Blue sky, under white clouds.

　I pulled out a beach chair in the garden and laid down on it, lazing around.

　A nice breeze caressing my body, the sun and shade alternating with the slow moving clouds.
　It's the perfect weather for lounging.

　As I'm relaxing like that, Erica sticks close to me.
　Maybe I should say "sticky" or "rumbling" rather than "sticky".

　Like a cat in a good mood, she touches me and rumbles.

　I'm totally used to Erica's "this" and the weather is perfect for slumbering on top of it, so I get tired of poking around and let her do what she wants.

　We were silent for a while, riddled with only skin-to-skin contact in existence, when Erica suddenly opened her mouth.

'Hey hey darling,'
Huh?　What is it?
So, darling, when are you going to tell people that you're with the King of Aegina?
Is this about the king?

　What are you talking about?

The Righteous Ones.
What are you talking about?

　It was a big change from the languid air and I was thrilled.
　I almost raised myself up, but Erica was ragging on me and practically holding me down.

'Haha, you don't have to hide it!'
No, no, no, no, no.

　I was massively upset.
　Once I was upset, I regretted it.
　If I reacted like this, I thought, it would be like trying to answer a question.

　I forced my heart rate, which had been completely elevated, back into the rhythm of my heart (,,,,,,,,) and asked Erica back.

'What are you talking about?'
Ha-ha, my darling, you don't have to hide it anymore.

　Erica laughed with a vignette.

'This world, you know, you can find out as much as you want about what more than three people know about it.
Mmm.

　I raised an eyebrow.
　I don't know what the theory behind the three or more - I don't know what the theory is, but I could tell from Erica's tone that such a story clearly exists.
　At the same time, I understood that Erica wasn't just being a joke, she was clearly convinced and was asking on that basis.

　I sighed.

'Have you told anyone?'　It.
Nope.

　Erica shook her head.
　After shaking it, she put her chin on my chest plate a little bit.
　The gesture was cute, and if we weren't talking about this, it wasn't a bad time to let her do what she wanted and sit back and watch it - it was a cute gesture.

　But now was not the time to do so.
　Erica shook her head, but that still didn't calm me down.

'Really?'
Really. I'm asking you, darling. When are you going to announce it?
Mmmm...

　I see, so that's what you're talking about.
　I'm a little relieved to hear that.

　If you haven't already spoken to him.

But the king's mentor may have already fallen out of love with you.
Why not?

　I let out what sounded like a scream.
　No, maybe it was the scream itself.

'What?　Was it bad?
No.
Why?
Because...
'Because my darling's ancestors were the queen's mentors at the time. It's not uncommon. It's common.
Mmm.

　This is the second time today that I'm mmmm.

　Indeed, Erica may be right.

　The Cano family was given a baronetcy because the first generation was the queen's sword master at the time.
　Not only that, a king is a human being.
　On top of that, they need a high level of competence to rule the country, so they have a lot more to learn than ordinary humans, and there are many so-called 'teachers' or 'masters'.

　If you're a master of the sword, there's no need to hide it at all.
　I don't have one.

''That's not what I'm talking about.

　I was disappointed.
　Even if it's just a normal thing, it draws attention.
　I don't like the attention, and I don't want people to know I'm capable of it.

　I let out a small sigh.

'Why would you reveal it to me in the first place?
'I just wanted to show people how great my darling is. Being on top of an amazing person is an easy 'wow' for the people to understand.
Quite so!

　I said desperately.
　Erica is right.

　The public tends to think the obvious is great.

　Even if a person has achieved a great deal, if they don't understand their achievements, they won't be considered great.
　The only way to get people to understand you is to detune your work so that it's easy for them to understand.

　In that sense, the "great mentor" is a perfect example of this.

　

　However, there's nothing I can do about it now.

　I just give up.

'Don't do that too much from now on. Spread the word and advertise.
Why?
I just want to relax.
'Hmmm, okay. If my darling says so, I will.

　Erica nodded honestly.
　Part of me was a little skeptical that she really understood, but I decided to believe her.

　The weather was nice, and besides, Erica was cute when she put her face on it.
　I switched my mood and went into relaxation mode again.

　A few moments later, one of the maids comes in.

"Master. Lina-sama is here.

　The young maid who came in said this.

'Lina?'
Yes. What can I do for you?
Hmmm ... see you here. Sorry, Erica.

　I turned my face to Erica.

'Can you take it off for a minute?'
Phew!

　Erica's face puffed up. That was cute too.

'Okay. But you'll have to be pretty again later, darling.

