his hands which were on his face, he closed his mouth which was open from that sigh.

At the same time, he also shut his eyes completely.

"…"

As he leaned on his back, Riley's Ki sense widened.

A few seconds later Riley began to breath deeply.

It was not the one people of Iphelleta House learnt, but his own breathing technique.

He learnt it in his previous life, and modified as he saw fit… it was Riley's original breathing technique.

The faint mana floating around him slowly began to gather toward Riley.

The recovery was, rather than being efficient, it was more like devouring his surroundings.

The mana of high density gathered, while the chaotic mana was pushed back.

Was that the reason?

The pitch black space began to light up with what seemed like fireflies.

It was mana.

As if surprised at Riley's presence, mana that had lit up began to absorb into Riley's body.

'Now.'

As he sensed the mana flowing into his body…

Riley opened his eyes slightly and thought to himself.

'Shall I hear what's happening?'

Riley's 'hide and seek' has begun.

***

"Young Master"

"Master Riley!"

The Iphelleta Mansion had become rowdy once more.

It was turned upside down because of Lady Orelly yesterday, and another incident had happened now.

Thankfully it was much less serious compared to Lady Orelly's banishment.

"Haa, where did he go?"

The situation could be summarised in a single sentence: Riley had disappeared again.

His 'hide and seek' had begun.

A game of hide and seek that everyone who lived within the mansion knew.

Everyone was aware that once he began to hide, the third son would not show himself until many days later.

Therefore, everyone was expecting that this time would not be any different from before.

"Haa, how are we supposed to find him when even Master Stein can't either?"

Sera pouted with her chin on the broom.

She was scolded greatly by Stein.

There had been a chance to catch Riley before he disappeared, but she could not catch him

That was the reason.

"It's because Young Master said something strange…"

While Sera was embarrassed at being found out on her attempt to train during cleaning, Riley had said some strange words.

Giving her a piece of advice to do it differently as if he were a teacher.

'How about you use your fingers?'

Fingers?

Sera took her chin off the broom and looked at her fingers.

Her head had begun to spin slowly as she recalled Riley's voice.

"Hmm…"

What Sera spun her head to look at was another broom that was leaning onto the wall.

She was a dual-wielding swordswoman who relied on speed and fought with a sword in each hand.

Therefore…

In order to keep up her training during her cleaning duties, she would always take two brooms with her to fulfil her duty.

Today was no different.

Although she was holding only one broom now, if you counted the broom next to the wall she had brought two brooms with her.

It was for training.

"Just once…"

An advice from her Young Master.

Although it is rejected by everyone else in the mansion, for some reason Ian would always say 'Our Young Master, the best! Young Master, so cool!'.

She was curious.

Why would Ian praise the lazy master so?

Maybe the answer lies in that advice he gave?

As those thoughts reached her, Sera grabbed onto the spare broom on the wall as if she were possessed.

"…I'll try it out?"

With her legs at shoulder width.

As taught by the Iphelleta's swordsmanship manual for servants, she would swing the swords…brooms by switching her hands as if she was dancing.

It was a practice Sera did often.

Recently she was facing a difficulty at the 3rd step of the following move.

'Here!'

At the spot she's stuck on.

As told by Riley she spun the broom with her fingers and her eyes widened.

"Huh?"

The move became much sharper.

Sera's jaws dropped as she went from the 3rd step to 4th so comfortably.

‘But I've been stuck on it for so long? How can just using fingers make it so much easier?’

"Wait, one more…"

Unable to believe how easily she connected the moves, she got back into stance.

Is this what the others would call an epiphany?

As Sera continued through the moves with her lips apart, she swallowed her spit.

The method now was not written anywhere on the family's manuscript.

'It works? What? How can it be so easy?!'

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The two brooms made a somewhat sharp noise through the air.

All she did, was use the fingers to connect the moves.

But it was different.

It was simpler, and faster than before.

"…!"

She suddenly got the creeps.

Sera could feel the nerves creep up her back and shook as she dropped the two brooms.

She could finally understand a little… the feelings of the old butler who would always sing praises of the Young Master.