Winter of the Cold Rose (11)
The sense of déjà vu I felt from Rofel... How he could occasionally use techniques that felt so similar to Lord Sargas's remained a mystery.
Even when I asked him directly, he was completely unaware of it himself, so no clear answer ever came.
...Perhaps this could be the one breakthrough he needed to defeat Marc. I had to uncover the reason as soon as possible.
Lost in deep thought, I pinched the bridge of my nose to ease the tension and stepped into my room at the inn.
But there, waiting for me at the most unexpected time, was a completely unexpected figure.
Although he wore a hood pulled low to hide his identity, his aura made it instantly clear who he was.
A man whose strength I had once admired and respected, whom I had actively approached to build a friendship.
Marc Visus.
"Good to see you, Seraphina. It's our first time meeting since that day, isn't it?"
"...How did you find this place?"
"I should be the one asking you that. The daughter of a duke—and the only daughter of the Serion family, at that—wandering the city streets without even hiding her face. Did you really think no one would find you?"
"Then what business do you have here?"
"Well, there are far too many eyes and ears around here to have a proper chat. In my experience, places like this aren't very soundproof."
He snapped his fingers, and a pitch-black sphere of darkness emerged, enveloping both Marc and me.
It felt as if we were completely severed from the outside world. Only his voice and mine echoed within the space; no other sound could penetrate it.
...!? What is this?
"A technique I learned recently. To be precise, you could call it magic."
"Magic...?"
"Yes, magic. It's true I'm busy training in swordsmanship under Master, but on the flip side, I have quite a bit of free time when I'm resting my exhausted body. Swordsmanship training only tires the physical body; my mind remains surprisingly sharp."
"Conveniently, among the elders who have taken an interest in me, there was one well-versed in magic. Thanks to him, I was able to pick up a few useful spells. This is one of them."
"It's not very sophisticated or durable, but you can think of it as a barrier to block out external distractions. I actually realized something through this. It turns out a genius like me has a talent for magic too, you know?"
"Ah, but don't worry. For now, at least, my loyalty lies entirely with the Serion family and Master."
"...Cut the nonsense and get to the point."
"The reason I came to find you today is to make a proposal of sorts."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. I happened to hear that you returned the letter my master—your father—so graciously sent you."
"And what of it?"
"I won't drag this out. Return to your family now. While I still have a liking for you."
His tone made me grit my teeth, and despite myself, my expression contorted in disgust.
Before I could stop myself, I provoked him.
"...Do you want to avoid the duel with him that badly? You must be terrified of Rofel."
The provocation worked even better than I had hoped.
Marc drew his greatsword with blinding speed and lunged at me.
Even though his strike was sudden, I managed to deflect it.
Drawing upon the skills I had forged through my intense training and targeting the weaknesses I had newly discovered in the Serion swordsmanship, I blocked his subsequent attacks and traded blows with him.
For a brief moment—a fleeting second—I held my ground.
Marc's eyes narrowed, his face twisting in a momentary grimace.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Ugh...!"
But as our blades clashed again and again, my knees began to buckle. I couldn't press forward; instead, I was steadily pushed back.
When both of us used the exact same swordsmanship, the sheer difference in talent became painfully clear.
In the end, with a sharp, ringing impact, his strike broke my guard, sending me rolling across the floor, eating dust.
"Just as Master said, you really are stubborn. I wish you'd realize that your attitude is only making things more complicated."
"Cough... pant..."
My pupils dilated, my muscles locked up, and I struggled to breathe.
To think I was reduced to this after taking just a single blow...?
"...But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. I didn't think you could close the gap this much in such a short time. You truly deserve the praise of being the most talented bloodline in the history of the Serion family."
"Pant... pant..."
I still couldn't catch my breath, and a bitter, sour taste rose in my throat.
"Anyway, you get it now, don't you? The gap between us is already this vast. So what about that bastard Rofel, who can barely even match you? How long do you think he could last against me?"
"And you think I'm scared of him? The only reason Master and I are doing this is to avoid unnecessary hassle. It's not because we care about some nobody named Rofel."
