Chapter 197: Nothing Is Going Right
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Nothing Is Going Right
“It’s certainly spacious.”
I stepped outside the factory for the spar. To be honest, I wondered if we really needed this much space, but you never know.
If my opponent suddenly started shooting lasers from his sword, the factory could get trashed. Or, well, I might be the one shooting them.
We were in a wide, open lot in Sandereil, paved flat with sturdy, processed sandstone. Quite a few people had gathered around to watch, making the attention a bit stifling.
“Mina, you’re not going to sit on the ground and cry like last time if you lose, are you?”
“Theodora. You’d better worry about your own fiancé. I wonder if you’ve heard the name Mildrui?”
“Mildrui...?”
In the distance, right in the center of the lot, Theodora and Mina Lobirat were locked in a war of nerves. My hearing was sharp enough to catch their conversation from here; they really seemed to get along great.
“My, did you spend all that money you earned just to go around shaking your tail at men?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s the one who proposed to me, you know?”
“Why would a Mildrui be so desperate? For a dwarf washboard like you?”
“What...? Do you think your social status rose just because your tits got bigger from overeating? Just because you met a... well, a slightly handsome man, doesn't mean you've won at life.”
“Whether it was back then or now, the only things that have grown are your selfishness and inferiority complex. Why haven't your height or chest grown at all? Do you have a curse skill or something?”
Wow, women’s arguments are incredibly vicious. Listening to them, it felt like they might start fighting before we even did.
“Ah, over here! Welcome!”
As I watched the two women gritting their teeth and glaring at each other, Mina’s fiancé arrived. Long blonde hair, blue eyes—the quintessential handsome, long-haired man.
Contrary to my expectations, he was also a Human. I had assumed a Beastkin male would show up, but thinking about it, it made sense for a Knight to be Human.
Theodora turned around and signaled me with her eyes, so I stood up from where I was sitting and walked over to her side.
“Meet my fiancé, Lahas Mildrui. Lahas, this is Theodora Lymain. I’m not particularly fond of the idea, but... well, you could call her a friend.”
“You’ve done a great service by taking Mina off our hands. I’m Theodora, the second daughter of the Lymain family.”
“Haha. I am Lahas Mildrui, the eldest son of the Mildrui family. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
After a round of noble-style greetings, Theodora pulled my arm and linked hers with mine as she introduced me.
“This is Aven, my husband-to-be. He’s a Cobalt-grade explorer, and we met in Calax.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Aven.”
“Hmph, so you were an explorer?”
“Cobalt Grade... that is impressive. You are a top-tier explorer.”
“Hahaha, I wouldn’t go that far. I heard you were a knight, Mr. Mildrui.”
“That is correct. I was appointed as a Sword Expert the year before last.”
What’s a Sword Expert? Judging by how proudly he said it, it seemed like a high rank. I guess it’s not quite at the level of a Sword Master, though.
“The Mildrui family is a famous knightly house within Westish. They even have a record of successfully stopping a 47-floor Labyrinth Wave that occurred in Hemont.”
“That’s impressive. So people who aren't explorers also stop Labyrinth Openings?”
“Hmm? Ahaha, explorers often misunderstand that. They think they’re the only ones who hunt monsters. In truth, knights and mages participate in stopping Labyrinth Openings at a very high rate. It is a vital task for protecting one’s own territory, after all.”
“Is that so? I’ve learned something new today.”
In any case, Lahas was apparently a high-level knight. I had thought all the strong people in this world were explorers, but I guess that wasn't the case. After the introductions and the brief explanation, Lahas stroked his chin and nodded.
“I see, Mina. I understand. In short, this is a duel for the sake of the fiancés.”
“Exactly! That arrogant Theodora... I mean, it’s a duel with that friend of mine whose opinions have been, for a very long time, completely at odds with mine!”
“When we fought directly, I had a record of a hundred wins and zero losses. I suppose it’s because her own martial prowess isn't up to par?”
“...Will you be quiet?”
When Theodora spoke with a smirk, Mina’s ears flicked as she glared with narrowed eyes. After a moment of thought, Lahas suddenly directed a question at me.
“I would like to hear Aven’s thoughts. Would that be alright?”
“I don’t mind much. I tend to do whatever Dora wants.”
“I see. In that case, I am not one to avoid a challenge that has presented itself.”
And so, the duel was set. I knew it would turn out like this, but honestly, it’s not easy to fight someone you’ve just met with your full strength. It’s even harder when there’s no particular hostility and you have to ensure no one gets hurt.
The main issue was controlling my strength. Perhaps because I’d only ever fought to kill, I didn't really understand what a 'knight’s spar' was supposed to be like. Even with the Knight Lord, who was a top-tier knight, we only had life-or-death spars, so I never learned how to pull my punches.
