Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Banquet and the Duel (5)
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“You bastard! A lowly scum like you dares to mock the sword of Paulo Schwaben!”
He was the one who first called me a lowly scum, a trash heap who wouldn't hand over the woman he'd claimed to another man willingly and still lusted after her.
Did he have shit stuffed in his skull where his brain should be?
Otherwise, he couldn't spew such mindless drivel so consistently without a shred of sense.
I widened the distance between us, then nodded and said,
“Ah, turns out you're not just lacking in character, but your swordsmanship is pathetically poor too. You tried to steal my woman right in front of the knights of the Reinfalz Empire and the entire White Beard Mercenary Corps. Isn't that utterly dishonorable for a knight? Deficient in both humanity and skill.”
Paulo flew into a rage at my words and charged at me.
“I'll rip that mouth off you!”
He focused his aura into his right foot, kicking the ground hard enough to gouge it, and launched himself like a bullet... His attack was still incredibly powerful.
He hadn't even swung his sword yet, but the wind from his movement battered my face.
If I hadn't awakened as an expert yet, even dreaming of blocking that would have been impossible.
I watched both his eyes and the tip of his sword simultaneously.
As I focused on the aura within my body and circulated it to block his attack, a misty blue aura cloaked my sword, and my mind filled with the confidence that I could now defeat him.
I'll cut down this trash who treated Karin like a mere plaything and protect her honor and heart.
Karin—chaste, beautiful, wise, and fond of me, worth risking my life to defend. For her sake!
“Die, you scum!”
Paulo swung his sword at my neck.
Even before breaching the wall, I could see his attacks and block them, but they were so forceful that defending alone was exhausting.
Not anymore. I could handle this much easily.
“The one who's dying is you, the bastard trying to steal another man's woman!”
I parried and deflected his incoming attack with my aura-clad sword.
“How is that lowly scum—?”
His stance faltered in shock for a moment.
He had finally shown me an opening.
I couldn't miss that precious gap, so I feinted a sword swing to draw his attention, then channeled aura into my shin and slammed a powerful kick into his side.
With the sound of his armor crumpling, Paulo flew to the corner of the arena and slammed into the wall.
“Urk!”
It wasn't enough to kill him, but the sheer relief of finally landing a solid hit was indescribable.
You pig-dog—no, a rotten carcass even maggots would avoid. It'd be great if you just stuck there and burst like a mosquito crushed in my palm.
Then Karin's cheering voice came from behind me.
“Martin! Well done!”
Instead of meeting her eyes with a smile, I raised my left hand.
Others behind me were saying something too, but I had no time to listen.
Right now, capitalizing on this expert awakening to claim total victory over Paulo was paramount.
With that in mind, I began replaying the emotions I'd felt upon awakening as an aura expert.
The game commentary said recalling the emotions from awakening and exploding with them aids growth.
Suddenly, various thoughts flooded my mind.
The rage boiling hot enough to kill Paulo on the spot, the desperate resolve to protect Karin at all costs.
And the natural lust of a hot-blooded young man to hold his beloved Karin in his arms, the passion to grow toward my goals.
Was it some primal instinct to procreate?
Lewd fantasies started chaining through my head.
How soft would Karin's breasts feel? What reaction would she have if my rough hands caressed her body amid deep kisses?
If I whispered my love in her ear during sex, how would her pointed ears twitch?
Curiosity and anticipation about her response after intense sex, when I creampied her with my seed.
These thoughts set my desires ablaze, and I felt the aura flowing through my body accelerate and intensify.
“Fuck, I'll kill that bastard myself.”
I raised my sword again and locked eyes with Paulo.
Despite taking a kick hard enough to dent his armor, the saying held true—even rotten fish has its merits. He was an expert.
He brushed himself off and stood, his posture straight and flawless as if nothing had happened.
I'll shatter that soon enough.
“This time, I'm coming for you.”
I poured all my power into my right foot against the ground.
Launching forward faster than an arrow, fiercer than a storm, my speed was on another level from moments ago.
Is this the power of an expert?
“You lowly wretch!”
As Paulo shifted to block my sword, I instantly changed my target.
Straight through the eye slit of his helmet visor—one of a knight's greatest weaknesses.
The instant before thrusting, I squeezed out maximum aura.
