194. Carried by Gear
194. Carried by Gear
The Russell engagement tournament sparked a clash of opinions even among the Five Pillars.
No matter how you looked at it, it was an emotional quarrel between the two of them. Opinions were divided between those who felt they should mediate—was it really right to let it go on like this?—and those who insisted it was a family matter that third parties shouldn't interfere in.
The successors of the Five Pillars at the Academy, and even those outside the Academy, were ultimately hesitant to voice their opinions carelessly because this was a domestic affair.
"If he says do it, you do it. It's what that person decided—who are we to interfere?"
"Even so, this is too harsh. It's not like she was raised that way from the beginning. Swinging a sword every day just as she was told, and then suddenly being told not to anymore... I'd be struggling a lot too."
"But it's not strange for parents to choose their child's fiancé, is it? A fiancé decided before birth... isn't there one right here?"
"...I have no idea what you're talking about~?"
Shara glanced at Perda as she said this, and Perda pointedly ignored it.
"Fine. I think it's perfectly natural for a family to decide on a fiancé, as you say, but this method is extremely offensive.
Even if the Academy isn't filled with just any riffraff, deciding who gets to enter the ranks of the Five Pillars through a ridiculous method like this is deeply offensive.
Originally, shouldn't it go through a much more thorough vetting process?"
Rhemnos crossed his arms and grumbled incessantly, clearly dissatisfied with the decision.
It was rare for the Five Pillars to let personal feelings get involved when they welcomed their spouses.
This was because marriage among the grand nobles was not simply about gaining a partner and leaving it at that.
It signified a tight alliance bound by blood between two enormous families, and the imperial court always kept a close watch on it.
To the point that if there were signs of excessively powerful families repeatedly intermarrying and attempting to form a colossal power bloc, the imperial family would step in to restrain it.
So it was incredibly difficult to select someone who would benefit the family without drawing checks from the imperial court, and yet they decided it with a ridiculous joke like this.
For Edgar, who had memories of failing to be with his first love in his youth, it was deeply offensive.
Just then, new information came in.
The report was that Atlas, who had been nowhere to be seen when the Academy was in an uproar yesterday, was now heading toward the Student Council room with a terrifying expression.
"Atlas went to the Student Council room looking utterly furious? What was he doing yesterday that he only shows up now?"
"I told you, he wasn't at the Academy yesterday."
Edgar, who had been hoping this absurd situation would resolve itself, snapped.
He had waited all day yesterday, and he was uncomfortable that the one person who should have come rushing out first hadn't appeared.
It seemed he secretly expected a lot from Atlas.
"The Student Council President, huh..."
"Perda, is there some kind of problem?"
"No, it's nothing, just that I've heard rumors the Student Council President is a regular customer at the underground auction house."
The underground auction house referred to the secret auctions held beneath the port city.
As an auction house located in a port where goods came from all over, it was famous for frequently offering items rarely seen elsewhere.
According to someone who had been to both, it was smaller in scale, but it had more curious items than the one held in the capital.
It wasn't because this place was more capable; it was just that the capital's auction house listed many verified items, whereas the port simply put anything that looked interesting up for auction.
"Aren't you the one who's a regular customer at the underground auction house? You went just two weeks ago."
"Someone might misunderstand if they heard that. I merely visited a business acquaintance as my father instructed."
"Sure, of course."
"That's not the important part though. What would the Student Council President buy there? Three main things go up: exotic race slaves, sea monsters, and dangerous artifacts.
He couldn't bring exotic slaves or monsters to the Academy even if he bought them, so what's left would be unverified artifacts."
"So what you're trying to say... is that the Student Council President has some kind of hidden trick up his sleeve? If he was using such a dangerous artifact, wouldn't people have noticed?"
"Yeah, I'm just curious, that's all."
----------------------------
-The observer for this duel is Swordsmanship Instructor Andy Robinson...
A weak voice echoed through the arena.
He'd probably be angry since he wanted to rest tonight, but what can you do?
I'd given him a medal, so he has to do this.
Students had heard the rumors from somewhere and gathered to watch.
It seemed the problem was that the circular arena's booking time hadn't fully ended, and they were the last ones to come in.
"Now, now, last bets!! Who will win?! Neither of them has a single loss on their duel record!!
The Student Council President has been boasting an undefeated streak for four years, a terrifying achievement, and freshman Atlas is also undefeated in duels so far! Come on, once it starts, you can't buy in anymore, so get your bets in now!"
An exceptionally loud voice rang out from the spectator seats.
It seemed a gambling ring had opened in the meantime.
But undefeated for four years... it was a record to be proud of.
To show just how incredible being undefeated until now was... even the Director had lost a few times as a freshman, but the Student Council President had never once been defeated.
He was extremely wary of me, but the subtle confidence he exuded was probably backed by this record.
"Junior, I'm saying this now, but couldn't you just let me have it?"
"What?"
The Student Council President, standing in the arena, suddenly proposed.
"The Russell son-in-law position, I mean. I really, really need it. So, couldn't you just concede it to me this once?
All I need is the position. I won't lay a single finger on the Russell young lady... alright? Let's just let this slide amicably."
"Did you say that to Lucia as well?"
"What would I get out of telling the Russell young lady? She'd only take it as me teasing her."
My mind turned chillingly cold.
I didn't answer any further after that.
"I'm making a rare generous offer... but you're not even pretending to listen. Are you that confident in your skills?
