Joe Katori.
People called me a Sword Saint, but in reality, I was just a loser who washed out of the military. I didn’t have the pilot aptitude I’d dreamed of having since I was a kid, so I quit.
I left the service, but my pride remained as high as ever.
I suppose I was what you’d call a social misfit. I’d managed to scrape by a living through the only skill I had left: running a swordsmanship dojo.
That was when a classmate from the Imperial Officer Academy called me out.
It was that bastard Piggett. He was supposed to be an Imperial Guard Knight serving the Imperial Family now.
Yet, the place he chose to meet was a chain izakaya in the Imperial Capital. The guy knew me well. If he’d invited me to some high-end restaurant, I probably would’ve clocked him.
Honestly, it made my heart ache. In terms of the sword, I was the better man. But the sword was all I had. I was born a commoner, whereas Piggett was smart and the second son of a distinguished noble house.
He’d proven his worth as an Imperial Guard Knight and even earned himself a title. He was a man who had successfully weathered the storms of society. He wasn’t a loser like me.
I went to meet him while feeling as though I’d be crushed by my own inferiority complex. I couldn't exactly turn him down, though. That was how deep my sense of inadequacy went.
But when we met, Piggett actually bowed his head to me.
“I beg you. Please train my student.”
“A student... wait, you mean Leo Kamishiro?!”
I’d heard the rumors. The Empire’s strongest pilot and the Lord Groom of His Majesty the Emperor. A hero and a monster who had clawed his way up through sheer strength alone.
Even taking the stories with a grain of salt, they sounded like total exaggerations. I mean, “outsmarting the Special Forces while still in the Imperial Junior Academy”? What kind of nonsense was that?
The war situation must have worsened so much that they felt forced to manufacture a hero. Maybe the Empire really was on the brink of ruin.
“I see. So his plating is starting to peel off? You want me to beat some character back into him?”
“If only it were that simple...”
Something about the atmosphere felt off.
“Hey now, that doesn’t sound like you. What kind of guy is this Leo Kamishiro, anyway?”
“I can no longer even begin to evaluate the Lord Groom...”
So he was a wild one, then? I see. The truth was likely that the naive Emperor had been swindled by some hoodlum, and Piggett was stuck cleaning up the mess. How tragic.
But that was a feat I could never pull off. Piggett had the caliber to handle other people’s messes. I didn't. That was why Piggett was always worrying. Life is a cruel thing; being the winner doesn't necessarily make you happy.
Fine. If he was just a hoodlum in need of reform, I’d handle it. I was a master at thrashing delinquents, shaving their heads, and hammering the way of the sword into them until they wished they were dead.
And it wasn't just for Piggett’s sake. It was a chance to reclaim the self-esteem I’d lost as a kid.
“Alright. Leave it to me.”
I didn’t need the details. I’d just beat the punk half to death and instill some discipline. Yeah, leave it to me!
...Or so I thought.
Once I actually met the guy, I realized the truth. He was a total monster!
If anything, the rumors were a massive understatement!
What was wrong with that guy?! My serious attacks couldn't even touch him!
“Um... Master... why are you only hitting your own backside?”
I felt a vein pop in my forehead. I ground my wooden sword against Leo’s face.
“Because I can’t hit you! You! You’re dodging every single attack I imbue with killing intent! The only ones that land are the ones I throw as comic relief! That goes for you too, Eddie!!”
Eddie was currently sprawled out on the floor. He was Leo Kamishiro’s adjutant, but he was a monster in his own right.
“Eddie, as for you! I can’t dodge your attacks at all! There’s no telegraphing, no killing intent—nothing!!”
“Pant... pant... B-but Master, you were dodging them...”
“I was barely making it by the skin of my teeth! And you, Leo! Look at that face! You’re thinking that maybe my attacks would land if you just erased your killing intent, aren’t you?! It’s because you’re constantly radiating killing intent like a wild beast! I can never tell when an actual attack is coming! Stop trying to pull tricks and fix your basic forms first!!”
“Waaaahhh!!”
There was one more person I needed to address: Edge, who was currently face-down on the floor. He was the youngest, but he was a monster too—or at least a monster in the making.
“Edge is doing his best. Keep working hard like that.”
“O-Osu...”
“Master! Only Edge gets special treatment?!”
“Yeah! That’s unfair!!”
“It’s not unfair, you morons!! You need to realize just how abnormal you all are!! I’m sick of dealing with these freaks!!”
Seriously, these guys had no idea what I was going through.
On the day I first met Leo Kamishiro, I’d interrogated Piggett. I told him the guy was nothing like what I’d been led to believe. That was when the bastard hit me with a fact far more terrifying than anything I’d imagined.
“The Lord Groom is an ability user—an esper. His ability increases the stats of anyone he considers an ally by ten percent.”
“Huh? That sounds... surprisingly normal. Wait, what’s the range? Is it ten percent in total across everyone?”
“It’s ten percent per person. From what we’ve confirmed so far, he can buff people on a scale of tens of thousands.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Ten percent per person for tens of thousands of people?! You mean green recruits become veterans? That turns tens of thousands of men into the equivalent of several times that many troops! That’s a power that becomes more unstoppable the larger the numbers get!”
What kind of absolute nonsense was that? No, wait... it was even worse than that level.
If every soldier finished their tasks ten percent faster, it would create mental leeway. Casualties would plummet. The actual synergistic effect would be far beyond a mere ten percent.
What kind of monster was he?!
“Yes, it’s exactly as you think. Their growth rates increase, and they become mentally stabilized. We estimate the total effect to be an increase in combat power of several times per individual.”
“Hold on... that’s already the caliber of a king...”
“His Majesty acknowledges that as well. She said: ‘Leo Kamishiro is not the groom of the Emperor. I, the Emperor of the Galactic Empire, am Leo Kamishiro’s wifey.’”
“Hey, hey, hey... so if Leo Kamishiro dies... that’s what this is about! Piggett! That’s why you asked me, isn’t it?!”
“Yes. The Lord Groom’s life has already been targeted many times. From fools and anarchists to cult religions. The enemies are within the Empire. There’s a limit to what I can protect. So, protect him. Ensure Leo Kamishiro does not die. Hammer swordsmanship into him with the resolve to break him. Only you can do it. Protect the world... protect humanity.”
Unbelievable. I thought I was taking a job babysitting some kid, but the weight of the responsibility was staggering.
Aah! Dammit!!
How the hell am I supposed to make a monster who can catch bullets even stronger?!
And so... I gave up on being their master. I stopped thinking altogether.
“Le-o-kun, let’s pla~y!!”
Today, I swung my wooden sword as I approached the senior officer’s cottage.
“Gyaaa!! Master!! Eddie, Edge! Master’s here! Run for it!!”
I caught the idiots as they tried to scramble out the window. I wasn't letting them get away. From now until they collapsed, it was going to be full-power sparring.
Gwahahaha!
If this was how it was going to be, I might as well lose my mind right along with them!!