Chapter 15: 1

Savage Fang – Volume 2 Chapter 1: An Everyday Life

Some time had passed since the magi-drug scandal that had shaken up the Academy.

Well, in reality, it had happened a few months ago, and by now, the only ones who still remembered it were the victims who had fallen for it in the first place — to say nothing of the teachers who were trying to forget that the main perpetrator behind it was one of their own coworkers.

He had been popular — strict at times, yet gentle at others — but in spite of that, they would still forget the name Pelmann altogether some day.

But of course, there would still be those that remembered Pelmann.

Needless to say, I would be one of them. I’ve been trying to live a peaceful life ever since beginning this second life of mine, but that didn’t mean I would sit still when there were ‘enemies’ who would threaten my peace.

As for the others…

“Haa… Haa… It’s not over yet!”

“I will support you..! Princess Colette!”

These two were Colette and Albert, my friends — and royalty.

Colette’s slender, toned limbs moved with smooth fluidity as she unleashed intense magical energy, enchanting her wooden sword with it. Meanwhile, Albert, aware he could not match her power, moved to support her.

And the one taking them on… was none other than me.

Aware they would both soon tire out completely, Albert began channeling his remaining magical power into his next attack.

His goal was most likely to force me to respond, giving Colette a chance to find an opening to take.

The flexibility in his thinking was remarkable; he had prioritized supporting his superior partner over himself, making it clear he had no bias being the man supporting a woman in a fight. But what impressed me even more was how quickly he’d found the most efficient course and confidently, unhesitatingly took action.

I avoided his horizontal slash by bending my upper body, but though his attack had missed, Albert followed the momentum of his swing to put himself behind me. He was looking to catch me in a pincer with Colette.

Though theirs had been an impromptu pairing, Colette quickly understood Albert’s intent. For them to have adjusted so quickly to one another showed they were excellent fighters.

I couldn’t see what Albert was doing behind me, but I could tell from the look in Colette’s eyes that the two had exchanged quick signals.

A tremendous amount of magical power — the product of lineage, talent, and effort — erupted from Colette.

It wasn’t the kind of attack I could deal with while also fending off Albert.

Which is why I should…

Instead of engaging Colette, I turned around.

“Wha– ah, oof!”

Albert had not expected my actions, and in that momentary opening, I struck him on the chin, causing him to let out a surprised cry.

I followed the blow with a kick, simultaneously launching Albert into the air and turning me back around. I heard a soft thump as he landed somewhere behind me.

Once again I faced Colette, and I shifted my posture just slightly, preparing to meet her blade head-on with my own.

“Ugh..!”

“A commendable strike. Not only have you grown in skill, but in magical power as well.”

Though I was defending against her attack, it was Colette who let out a frustrated sigh.

Her downstroke had come, yet I blocked it with ease. Our clashing swords seemed equal at first, but I gradually began pushing her back. For a moment, our heights matched as I overpowered her, then our positions became the reverse of how we started.

For a brief moment, the shadow of fatigue — from the intensity of our clash — appeared over Colette’s face. I hadn’t missed the opportunity; with the flick of my wrist, I pulled back from the clash before instantly whipping my sword back against hers.

“Aah..!”

Colette cried out in surprise as the clash sent a numbing shock running through her arms.

She lost hold of her wooden sword, and it spun through the air like it was dancing, before falling to the ground with a satisfying clatter. I stuck my own sword into the ground in a relaxed manner.

“Then, our bout has ended — if I may be so bold. Your strategies have improved since the last time, to say nothing of your spirits. Splendid effort, both of you.”

I relaxed and returned the wooden sword to my belt before extending a hand to Colette.

Colette stared up at me, still in a daze. After a moment, her lips curled upward, and she reached out to take my hand in hers.

“Ahh, I can’t believe it! I couldn’t win this time, either!”

Colette turned away to shout angrily, but it seemed to have cleared any frustration she felt; Colette had a bright smile on her face after she turned back to face me.

“…Your moves were simply amazing! I was quite confident of victory this time, but it seems even the two of us together is not enough!”

“Ah, ouch… I also felt that way. I knew I would not be able to defeat you, Lady Mylene, yet I wanted to put up a good fight… Still, I had not expected for you to so easily handle both of us at the same time!”

As I helped Colette to her feet, Albert had returned, gingerly rubbing his chin.