“Shall we spar with swordsmanship alone? Or... may I use skills?”
“...What did you just say?”
“Wh-what...?”
At my question, everyone’s gaze changed instantly. Mina’s expression turned fierce, and Lahas’s face became quite grave. Theodora, sensing a blunder, quickly pulled my arm and jumped in to defend me.
“N-no! That’s not it! He just doesn't know much yet! He didn't mean anything by it!”
It made sense. Knights were people who spent their entire lives honing only the sword and martial arts. They increased their physical specs by slaying monsters that leaked onto the surface during Labyrinth Openings, and they invested all the mana they accumulated through various training into their blades.
Normally, explorers were perceived by the public as something akin to gamblers seeking a fortune. Naturally, if an explorer didn't use 'skills'—the primary source of their combat power—it was essentially the same as saying they would fight with one hand tied behind their back.
“I see. I will take it as a slight misunderstanding. You may use as many skills as you like. After all, an explorer cannot fight without skills.”
“Well, that’s true. I haven't really done much sparring before. I’ll just play it by ear for now.”
He was the husband of Theodora’s friend. Even if we weren't close, I couldn't exactly go around lopping off limbs or incinerating him with beams, could I?
The offensive power of knights... okay, I get it. They can use Aura Blade, right? It was their defensive power that I wasn't so sure about.
“...Understood.”
I felt like I’d offended him again, but what could I do? I really haven't had many fights where I didn't kill the opponent.
Maybe with Father or Delbaheim. And that was only possible because they were weaker back then compared to now. With Dexter, even though I fought almost at full strength, we were evenly matched.
Not long after Lahas and I put some distance between us, someone acting as a mediator stepped out to the edge of the center.
“The Knight of Sword Expert rank, Lahas Mildrui! And the Cobalt-grade explorer, Aven!”
Ting—
Lahas was a knight who held a greatsword with both hands. It was a standard and common armament. I also pulled out a sword and a shield from my storage artifact. I didn't think the Knight Lord’s sword would be broken after just a few exchanges.
I’d watch the situation, and if I felt pushed back, I’d have to change my form.
* * *
‘Isn't he being a bit too arrogant just because he’s a little handsome?’
Mina Lobirat was glaring at Lahas Mildrui from behind him, outside the arena.
What was a Sword Expert? Literally an expert of the sword, just below a Master. In terms of martial arts related to the sword, there were barely a dozen families that could be definitively called superior to the Mildruis.
To be a Sword Expert at the young age of twenty-four meant he was a genius of the century. It was a realm of untouchable talent, a stage that ordinary people could never hope to reach.
And yet, for someone to even suggest a contest of swordsmanship alone against such a Sword Expert was bold, to say the least.
Of course, because Yoo Eon had encountered explorers first after coming to this world, he wondered how strong one could be by just swinging a sword without skills. He had said it thinking that in most creative works, anyone who wasn't a Sword Master wasn't even worth considering.
‘Hmph, Theodora, that big-chested wench. I knew it from the moment she took over the Lymain’s Labyrinth City branch. She’s the one the family turned their backs on, and now she’s sleeping with some layabout explorer. Her husband will probably die young, and she’ll live as a widow for the rest of her life.’
It was less prevalent in a Labyrinth City teeming with explorers, but that was the general perception of the profession. Madmen who gambled with their lives by entering places where no one knew what might jump out.
Still, a powerful explorer might be seen as a protagonist of human triumph or a victor who overcame adversity and hardship, but...
“Then, in a fair and honorable... match!”
The moment the referee’s hand, which had been pointed toward the sky, dropped, the match began. Lahas, holding a long two-handed sword, held the advantage in reach.
Of course, that wasn't the case right now.
‘A sword and shield of that size? Does he have a strength-related skill, or is it just for show?’
Usually, if something held in the hand exceeds 2kg, it’s considered very heavy. The sword Lahas swung was much larger than normal, but it was a high-quality item mixed with the lightweight rare metal Zephyrite, barely weighing in at 1.8kg.
‘With a weapon like that, there’s no way he can keep up with my speed. The match is decided...!’
Lahas coated his legs in mana and quickly dashed across the arena floor. Seeing Yoo Eon’s movements as he slowly trudged forward, Lahas thought he had lost his mobility just as expected.
“The first strike...! I’ll take it—!”
Lahas’s long sword drew a graceful arc as it descended from the upper right to the lower left. Carrying a tower shield that covered the entire body while fighting just one person was an obvious blunder. Unless it was a battlefield where a rain of arrows was falling, a tower shield had no practical use.
Thud!!
“Ugh...?!”
Of course, that was only true when the user possessed ordinary human strength.
