The Cold Rose's Winter, Part 4
I couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled by the appearance of this unexpected person.
After all, I had assumed that the person who had been training alongside me in this same space, without either of us acknowledging the other, was someone from the Knight Department.
No matter how insignificant they might be, I could at least recognize the faces of those who shared the same classes.
Yet, in my memory, I had never once encountered a man named Rofel Teufel in the Knight Department.
In fact, the first time I had even learned of his existence was earlier today, when I saw him with Lilit Tistina.
Did that mean he had been training here all this time, all by himself, without even belonging to the Knight Department?
"I'm Rofel Teufel. Unlike you, I'm from the Magic Department, so you probably don't know me."
The Magic Department... That only puzzled me further.
Not only was he not a knight student, but he was a mage student?
Granted, the sparring exam was only held for the Knight and Magic Departments, but it was hard to believe that a student from the Magic Department had been training alone in the sparring grounds until now.
While magic students did take the sparring exam, they did not train at the sparring grounds.
Mages fundamentally avoided letting opponents get close, and unless they were exceptionally skilled, they fought under the assumption that they would be protected by others.
Therefore, due to the nature of sparring—which took place in a confined space on a one-on-one basis—the win rate of knight students against magic students was overwhelmingly high.
Consequently, when magic students participated in the sparring exam, their goal was not victory, but rather to show the spectators how powerful, destructive, and high-level their magic could be.
In other words, they would conduct magic research using dummy golems in their designated magic workshops, rather than seeking out opponents in the sparring grounds where they could get hurt.
"Indeed. I am Seraphina Serion, daughter of the Serion family and a student of the Knight Department.
So, what business do you have with me?"
"Huh? Ah, right. Uh... well... you see... so... um..."
He crossed his arms and tilted his head back and forth, seemingly lost in thought.
It was as if he had approached me first without even thinking about what he wanted to say.
"Well... would you like to... spar?"
"Spar?"
"...Did I say something weird all of a sudden?"
"Do you not think it is strange? A stranger suddenly approaches and asks to spar.
And at such a late hour in the sparring grounds, no less. Anyone would find themselves on guard in this situation.
Furthermore, did you not say I am a knight student and you are a magic student?
It is even more unheard of for a magic student to initiate a spar."
"Ah, I see... Sorry. It's just, how should I put it... I felt like I absolutely had to say something to you right now."
"...Do you realize that is also a strange answer?"
"I guess so... Sigh... Strangely, I find myself acting like this sometimes."
He scratched his head, looking genuinely embarrassed, as if he wasn't lying.
"...Well, no matter. I was just in the mood to swing my sword.
I shall accept your request."
"Ah! Right, thank you."
My mind had been cluttered with distracting thoughts anyway.
No matter his skill level, having an opponent would be far better for clearing my head and training than endlessly swinging my sword alone.
...Assuming his skills are not completely lacking, that is.
"However, since I do not know your capabilities, I shall yield the first move to you.
Feel free to attack however you wish."
Taking my stance, I closely observed the man before me.
First, his well-built physique, evident even through his clothes, was impressive.
It was hard to believe he belonged to the Magic Department; one could tell at a glance that his body was the result of long-term, consistent training.
In his right hand, he held a mace, which was perhaps a natural choice.
Since it only required swinging, it was an overwhelmingly easier weapon to use compared to a sword.
It was a fitting weapon for someone who was not a knight student.
Rofel rushed forward, preparing to swing the mace wide with one hand.
It was unexpected, considering most mages focused on keeping their distance and spamming spells.
Reaching me in an instant, he swung the solid iron weapon.
Perhaps due to his trained body, the strike was surprisingly heavy, even though it was just a simple, wide swing of the mace.
However, because the trajectory was so simple and predictable, I easily deflected it using the crossguard of my greatsword.
Keeping my sword pointed forward, I prepared for a swift thrust.
I could stop the blade right before it made contact, so he wouldn't be injured.
Against an ordinary opponent, the fight would usually end here.
