Conflict Is Always Entertaining from the Sidelines

“Man, this place is huge...”

The words slipped out the second I stepped into the classroom for Royal Capital Bushin Style Division 1.

To put it in perspective, the place was basically a massive gymnasium. Naturally, it came fully loaded with locker rooms, baths, a cafeteria, and various other amenities. Even the doors were "manually-operated automatic doors"—which is just a fancy way of saying a maid stands there to open them for you.

For the record, Division 9 holds class outdoors, rain or shine. No doors means no maids required. Sucks to be us, I guess.

I changed as fast as I could to avoid being cornered by any overzealous elites and retreated to a corner to wait for Alexia. After a few minutes, she made her entrance.

“Shall we start with a light warm-up?”

She had swapped her uniform for a Bushin Style training outfit. The feminine version featured a skirt with deep slits; if you imagine a plain, unadorned cheongsam, you’re in the right ballpark. It was pitch black. In the Bushin Style, rank is determined by color—black is the peak, and white is the bottom of the barrel.

Naturally, I was the only person in the room wearing white. I stood out like a sore thumb.

I did my best to ignore the surrounding stares—which felt like a cocktail of seventy percent hostility and thirty percent curiosity—and started some light dynamic stretching.

“How interesting,” Alexia remarked, beginning to mimic my movements.

Even in this world, it’s common knowledge that loosening up before exercise is a good idea. However, nobody has really established a "correct" way to do it yet, so everyone just kind of wings it with their own weird routines.

Listen, kids. You can take sports as seriously as you want, but if you disrespect stretching, your body is going to break. Sure, people in this world try to brute-force their way through injuries using Magic Power, but that still tanks your performance.

Alexia was actually surprisingly conscientious about this. I could appreciate that. When it comes to the field of combat, I am nothing if not a perfectionist. I’m so enlightened I’ve got that "sipping artisanal coffee in a trendy SoCal cafe" vibe down pat. I wouldn't lose to anyone on the West Coast.

While I was lost in my own self-satisfaction, class began.

“We have a new student joining us today,” the faculty advisor announced, gesturing toward me.

“I’m Cid Kagenou. Glad to be here.”

I was immediately met with a barrage of glares that suggested nobody here considered me a "comrade" in the slightest.

Ah, yep. This is definitely Division 1. One look around confirmed that the room was crawling with VIPs. That handsome guy over there was the second son of a Duke; that beauty over there was the daughter of the current Order of Magic Swordsmen’s Captain. Even the advisor was the national Swordsmanship Instructor—a blond, blue-eyed hottie who was only twenty-eight.

“Everyone, try to get along,” he said, and with that, practice was underway.

We started with meditation and Magic Power Control, followed by basic suburi and other fundamentals.

Good, good. Basics are everything. In Division 9, they just swing the sword a few times and then start whaling on each other like kids playing pirates. As I thought, the truly strong understand the value of a solid foundation.

The level of talent in the room was high. Honestly, it was a great environment. Most importantly, this "Royal Capital Bushin Style" was incredibly logical. It was actually a joy to practice—a rare treat.

“Do you like the Royal Capital Bushin Style?”

The blond instructor—Zenon Griffey, if I recalled—approached me.

“Do I look like I do?” I asked.

“Yeah. You look like you’re having the time of your life.”

“Maybe I am.”

Zenon-sensei gave a refreshing, princely laugh at my response.

“As you know, the Royal Capital Bushin Style is a relatively new school that branched off from the original Bushin Style. The 'Traditional' vs. the 'Innovative.' We caught a lot of flak at first, but thanks to Princess Iris, we’re now considered the second most prominent style in the country.”

“I’ve heard you were one of the swordsmen who helped build the school’s reputation, Sensei.”

“My contribution was trivial compared to Princess Iris. Even so, I like to think of this style as something I helped nurture. That’s why it makes me happy to see someone take a liking to it. Anyway, sorry for interrupting your flow.”

Zenon-sensei moved on to observe the other students. I actually knew exactly how he felt. I loved watching Alpha and the girls use my sword techniques. My style is something I built from the ground up, and seeing it recognized and wielded by others provides a very specific kind of ego stroke.

“What were you two gossiping about?” Alexia asked, strolling over.

“Just the Royal Capital Bushin Style.”

“Hmm. Next is 'Mass' practice, so let’s pair up.”

"Mass" is basically light technical sparring. You don't actually land hits; it’s more about checking your forms and the flow of counters.

“Aren't we a bit mismatched in skill level?” I asked.

“It’ll be fine.”

We leveled our wooden swords and began.

I would swing, and Alexia would parry. Then she would strike, and I would parry. We kept the impact light, the movements slow, and the Magic Power usage to a minimum.

While other pairs around us were venting Magic Power and clashing violently, Alexia was surprisingly accommodating. No, it wasn't that she was "matching" me... this was just her natural state. She understood that Mass was for technical refinement, not a contest of speed or strength. She was focused entirely on the purpose of the drill.

I could see it clearly in her sword.

Everyone in the kingdom worships her older sister, Princess Iris. They call her a genius, a prodigy, the strongest warrior in the land. Her fame is deafening.

In contrast, Alexia’s reputation is... mid, at best. People say she has decent Magic Power and an honest technique, but that she’s miles behind her sister. That’s the "common sense" take on Alexia.

But facing her like this, I realized her sword was actually quite good.

It was faithful to the basics. Her foundation was rock solid. It was just... plain.

Yeah, it was plain as hell. But that plainness was the fruit of staggering effort. The way she had stripped away every bit of waste until only the refined core remained was proof that she had climbed the mountain one agonizing step at a time.

Delta, you should really take some notes, I thought, picturing the Beastkin girl whose chaotic, instinctive sword style I find personally offensive.

“That’s a good sword,” Alexia noted.

“Thanks.”

“But I hate it.”

Ah, the classic 'compliment-sandwiched-in-an-insult' style.

“It’s like I’m looking in a mirror. Let’s call it a day.”

She started packing up. Apparently, class was over.

Against all odds, I had survived the elite class without a scratch. Now, all I had to do was tidy up, change, and sprint home at Mach speed...

“Not so fast.”

...Or not.

Alexia grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and hauled me away.

“So, I take it that is your final answer?”

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Zenon-sensei.

“Yes,” Alexia said firmly. “I’ve decided to go out with him.”

“You can’t keep running away from your problems forever, Alexia,” Zenon-sensei replied, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh, ho ho! I’m afraid 'adult circumstances' are far too complex for a mere child like me to understand.”

By this point, I had pretty much put the pieces together. I knew why I’d been dragged here, and I knew exactly why she had "decided" to date me.

Please, for the love of God, don't drag me into this, I prayed. I did my best to turn into a literal shadow and watched the "Main Character Event" unfold between the two of them.