Hearing their compliments gave me a prickling feeling all over, but I kept a calm expression.

“It is simply because my fighting style is well-suited for taking on multiple enemies at once.”

My skills had to be good for group combat — or when I faced several enemies alone — because they were skills I had built up doing mercenary work.

That is, in the life I had before ‘becoming’ Mylene. I had been a mercenary then, and finding myself alone with only enemies for company was a common, everyday occurrence.

But while I had that experience, Colette and Albert had not yet become familiar with working together, and so I handicapped myself to better match their current level.

“Well, knowing how to fight with others in a fight is a pretty advanced skill. But while there’s an advantage from being able to coordinate simultaneous attacks, you also have to pay attention to your partner. Not to mention the times where you get in each other’s way, right? I was holding back as always, but the two of you seemed to be doing worse than usual.”

“Hmm… Now that you mention it, it did feel more difficult to fight than usual. I suppose if we are to improve our coordination, it will have to go one step at a time.

“That does make sense: the more allies to fight with, the more things to be aware of while in a fight.”

“Yep, exactly. The two of you catch on quick. Very good, very good.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of these outstanding students of mine.

— After what had happened with the cult, Albert and Colette had formally requested that I train them.

It was part of my daily routine to train after classes, and it wasn’t uncommon for either of them to occasionally join in. Colette and I did spar on those occasions — we were rivals of a sort, after all — but I only ever gave her some advice, nothing I would consider teaching.

But then Colette came to me and bowed her head, asking that I train her in magic and swordsmanship.

“I never want to suffer such indignity ever again. Even if it would kill me.”

It was because of what had happened with Pelmann.

Having discovered a cult possessing magical powers far beyond common sense only to experience the humiliation of being a helpless captive had pushed Colette to swallow her pride and ask for instruction from her rival.

“The same goes for me. I want to be strong — strong enough that I can proudly say ‘It is my turn to help you, Lady Mylene’!”

My words from back then — when I said he wasn’t strong enough to come with me — had pushed Albert to also ask for further training. It seemed that beneath that cute, girly face of his was a surprisingly bold and gutsy will. I didn’t hate that at all…

You are reading story Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life at novel35.com

“…Let me be clear: I have no need for you to act recklessly for me the way you had done just now. As I have said many times, Your Highness, you are the heir to the throne of Iltania. Your life is not yours alone, least of all for you to treat so lightly.”

…But that kind of thing was only important for guys with nothing tying them down.

For a prince to sacrifice himself for another — that wasn’t something anyone could allow to happen.

“Um… W-well, I would not do that in a real battle! I always follow your instructions, Lady Mylene!”

“If you really were following my instructions, a ‘real battle’ is the last thing you need to be thinking about.”

“Ah…”

If Albert were to die, then Iltania would mobilize and demand retribution to right that wrong.

And if that were to happen, the Gods of the Moon cult would take the opportunity to sow further discord, bringing us closer to world of chaos and conflict — like the one I remembered, from a different time.

In any case, time and time again, I’ve kept reminding Albert of the importance of his position, so much that it was like a headache that refused to go away.

If we weren’t in a garden on Academy grounds, I would’ve beat the weight of that responsibility into him myself, without worrying about who might be watching. But right now… I didn’t have much of a choice, having to keep up my image. Playing the part of a perfect lady sure was hard…

“There is no need to be so hard on him. Is it not good for a man to have such strength of spirit and conviction?”

Colette tried showing her own concern to the deflated Albert, but…

“I have some words for you as well, Princess Colette. If you could be a little more obedient or show a little more restraint, things would be much easier. After all, I would be overstepping my authority should I reprimand you, the princess of another country, too harshly.”

…she was just as reckless as Albert, and I needed her not to act that way.

Colhoun and Iltania were the two greatest powers across the land, but unlike the peace-obssessed Kingdom of Iltania, the Colhoun Empire would willingly go to war every few decades.

Should Colette die, that Empire would lash out and begin rampaging about like a lion gone mad with rage.

I wasn’t obssessed with world peace or anything, but I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing knowing all-out war was just one bad mistake away from happening.

“Haha, I am not surprised that is what you have found fault with! …But, well, if we are to be lifelong partners, Mylene, I suppose I would do well to heed your words. After all, it is to you that I have entrusted my future.”

What she said was nice to hear, but it wasn’t something that should happen… or so I thought.