　No, I don't remember ever loving it, but I'm not going to...I'm not going to...I'm going to stop, I'm going to blur the subject.

Okay.

　I complied honestly, and Erica got up and left with a satisfied look and gait.

'Call me,'

　I went to the maid.
　The maid walked away and a few moments later Lina came over.

　I lifted myself out of the beach chair, sat down with both feet on the ground, and turned to face Lina.

　When Lina looked at me, she gave a shushing glance.

'It's been a while, sir,'
Yeah, good to see you. What's going on?
There are two.

　Hmm.

First of all, it's been a while since I've had a teacher.
Okay. Okay, come on.

　I stood up and drew my sword.
　Another thing is bothering me, but I can only solve one thing at a time, if I'm on my own, but there's also an opponent (...).

　I decided to solve the first one first.

　Lina drew her sword, bowed, and then slashed at me.

　Checking her progress in her skill in a way that was close to practice.

　........Yeah, she's practicing well.
　I can see that they are usually very serious about it.

　I've tried to do some (,,,,) and see what happens.
　And he handled it perfectly.

　Human beings have a way of collapsing their movements that is unexpected.
　When you're practicing, you're able to do a certain move, but when the unexpected happens, it's not so easy.

　The only way it can be done is through repetition practice or training and making your body remember it.
　That's what Lina was able to do.

'Yeah.'

　After a quick check, I nodded and stepped back.
　Lina also put her sword away and asked.

'How do you like it, sir?'
That's good. You've mastered everything I've ever taught you.
Thank you.
I'll tell you this, too.

　I wielded the sword as I held it.
　Slowly, plainly, I taught Lina the new kata.

　Lina's eyes were like saucers as she watched my movements.
　When I was done demonstrating the kata, I sheathed my sword and asked.

'How do you like it?'
'Thank you!　I'll do my best to learn!
Yeah. And the second thing--
"My darling, I am an idiot...
Whoa!

　When I was completely unprotected, Erica tackled me from the side.
　A tackling hug, which she always does when she appears.
　It got to me, and we both fell to the ground together.

'Ow.........what's going on?'

　Erica pushes me down in a tackle, and she turns her resentful eyes upward as she hugs me.

'Darling idiot, don't make out with another woman in front of Erica,'
You flirted with him and now you're just teaching him the sword.

　Where do you see the flirting?

'It's lovey-dovey!　Darling, you were very accommodating and patronized this boy!
It's... well...

　If it's called being kind or patronizing, maybe it is.
　That's because he's my student.
　When you have a disciple who is diligent, who has mastered the things you've taught him, you can't help but be patronizing.

I'm going to ask you to show Erika some favoritism!　Otherwise, I'd be crying!
All right, all right. I'll see you later.
Really?
Yeah, I'm just talking to you so you can get back to me.
Okay, finger cutting.
Yeah, yeah, cut your fingers off.

　Erica pestered him, and he knotted his little fingers together.
　Satisfied with that, Erica walked away again.

　I decided to be careful not to be interrupted by another tackle.

'Phew...'
Doctor, what was that?
'What?　Yeah, yeah.

　I turn to Lina, and sure enough, she has a puzzled look on her face.

　Now, what's going on?

　Suddenly, I remembered Erika's words from earlier.

　Caramba Queen Erika Rika Caramba.

　She is such a good friend of hers - in fact, I'd say she's a samurai of hers, and we have a good relationship.
　When they know that, their reputation is easily understood.

　That's ... not good.

　Fortunately, Lina doesn't seem to understand yet.
　If that's the case--.

He's been a good friend to me lately.
Yeah?

　Lina turned slightly depressed and looked thoughtful.

　........hmm?

　Why do you have to look so seriously contemplative now?
　I was curious and decided to ask him honestly.

'What's wrong with you, Lina, you look like that.
It's a good thing a hawk hides its talons, master.
Hmm?　Yeah, that's what you said the first time we met.

　I wondered if he liked that word so much - and I thought it was misguided.

'You're that much in love with Queen Karamba and you're not going to open up about it. That's great.
...What?

　What?
　What did you just say, Lina?

And you knew what she was?
Yes, I've seen him before.
Oh...

　That's right.
　Lina is Aegina's royalty, and Erica is the Queen of Calamba.
　It's only natural that they would know each other.

"I've come to ask you if that's true today, too.
Oh...

　Oh yeah, I had another thing to do.
　I didn't get to hear it because of Erica's interruption, but that's what Lina had said all along.

　I mean..........

'That's as good as it gets, sir.'
Oops.

　I knew it was going to happen.
　My reputation had risen unnecessarily in Lina's mind.