"Besides, this is a pretty good opportunity for you too. A chance to shake off a hopeless brat with no future. Why not take this opportunity to draw a line between you and that talentless small fry?"
Hearing those words, I forced myself onto my feet, even though I couldn't even steady my posture.
I had trained with Rofel and learned so much from him.
And he... he was the only man who had shielded me in that moment of utter despair.
Hearing him insulted like this was something I absolutely could not tolerate.
I glared at the man before me, my eyes wide with fury.
"...Take... that back... right now...!"
"...This is getting annoying."
Marc suddenly kicked me in the abdomen, forcing me back onto my knees.
A painful groan escaped my lips once more.
"You know what, Seraphina? Honestly, I really don't like that Rofel guy. That's why, when I accepted the duel, I made sure of one condition. A promise that no matter what 'accident' occurs, I won't be held responsible."
Now, even my legs refused to move properly.
All I could do was glare at him with eyes filled with pure hatred.
"To be honest, out of personal spite, I plan to utterly break him. I'll snap his limbs one by one, leaving him with injuries so severe he won't even be able to stand on his own. Or maybe I'll ruin his fingers so badly he can never return to the Magic Department."
As Marc spoke, an image of Rofel collapsing flashed through my mind.
I saw him on the dueling stage—a place no different from an execution ground—his limbs slowly broken, overpowered, and ultimately collapsing in a gruesome state after brutal, merciless torture.
"But since I'm merciful, I'd like to avoid such cruelty if possible. So, as a final gesture, I'll give you one last chance. Tell Rofel yourself. Tell him he has absolutely no chance of winning, so he should forfeit and give up now."
"If you do, I won't go too hard on him. And you can return to your family's embrace without any trouble."
The black barrier surrounding us began to distort and fade.
"...Anyway, since it's a spell I only recently learned, it's hard to keep it up for long. I'll be taking my leave now. Remember what happened today, and think carefully."
"Seraphina, I'm sure you know what the wise choice is."
After he left, I was the only one remaining in the room.
Just me, kneeling on the floor, barely able to breathe.
...So many thoughts rushed through my mind.
I had expected it, but seeing how absurdly strong Marc had become only highlighted my own helplessness.
Had I vomited blood and pushed myself to the limit all this time only to amount to this...?
...And am I... nothing but a burden to him as well...?
Come to think of it, I had done nothing but receive help from Rofel.
Even though he knew he would gain absolutely nothing from me.
He had warmly offered me his shelter.
I had leaned on his gentle, sweet words telling me everything was fine, completely oblivious.
No, to be more honest, perhaps I had simply been ignoring it all along.
The fact that I was simply useless to everyone.
The doubts and conflicts swirled endlessly.
...The "Cold Rose of the Knight Academy." What a joke.
It was just a moniker the other students had arbitrarily given me because I always maintained a stoic, cold demeanor.
My expression...
In the end, not being able to find a single solution makes me no different from any other common weakling.
Weaklings who can't solve their own problems and do nothing but lean on others.
If that is the case, then there is only one path left for me.
At the very least, I must prevent someone else from getting hurt because of me.
For that is the duty of a knight.
For that is the final way I can repay my debt to him.
...It is time to say goodbye to him.
Today, as always, he was at the same spot, sweating profusely as he trained intensely, firing spells into the empty air.
He was putting everything he had into his training, just like he always did.
For my sake—even though I had given him nothing in return.
...Me...ru was nowhere to be seen.
Normally, she would have blocked my path as I approached Rofel, spitting venomous words at me.
As that thought crossed my mind, Rofel spotted me and walked over.
"Ah, hey, Seraphina! Are you looking for Meiru? Unfortunately, she said she's going to be really busy for a while, so it'll be hard for her to come by. Well, I'm already incredibly grateful for all the help she's given me so far."
I see.
So, right now, it is just the two of us here.
...Which is why I must tell him now.
"Rofel Teufel. I shall tell you this with absolute certainty."
"...Huh?"
"Forfeit this duel."