I reflexively grimaced as Colette pouted in response.

Quite some time has passed since I first became a woman, but inside, I was still a man at heart. It was hard to resist the temptation of a beautiful and good-natured woman like Colette when she acted like this.

“You’re bringing that up again..? I beg your pardon for my presumption, but I do not believe the mere daughter of a duke would be a fitting partner for the esteemed princess of Colhoun.”

Well, besides that, becoming intimately involved with the princess from a country well-known as a military superpower seemed like it would lead to even bigger issues.

In the first place, would the Empire even recognize a marriage between its princess and another woman? It seemed more likely they would want to hide me away like a secret mistress, but the last thing I wanted was to be locked away and out-of-sight like that.

“Th-that’s right! Lady Mylene is Iltania’s national treasure after all! Furthermore, though I am lacking, Lady Mylene is still my fiancee!”

As Albert said, the two of us were still engaged; if the princess of another country were to steal away their crown prince’s bride-to-be, the Kingdom of Iltania would not do nothing about it, and the relationship between the Kingdom and the Empire would completely fall apart.

“Of course, I am quite aware of a few minor issues in my way. Alas, the most pressing concern is of how unworthy I am, in my current state, of standing beside Mylene.”

“Please do not just dismiss such problems as ‘minor issues’!”

“And why ever not? Before the ardor of my love, such trivialities need no concern.”

Fortunately, Colette was a smart woman, and she was aware of the trouble her desires would cause; she wasn’t serious about pushing the matter.

But from the way she talked about it now, it was obvious she was planning to do something about it in the future.

Albert was pressing Colette on the matter, but she casually brushed him off. They continued to bicker until Colette noticed the time on a nearby clock.

“…Oh dear, I seem to have lost track of time. As much as I wish to stay for longer, there is something I must needs attend to today. I must excuse myself for now.”

Colette claimed to have errands to do, but there was something off about her words.

“Hm? How strange, Princess Colette, for you to prioritize something over time with Lady Mylene. I wonder, what kind of important matter could it be?”

“…Is it something to do with the incident?”

Albert put my unease into words, asking Colette.

As I mentioned before, Colette was a willful, independent girl. Because she would always do the things she liked and not do the things she didn’t like, Colette was also easy to understand.

In other words, it was very unusual for her to suddenly leave training for the day to take care of some sort of unknown ‘something’.

So the only possible thing important enough for Colette to choose to cut training short for would have to be something related to the Gods of the Moon cult.

“Hmm… Well… I suppose I could say the matter is not something related to that, just something personal I must take care of! Hehe, could it be that you are worried for me?”

“…If it were related to the incident, then your matter is also relevant to me. That is all.”

“Oh my, you need not be so coy, Mylene.”

Colette had on the innocent expression of a child that couldn’t get what she wanted.

In any case, this didn’t seem to be anything too serious after all.

In other words, Colette just has other things she is interested in.

It was a little annoying to be kept in the dark like this, but it was for the best that there really wasn’t anything happening.

Or so I said to myself, but Colette still seemed rather impatient. Was there something about all this that was bothering her?

“Then, please excuse me as I take my leave. I shall be seeing both of you tomorrow, Mylene, Prince Albert.”

“Ah… Yes, of course. Likewise, we shall see each other tomorrow, Princess Colette.”

“Do take care as you return.”

But if she didn’t want to talk about it, then there was no need to think too much about it.

Colette waved farewell before leaving the garden where we were training.

Well then, it was probably fine to stop today’s training here, but…

“So what shall we do now, Lady Mylene? If it is acceptable, I would like to train for a little longer… I want to catch up to Princess Colette at the very least.”

“Of course. If that is what you want, I would be more than happy to grant your request, Your Highness.”

…if Albert was feeling motivated then there was no reason for me not to stay with him.

I don’t dislike it, that feeling of wanting to surpass someone stronger.

“Phew… All right then. Come at me whenever you’re ready.”

I took up my wooden sword once again. Magical power poured from Albert as he readied himself. That little prince… he’s grown so much that I couldn’t help but smile.

You can find story with these keywords: Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life, Read Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life, Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life novel, Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life book, Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life story, Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life full, Lady Savage Fang – History’s Greatest Mercenary Reincarnates as the World’s Cruelest Lady and Becomes Peerless in this Second Life Latest Chapter