I suppose it must sound strange to you, Junior, since you're a much stronger Expert than me."
He grinned at me, seeing I wasn't listening at all.
-Alright then... the duel begins.
The moment the duel began with Andy's declaration, my body launched like a cannonball.
I didn't even draw my sword.
An overwhelming urge to beat him senseless with my fists surged through me.
The feeling I was experiencing wasn't purely anger at the Student Council President, but since he was the only one I could beat up right now, he'd have to endure it.
The Student Council President hadn't even perceived that my attack had already begun.
The victory condition of a duel was the opponent directly admitting defeat or becoming incapacitated. So, I wouldn't kill him, but I'd beat him painfully enough to make him wish he were dead.
I'll smash at least his jaw.
Unaware that danger was right under his nose, the Student Council President crossed his arms and spoke.
"But did you think I've only fought Experts once or twice?"
-Crash!!!
Then, the sound of something invisible shattering echoed out.
"Ack!! What the...!!"
"?!"
My attack was blocked by an invisible barrier.
It wasn't just one or two. About twenty layers of barriers were generated in an instant, and I shattered about nineteen of them before being stopped at the last one.
Despite his confident words, the Student Council President was startled out of his wits seeing me appear right in front of him.
'Seeing him so surprised means he didn't perceive my attack. Is this an automatic defense spell?'
It wasn't like a repulsive force; it felt more like touching a solid glass window.
If it wasn't a pre-cast spell, then the possibility of an artifact providing this function was also worth considering.
"You broke all of them except the last one...? Are you even human??"
Seeing me right up in his face, the Student Council President immediately broke out in a cold sweat and cast a spell.
It was praiseworthy that he didn't rush at me with a sword.
If, while hiding behind a barrier, he had clumsily swung a sword at me, I could have dragged him right out of the barrier with Sword Grappling in an instant.
But just because he used magic didn't mean the outcome would change.
'I'll just smash this last remaining barrier and the spell together.'
There was only one barrier left. It looked the sturdiest, but not so tough that I couldn't penetrate it.
I just had to smash through this barrier along with his spell and finish him off.
But the moment I saw the spell taking shape, I changed my mind.
'That's no ordinary spell, is it?'
I pulled my body back to dodge the spell, and a black, tar-like liquid gushed out and swallowed the spot where I had just been standing.
The black mass that fell to the floor without a target emitted acrid smoke and even melted the arena floor.
'Black acidic liquid... it was Black Dragon's Breath.'
I wouldn't have died, but it would have hurt quite a bit.
He made it look like he was casting a spell, but I caught a slight glimpse of it going through an artifact.
It was a similar type of artifact to the 'Flame of Saint Macinto' that Emy uses.
The difference is that the Flame of Saint Macinto is an artifact containing the breath of a Red Dragon imbued with 'Holy Power,' whereas this is the breath of a Black Dragon with strong 'acidic' properties.
It's not the Red Dragon's Breath that incinerates objects with intense firepower until nothing remains, but a horrific thing that melts and corrodes objects with a sticky acid solution until nothing remains.
The Master's body has a degree of resistance, but if an ordinary person had been hit, they would have melted away on the spot, leaving not a single bone fragment behind.
"That thing just now, if it wasn't me, you'd be dead."
"But you lived, didn't you? To face a strong Expert like you, Junior... I need at least this much!!"
The moment the Student Council President finished speaking, my body felt heavy.
It didn't seem like gravity magic, but rather a type of curse.
I'd heard he was a well-rounded all-rounder, but I didn't know he could use something like this.
It wasn't a high-level curse, so I ignored it and charged again.
Since I'd already seen it once, I'd grasped it to some extent.
I kicked off the ground with all my might and kicked away the invisible barriers.
"...Dangerous..."
-Crash!!!
The barriers spread around the Student Council President couldn't withstand my kicks and shattered with a loud noise.
Last time, I couldn't smash the last one, but this time was different.
Since I couldn't kill him, my first attack was just a probe. But if he could keep that level of defensive magic up at all times, I could afford to use a bit more force.
The barriers failed to block my attack by a hair's breadth, and every last one of them shattered.
Then, the kick that had broken all the barriers drove into the Student Council President's abdomen.
-Wham!!
"Gagh??"
The Student Council President's body folded into a '>' shape and flew backward with a gratifying sound, crashing into the arena wall.
The wall made of solid concrete shattered, sending debris and dust flying everywhere.
"Th-that barrier... was an automatic defense artifact that blocks even 6th-Circle magic..."
"Oh, was that it? No wonder it was so tough. Since I can't kill you, I was trying to pull my punches, but if it's that sturdy, it just made me want to hit a bit more seriously. Right?"
"Ugh... gugh..."
The Student Council President was trying to get back up.
I could feel it; a few ribs must have broken.
It was probably hard for him to even breathe, yet he was trying to get up by any means.
"No... no, you have to get up, Mr. President!!"
"It was just one hit!! Hang in there, President!!"
"Fuck, I bet my entire fortune!! Please get up!!"
Although a voice with a different motive was mixed in at the end, most of the students gathered in the arena were rooting for the Student Council President.
The Student Council President slowly rose while taking out another object from his inner pocket.
"Right... it's not over yet..."
"It's over."
-Whap!!
Since he was trying to use yet another artifact, I quickly kicked it away and knocked him out.
His jaw seemed to have dislocated, but well, it was better than being the crazy bastard who shot Black Dragon Breath.