Chapter 6
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 6: It Wasn't Fantasy, But Romance Fantasy (3)
"Excuse me, wait a moment!"
"....What is it?"
I had no intention of getting involved with the Saintess.
However, I couldn't just coldly turn her away either.
Therefore, I decided to quickly hear her business and leave.
"Could you perhaps explain the spar from earlier just once?"
"You mean the spar?"
"Yes, I want to review how I lost."
Our Saintess seemed to have a stronger martial artist temperament than I thought.
Hearing she was a Saintess, I had thought of a benevolent, soft, and static image, but to think she would come to ask for advice from the opponent who just beat her.
As someone walking the path of martial arts, I liked her appearance of trying to improve.
However, if I gave her an opening like this, we might continue to get involved in the future, so I politely declined her proposal.
"I also want to help the Saintess, but for such questions, wouldn't it be better to ask Professor Kell or the assistant who was next to him for help?"
"The sparring went on a bit long today, right? Because of that, he said he had to go prepare for the next lecture immediately."
"Ah... I see."
...My justification disappeared.
To think the timing would be this bad.
"If it is about that, may I also offer my help?"
Just as I was about to quietly help her, a blond male student approached our side.
It was the Male Lead Candidate, Kyle Franz.
"Since you two were the first order, I watched impressively. I heard the Saintess hasn't been learning the sword for long, but your basics were solid."
"Thank you."
"Your spearmanship was also excellent. The way you gradually occupied the territory against the Saintess was amazing."
Indeed, does this mean he didn't just learn swordsmanship at a cultured level as a Prince?
It was a light compliment, but the substance within the words wasn't light.
If it's Kyle, he probably wouldn't be a hindrance in reviewing the spar.
Furthermore, if I push him appropriately to answer, the Saintess's interest will naturally turn toward Kyle rather than me.
Having formed a rough plan, I threw out a topic first.
"Saintess, what do you think was most lacking in you during this spar?"
"Most lacking? Hmm.... Was it strength?"
"That would have had an influence too, but the Saintess's physical specs were not significantly lacking compared to mine."
Just as I strengthened my body with mana, the Saintess also strengthened her body with divine power.
Although there were differences in basic stats, as if to show she wasn't called a Saintess for nothing, her divine power instantly caught up to the body I had built since childhood.
"Then what was the problem?"
"Have you ever faced someone using a spear, Saintess?"
"Yes, a few times..."
"But they probably weren't similar or stronger enemies."
"Uh...? That's right!"
The Saintess widened her eyes and nodded.
"The first problem is the Saintess's lack of experience."
"Since the difference in range between a sword and a spear is clear, if a swordsman doesn't know how to deal with a spearman, it's not easy to even approach. Wasn't it like that in the spar too?"
"It certainly was!"
Kyle naturally took over my words and began additional explanations for the Saintess.
Since Kyle was stepping up on his own to score points with the Saintess, it worked out well.
"Also, what I felt when watching the spar between the Saintess and this friend was that your movements were a bit strange. It looked as if your thoughts were ahead of your body."
"Ah... That is because of the Holy Sword. Since I've never been apart from the Holy Sword, fighting with a wooden sword made my movements different from usual."
Although I expected it, the current Saintess was a case of getting strong through item carry.
The difference between having the Holy Sword and not having it was so big that she couldn't fill the void of that capability on her own.
Seeing as she is called the Sword Saintess, there probably won't be occasions for her to be separated from the Holy Sword, but to raise her own skills, she must also know how to put down the Holy Sword.
Just like a certain man with great responsibility and his suit, if she is nothing without the Holy Sword, she shouldn't have it even more.
Since the Saintess herself knows this point, this will be a problem she has to solve as she grows in the future.
We covered a few more parts the Saintess needed to improve.
"For now, there would be about this much."
"Thank you both! I should focus on improving those parts!"
"Don't mention it."
"I'm glad it was helpful."
Having finished the feedback, we decided to slowly get up from our seats.
Before leaving the lecture room, the Saintess asked me.
"By any chance, may I ask for a spar again next time?"
I felt a headache coming on.
If I refuse, problems arise from refusing, and if I accept, a connection with the Saintess is formed from accepting.