‘He’s swinging that tower shield like it’s a wooden sword...!’
At that moment, Yoo Eon’s vision was nothing short of cheating.
‘I can see the future, and I can see the weaknesses. This is a total mess.’
Queen Arachne’s Future Sight predicted the trajectory of Lahas’s sword, and the eyes of the Umbra Valkyrie found the optimal breakthrough. Even excluding all of that, the Knight Lord’s mana core embedded in his chest was roaring.
‘If Hersha saw this, he would have split him in half instantly.’
It was, quite literally, below expectations. Whether he was choosing not to use it or simply couldn't, Lahas wasn't using an Aura Blade; he was merely swinging his sword with strength reinforced by mana.
“Hmph...!”
Lahas’s attacks lunged in sharply, but Yoo Eon simply moved his body to dodge them, even while holding chunks of iron in both hands.
“By any chance, are you not going to use an Aura Blade?”
“What did you say...?!”
Even among Sword Experts, about 70 percent of those without enough talent cannot use an Aura Blade. How could it be easy to draw out the mana contained within one’s body and forge it into a sharp form? Many people can't even coat their own bodies in their mana.
However, Lahas was a talented, genius knight of the Mildrui family. The fact that he could manifest an Aura Blade to some extent, despite it being less than two years since he reached Expert rank, was proof of that.
“I see...! It seems I underestimated you!”
“I-is that so...?”
Lahas planted both feet firmly on the ground and raised his sword high with both hands, gathering his energy.
“Oooooh...!!”
“Uh, what the.”
‘What kind of grand thing is he planning to do that he’s even taking a stance?’
While Yoo Eon was having thoughts that would be incredibly rude to the knights of this world, a faint blue light of aura began to flicker from Lahas’s sword.
—Th-that’s an Aura Blade!!
—No way! Is blood finally going to be spilled!
—What incredible mana...!
The spectators watching from the sidelines were shocked and impressed. A young knight using an Aura Blade. They said his future was promising and his path was bright.
‘Now what are you going to do, Theodora...!’
Mina, watching from behind, was also a little surprised. An Aura Blade was, ultimately, a magical technique to increase cutting power. It wasn't something usually used in a spar where you weren't supposed to cut the opponent down.
“Hmm...”
And then there was Yoo Eon, who couldn't shake the feeling that Lahas looked like he was trying to light a match after striking a magnificent pose and gathering all that energy. Wondering if he had misunderstood something.
‘Could it be that what I use isn't an Aura Blade?’
First, it was the Haunted Centurion Armor. And later, after consuming the mana core of the Knight Lord Hersha, he was able to use his Aura Blade. Thinking he might be mistaken, he activated his Aura Blade in the same way.
Whoosh—!
Soon, over the sword Yoo Eon held in one hand, a flickering blue flame erupted, covering the wide blade as if to incinerate it.
“H-how...!!!”
It was an inferno on a completely different level from Lahas’s weak, hazy Aura Blade that only had a slight blue tint. It was so large that one might wonder if he had simply set the blade on fire as a trick.
It was because this was the Aura Blade of Hersha, a Grand Swordmaster who now only remained in historical records.
“Are you... are you saying that is an Aura Blade right now!”
“Yes... well, it is.”
“This is a joke gone too far...! I cannot stand by and watch you mock knights any longer!”
“No, that’s not what I’m doing.”
“Come at me with everything you have! Aven—!!”
“Everything? My full strength?”
If he insists, I guess I have to.
Though reluctant, Yoo Eon prepared to use his full strength. It was clear that Lahas was furious, and it seemed like there would be trouble if he didn't do as he was told.
‘Did I break some etiquette that only nobles know?’
In front of the huffing Lahas, who was gritting his teeth, Yoo Eon put the white shirt he was wearing into his storage artifact.
His sculpted upper body was revealed, and black wings imbued with dangerous-looking purple mana sprouted from his back with a sickening crack.
“Wh-wha...?!”
With a dumbfounded sound, Mina’s tightly crossed arms fell limp. After those massive wings sprouted from his back and wrapped around Yoo Eon’s body once, sounds that shouldn't come from a human began to leak out.
Crack...
Snap, crunch...
When the wings finally unfurled, a demon stood in his place.
“I’m coming at you with everything.”
After saying that single sentence, he fired a purple beam straight from his cross-split face.
Zzzzt—!!
The intense heat was enough to make the sandstone paving the floor boil, melt, and then crystallize as it cooled. He had missed on purpose for fear that Lahas wouldn't be able to dodge, so no one was killed.
Thud...
“H-huh...”
With Lahas collapsing to his knees, having lost the will to fight, the spar—where nothing had gone right—came to an end.