But just then, I caught sight of something flying in from the edge of my vision and dodged to the side.
A moment later, three or four small fireballs struck the spot where I had just been standing.
Judging by their trajectory, they had curved sharply from the side.
I see. He launched magic outside my field of vision to execute a delayed attack.
Was that wide swing of the mace a feint as well?
Unexpectedly, the man before me might actually possess some skill.
Several clashes ensued between Rofel and me.
Although I was holding back my strength, I had not expected him to hold out for this long.
He swung his mace wide once more while launching a fireball, prompting me to tilt my body sideways and step back again.
While I was dodging, he closed the distance in a flash and swung his mace.
Unlike before, he unleashed a rapid succession of strikes with tight, controlled movements and moderate power.
His attacks were simple, yet they carried a fair amount of experience.
I blocked them using half-swording, gripping the hilt with one hand and the upper part of the blade with the other.
Timing it perfectly, I parried his strike with force, causing him to stumble and leave a wide opening.
I still hadn't fully gauged his limits, but perhaps I no longer needed to hold back my strength.
Gripping the hilt with one hand and pressing down on the flat of the blade with the other, I brought the greatsword down on him with full force, like a falling guillotine.
In response, he fired a rapid succession of fireballs directly at my greatsword with his free hand to cushion the impact, while simultaneously swinging his mace to deflect my blade.
I couldn't help but admire how he handled my unbridled, monstrous strength.
He then closed in, holding his mace in one hand and preparing to cast a spell with the other.
I dodged by bending my waist deeply backward, then used the momentum to swing my greatsword horizontally with immense force.
This attack, too, was delivered with my full strength.
Yet, he flipped his mace into a reverse grip, absorbing the impact of my incoming greatsword by dispersing the force along his thick forearm.
Instead of resisting the incoming impact, he moved his body in the same direction.
To be precise, he used the force of my horizontal swing to spin his body, letting my attack pass harmlessly into the air, and followed through with a kick.
And it wasn't just any kick. Most mages cast spells through their hands.
But at that moment, I realized he had cast a spell through his foot at point-blank range the instant it made contact with my body.
It was a completely unexpected attack, leaving me unable to defend. His kick, which redirected my own strength against me, struck my flank cleanly.
A sharp pain flared for a moment, but I quickly recovered my stance and deflected the follow-up magic with my greatsword.
As expected, he didn't back away, continuing his onslaught by mixing magic and mace strikes.
I had underestimated him for a moment, but now I had a grasp of his capabilities.
He was certainly no mere novice; he was a skilled combatant in his own right.
Therefore, I had to face him in earnest.
I prepared the single strike that would decide the match.
The swordsmanship of the Serion family.
Spotting an opening amidst his continuous strikes, I swung my sword downward with immense force.
It was a powerful blow, carrying the innate talent of the Serion family and delivered with absolute sincerity.
The trajectory of the greatsword was clean, heavy, and precise.
The man before me hurriedly raised his guard, gripping his mace with both hands.
For a brief moment, a contest of strength ensued, dragging his feet backward along the ground, but he soon buckled under my power.
And so, the spar ended as he was blown back by my strike.
Although the result was a victory for me, to be honest, I felt as though I had been caught off guard multiple times.
He hadn't looked strong, so I hadn't expected anything from him. Yet, we had exchanged blows for this long, he had drawn out my true strength, and I had even allowed him to land a hit on me.
I felt ashamed of myself for underestimating his skills at first.
Ah! Now is not the time for such thoughts!
Without realizing it, I had used one of the Serion family's most powerful techniques against him in earnest.
It was an attack that would cause serious injury at the very least. I hurriedly ran toward where he had been blown away.
"Wait! Are you alright?"
"Huh? Ah... That attack just now was incredible."
As the dust cleared from the sparring grounds, his figure came into view.
Unexpectedly, he was lying down in a relaxed posture, holding a water bottle in one hand.
It appeared he had drunk a healing potion.
"I have a close friend who's really good at alchemy.
Thanks to them, I always carry some high-performance healing potions with me."