Moreover, perhaps Kyle had already started seeing me as a competitor; his gaze looking at me wasn't kind.
A situation that was truly like being surrounded by enemies on all sides.
I felt the need to cut ties quickly before my connection with the Saintess deepened.
Eventually, I had no choice but to make a strong move.
"I apologize, Saintess. Since it is difficult for a sword to beat a spear, I think there won't be anything for us to gain from each other even if we spar. Then, I will be going first."
I left the lecture room first without listening to the Saintess's answer.
The Saintess thought.
'.....What kind of person is that?'
It was absurd.
Even when the spar started, she didn't have much thought about the male student named Ethan.
However, when the spar started and she came to her senses, she had already lost.
Since she couldn't understand what on earth had happened, she asked him for help...
Even though it must have been bothersome, seeing him help with the review made her feel grateful.
But as soon as she requested a spar again, he refused sharply and left.
It seemed she wasn't the only one who didn't expect this appearance; the blond male student who was helping with the review next to her also let out an awkward laugh.
He looked at the door of the lecture room the male student had left and said to the Saintess.
"If it is alright with me, how about sparring next time?"
"Uh... Sounds good. I'll ask you next time."
In fact, since she had been in a daze for a while after the spar ended, she couldn't properly see the spars of other people including the male student in front of her, but there was nothing bad about increasing experience.
Furthermore, aren't these words meant to help her?
Alicia, who left the lecture room after making an appointment with the blond male student.
Suddenly recalling Ethan's words, she felt angry.
'What? A sword can never beat a spear? If only I had the Holy Sword...'
She contemplated challenging him again holding the Holy Sword but soon shook her head.
If she fought holding the Holy Sword, she might be able to beat him.
But the Holy Sword is a Divine Artifact. It is a fraudulent item that drastically increases the user's power just by using it.
Didn't a young lady who was no different from a flower in a greenhouse become a hero just when she was about to be sacrificed to warlocks in the past?
Therefore, the moment she holds the Holy Sword, the word 'spar' doesn't hold between her and Ethan.
Also, if she says she's doing it holding the Holy Sword to beat a student her age, wouldn't she look too petty herself?
"Urgh... Just you wait."
Eventually, there was only one thing Alicia could do.
To raise her own swordsmanship skills and flatten his nose.
Alicia headed to the training ground to fill the lacking points he mentioned.
And a few days later, she went to find Ethan who was training.
"Ethan Ibres!"
"........?"
"Spar with me!"
"Didn't I say no last time?"
"The me of that time and the me of now are different."
"It is difficult to think your skills would have changed dramatically in a few days..."
As the Sword Saintess personally requested a spar, the gazes of the surrounding students gathered.
However, Ethan didn't seem to have any intention of accepting her challenge.
Eventually, Alicia pulled out her ultimate move.
"Are you scared you'll lose to a sword while holding a spear?"
"Let's go right now."
It was super effective.
"Let's go right now."
"Fuhu, good!"
Unlike the Saintess who was excited about succeeding in the provocation, I let out a sigh.
Although I was scratched by the Saintess's provocation, it wasn't purely for that reason that I accepted her challenge.
Ultimately, it was a matter of face.
The Saintess is a celebrity.
The sudden appearance of warlocks who hid their traces in history for hundreds of years, and the Saintess who appeared receiving the choice of the Holy Sword to match that.
Her existence itself was no different from a living myth.
Such a woman challenging someone?
All sorts of aggro had already been drawn.
If I heard such a provocation here and ran away, that would be a problem that damaged my face in its own way.
It doesn't matter if my personal face is damaged, but behind me were the Count Ibres family and the Baran Kingdom.
The moment the Saintess cast 'Chicken?', I was in a position where I had no choice but to accept it.
If I were a prodigal son whose reputation hit rock bottom or if I had no background, I could have ignored it.
But in a situation where I received everything I could as a child of a noble family, I couldn't just wipe my mouth and ignore it only at times like this.
Aren't nobles ultimately people who live on honor and pride?
We brought an assistant to referee and stood at both ends of the sparring arena.
"The match will be decided when one side admits defeat or falls. Then, start!"
With the assistant's voice, the revenge match staking the pride of a swordsman and a spearman began.