As I drew it up bit by bit, my body felt lighter, faster.
Even knowing as a knight—no, as a swordsman—that getting intoxicated by one's own power halts growth...
I'm this strong now.
I couldn't stop marveling at my prowess.
“Die, Paulo!”
Paulo wasn't going down easy; he leaned back awkwardly and dodged my strike.
A bit disappointing that it missed, but joy surged from pushing him back with pure skill.
“Full of openings, you perverted lecherous knight bastard!”
Stopping right in front of him, I loaded my right fist and uppercut his jaw.
As Paulo's body lifted into the air, I stomped down on his gut from above.
A groan escaped him.
“Urk!”
In this position, pressing my sword to his neck would end the duel.
Or I could ram it in and sever his worthless life.
Letting him die honorably like this would be too merciful.
So I waited for Paulo to rise on his own.
“You filthy cur of a mercenary worse than a dog! I'll kill you no matter what it takes!”
I could visibly see powerful aura surging from Paulo's body.
His ultimate move was coming.
He lunged at me with blinding speed and sharpness beyond anything before.
I thought if he'd attacked like this from the start, I wouldn't have withstood it.
Moreover, to prevent me dodging or blocking, the tip of his sword kept wavering.
Aiming for my neck? Or planning to pierce my armor with expert power?
With no way to predict his attack...
Cool my head, focus my mind, and assume a stance ready for any move.
I adjusted my grip, preparing the basic block thrusting at the base of his neck.
“Die, you lowly scum!”
Then Paulo revealed his sword aimed under my armpit.
I shifted instantly, raising my sword overhead, then unleashed my full power and aura in a downward smash on his blade.
My all-out strike crushed his sword—its power dispersed from the wobbling tip—and he couldn't withstand the impact, dropping it.
True panic burst from Paulo's mouth.
“Wha...? Wha!”
“Shut your perverted yap!”
With that shout, I swung my full force into his groin—his manhood, in other words.
One of the easiest vitals in combat, thoroughly armored...
But with an aura expert's transcendent power plus his own charging momentum, his protector couldn't hold.
I distinctly felt the sensation of a man's parts shattering under my foot...
“Aaaarghhh!”
Paulo collapsed backward, writhing in agony beyond fighting, clutching his groin as massive blood poured from his lower body.
A bit more time, and he'll bleed out.
But rather than let him die like this...
Leaving him alive would punish him far more.
Already, in the Reinfalz Empire, he'd been exposed as an NTR creep trying to steal another man's woman publicly—his reputation tanked to sex offender levels.
His guards aside, he couldn't knight anywhere in the empire now.
And even high priest healing wouldn't fully fix that; no more sex for life, his favorite pastime.
So I pointed my sword at his neck, ending the match.
“Sir Paulo Schwaben, I win.”
At my words, the referee raised the blue flag and shouted,
“Winner! White Beard Mercenary Corps Platoon Leader Martin Meyer!”
After the victory call, I headed straight to Karin.
My body, adapting to the sudden expert breakthrough, plus the hits from Paulo, felt ready to collapse.
Can't miss this golden chance to build fame with those nobles watching.
How picturesque is this?
Weaker than that scum, yet I risked my life for love toward Senior Karin.
Then broke through the expert wall for a reversal win.
Dedicating the victory to her—the knightly romance nobles adore.
Even I think it's pretty cool.
And the empire's high-ups seemed to agree...
“That Martin guy? Ex-knight, huh? Solid roots on him.”
“Not just skill, but perfect duel etiquette too?”
“Fighting to the end knowing he might die for his love. Decent for a young pup these days.”
Shoulders couldn't help but lift at such words.
Dragging my weary body, I reached Karin.
“I took down the dog who lusted after you without a care for your feelings. Did I do good?”
Karin nodded, eyes reddening, without a word.
“Then offer me your hand's back. I dedicate this victory to you.”
A woman extending her hand's back to the duel victor...
Essentially declaring acceptance of his heart.
We'd already confirmed our feelings.
Karin flushed red as a ripe apple and tentatively offered her hand's back.
“Got it...”
I politely kissed it.
Reinfalz nobles and mercenaries alike erupted in cheers...
Too much strain, perhaps?
I blacked out and collapsed.
