STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

28. SWORDS

This time, Coachman Leon chose the horses to harness to the carriage, and that meant he chose the horses he worked better with. That meant no Ponychael.

Instead, Christallion grumbled at South each time he got more than one meter away from the carriage. Like a grumpy father going 'sit and stay' every two seconds.

So annoying.

And if South went anyways, there was the accursed Joycequine, dragging him back by the collar and shoving him between the two horses on their harness, patting him down as if she was trying to hide him from view.

"Enough! You can't tuck me away like this!" South protested, limbs flailing. "I demand my freedom!"

Joycequine snapped loudly at him.

Jumping with fright, South ran to Christallion, hiding behind him and clinging for comfort. Christallion sighed longsufferingly.

"...so," Leon spoke up behind him and South screeched in surprise. It seemed he was done ordering the lemons to be sent to the mansion. "Why couldn't you just stay still?"

South wasn't whining like a baby, he swore. "She's always yelling at me!"

"Because she hates babysitting. I know," Leon said. "That's why I brought her. She's the only one you listen to. She's the reason you jump so easily when people talk at you."

"And you don't see the problem? She's so mean to me!"

"It's a good thing that she's scary," Leon rubbed her on the head and scratched her behind the ears, "she's very sweet to me, though."

South scowled. "I'm going to tell Broncoxander when we get home."

And Joycequine roared at him, South immediately scurrying off into the carriage with a startled cry.

Leon groaned, "if you're scared of her, why do you keep picking a fight?"

At times like these, Leon thought it was a relief that South actually acted his age. Like an immature, barely-twenty young adult that just got his foot out into the world.

-

"You have a similar stature to Young Master Basen, don't you?" Leon called for South, "then come in here and help me look around."

"Whuh?"

"Stop making that sound," Leon said.

"But Young Lady Lily is the one that wants a sword," South said. "And no. I do not have a similar stature to someone seven years younger than me I refuse to acknowledge that." 

Leon ignored the second part. "That's why we'll bring Young Master Cale here later to pick it out himself. Young Master Basen's sword instructor told me to get one for him as well— he does not excel in the sword, but it is hard in our time to not require at least some training."

Well, that made sense. This story did dissolve into war later— while Basen Henituse was always the studious one, it was hard to imagine any noble to not at least have been put through minimal sword training for self-defence.

But then again, this wasn't South's old world, so he didn't know. In this world it might be weirder that Lily wants to be a knight.

"Young Lady Lily is still growing, so a normal-sized sword will be better. She will grow into it," South said. "Same thing to Young Master Basen. If he's only received basic training, he won't know how to use unique sword lengths— best to stick with what he's used before."

"Huh. You know a lot," Leon said.

"Well..." South looked through the selection, "I don't have long limbs, so a normal-sized sword is disadvantageous for me. But I'm fast, so I was told to settle with a dagger instead. I had to learn about all this."

It was also because daggers and hidden weapons like his needle were much better for espionage, but he didn't need to tell Coachman Leon that.

He could have also gone for longer swords, or spears, but those stood out a lot and were the opposite of what he was meant for.

Leon watched him look through the swords, amused. He'd been a coachman all his life, so he of course didn't know much about swordsmanship at all. It was weird that South knew anything, but he'd come to terms long ago to stop asking about South's weirdness.

"That sword on your neck looks a little different than the ones in this store," Leon said.

South self-consciously reached up to cover it with his hand. "Yes... it's different," he said. "Huh. Now that you mention it."

It made sense, though. People made swords differently everywhere... Choi Han survived in the Dark Forest for... decades? With only the clothes on him. His sword must have come from somewhere there, and South could only imagine where it'd come from.

It actually looked similar to a Korean two-sided blade. But maybe that was South thinking too much— this was a whole other world, after all. Surely there were overlaps in culture and practices.

"Right," South decided to change the subject. "So we're picking out the swords, and then later when we drag Young Master in, we're going to suggest these swords to him so we can say he chose and bought them himself?"

"Yes, Sou," Leon said. "You're so smart. But next time don't say that out loud."

-

"Not that one, it won't suit him."

South was morbidly offended at this point, but he couldn't be mad in all honesty. Sure they had the swords picked out, Cale just needed to pay—

—but who would expect Cale Henituse, trash of the county, man who hasn't picked up a sword in his entire life, to have opinions?

Well honestly, South did think he would have opinions— he didn't know much about Kim Rok Soo from just his knowledge of the first season of the manhwa, but he clearly was a soldier of some kind. But he didn't think he'd actually flat out reject South's suggestions.

"And get Lily a heavier sword."

"But what if she can't lift it, Young Master?"

"She'll figure it out," Young Master said. "It's not about whether she can lift it, it's about when she swings it, will she be able to cut anything with a sword so light?"

"But if she's too small to lift it—"

"She will grow."

South was outmatched already. He thought he knew a lot about swords, but one must not underestimate the instincts of Cale Henituse.

South looked at his own dagger, feeling put off now. They were always sharp, so he never had a problem with its weight. Plus, didn't women knights usually use light swords, since their upper body strength tended to pale in comparison to well-built male knights? They had to focus on how nimble they could be.

...ah, right.

Even if Lily was seven years old, Clae already suspected she would grow into the kind of soldier that wouldn't let something like physical differences stop her. If she was to lead the knights someday, she would definitely do it with strength and skill, rather than cheap tricks like South.

"Why are we getting one for Basen?" Cale then asked.

South recomposed himself. "Oh. His instructor informed us to keep one around as a spare for self-defense."

"Then get him a slightly longer one that's lighter," Cale said after a moment.

South was entirely lost at this point. "Not a heavy one?"

"No, he'll hurt his wrist. He needs that for his studies."

South felt his pride crumble instantly. Kim Rok Soo-ssi, have mercy on me, you don't have to trample all over my confidence in swords like this.

"And get yourself a new dagger while you're at it."

"Whuh?" South now had to panic. "Wait, no! Young Master, just buy for your siblings!"

"Stop gawking and choose, we have to get Basen's fountain pen, too."