Roholan Village (4)
My spar with Luci never came to pass.
Rubia was furious... no, absolutely livid... and there was simply no way to continue.
Lucky... wait, no.
What a shame!
I could have won!
I wasn't scared at all!
"Ha, haha... well, you know how it is with men..."
"What was that?"
"Ahem! Ah, never mind. Hahaha...!"
Heinzel scratched his scalp awkwardly.
"Ugh... kheugh... ptooey...! Ugh..."
Luci was half a corpse by now.
His stomach was split open...!
I could even glimpse a rib or two!
"Honestly, this is ridiculous. If Noah had gone first, were you planning to leave her in the exact same state? Well?"
"N-no. If the little one had stepped up, I wouldn't have gone that far..."
"If Noah had... kheugh... come out... I would've gone easy too..."
No need to go easy on me...
I would've won anyway.
Uh... probably?
The atmosphere had turned painfully awkward, so I scurried over to Rubia's side and started kneading her shoulders.
"A-Aileen... you're tired, right...?"
"Noah. You're just as bad. Trying to spar with these lunatics? And Luci's practically dying over there, and what? 'Real men don't care about that'? 'A potion will fix everything'? Is that what you're saying?!"
"Heh, hehe..."
But... Luci had agreed with that part too...
"What's with the 'hehe'... Fine. Just go away."
Rubia shrugged my hands off and continued healing.
"Oh, and these two already know I'm a priestess. So you can call me Rubia instead of Aileen. Only when no one else is around, of course."
"Y-yes...? Wait, what?"
Huh.
I wasn't the first...?
"I-I wasn't the first...?"
"It just... sort of happened."
"Uh... uhh..."
That stung a little.
I'd given Rubia my first time...
"I-I see... okay..."
I shuffled back to the corner and crouched down.
Might as well review the spar...
I replayed Heinzel and Luci's fight in my head.
All the information I'd taken in through Qi Sensing flooded back.
I calculated the differences between Luci and me.
I had the edge in strength.
I lagged in speed.
Was that why he figured out my secret faster...?
Ugh... no. Focus...
I wasn't behind in technique.
But I was way behind in real combat experience.
If the spar dragged on, I'd be at a disadvantage.
I had to end it quick.
My sword had better reach, but my body was so much smaller.
Different stride length.
Different breathing.
He had zero hesitation about cutting people down.
In the end, I'd lose on pure presence.
If he'd pressed me hard enough, I might've spilled my secret first...
Ugh...! No!
I forced my mind back on track and started sketching out scenarios based on my calculations.
First one: I lost.
Second: lost again.
Third: lost.
Fourth: lost again.
Lost.
Lost, lost, lost.
I kept losing.
And then.
On the thirty-eighth try, just once.
My blade touched Luci.
Not a fatal wound.
But my body took a fatal one.
I memorized that routine and started over.
On the twenty-ninth, I carved a deep gash into Luci.
Not enough.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
After countless loops, only one picture remained.
Out of hundreds of possibilities, just one.
An absurd, near-impossible gamble of a move.
But... if I tried it.
Rubia would scold me half to death, wouldn't she...?
Still, if I wanted to show the world the greatness of the greatsword, I had no choice...
I was letting out a long inner sigh when a massive shadow fell over me.
"Little one."
It was Heinzel.
"Y-yes?"
"That spar earlier. You watched carefully?"
I nodded.
"Did you see what went wrong at the end?"
At the end, huh.
Hmm...
"I-if Uncle Heinzel had... swung up from the right instead of the left... I'm not sure what would've happened... Uncle Luci's right side is his blind spot... after all."
"True enough."
Heinzel stroked his chin and nodded.
"But... that wouldn't look cool, would it? I don't have any weaknesses, so using Luci's... that'd just be embarrassing."
"Th-then... are you confident you'd win for sure if you exploited a weakness?"
"Well... that too. It probably would've been easier than this spar, at least."
I thought back over the fight I'd just imagined.
Hmm...
"N-no. Uncle Heinzel... your matchup is bad. Because—"
From there I laid out Heinzel's strengths and weaknesses, then Luci's.
This was advice from the number-two PVP ranker, after all!
Just memorize it!
If you can't, write it down!
Listing it all out would make anyone's head spin, so to sum it up in one sentence...
"Uncle Luci is strong in one-on-one... um, so he's a hard counter. B-but Uncle Heinzel fights really well against packs of magic beasts, right...?"
"Mm. That's true."
"Yes. Th-that's it."
Luci had never bothered studying how to fight multiple opponents.
He only ever had one goal, after all.
Hunting Carpeng.
That was why his swordsmanship had developed the way it had.
Deflecting incoming attacks, countering, grinding down stamina.
Heinzel, on the other hand, just... mindlessly smashed magic beasts... so yeah, no need to say more.
His weapon was a halberd to begin with.
"S-so... uh... I think a halberd is better than a one-handed sword..."
You've got two hands.
Why hold a sword with just one?
I just couldn't understand it.
And Luci didn't even use a shield!
Super inefficient!
Most important of all—there was no satisfying hand-feel!
"Kwahahahahaha! That so? Right! The little one has a good eye! Kwahahaha!"
Heinzel laughed heartily and clapped me on the back.
Every time he did, my head snapped back and forth.
"U-ugh...! D-don't hit me...!"
I flailed until I managed to block his arm.
Ugh, this muscle-headed baldy...
"Little one!"
"Y-yes...?"
Heinzel pointed a finger at Luci.
"That scrawny one-eyed guy's in no shape, so how about I be your sparring partner instead? What do you say?"
"No thank you."
"Huh... wh-why...?"
I pointed my own short finger at Luci.
"What if I end up... cut in half like that... I-I don't want to with you, Uncle."
"Ah, um... I... see... if you don't want to, then... nothing I can do..."
Heinzel's voice trembled ever so slightly.
What.
Is Uncle crying?
"Kheung— hnn... th-then I'll... head back to the inn..."
He was sniffling oddly, shoulders shaking...
Is he actually crying...?
I just said I didn't want to once, and he's crying over that?!
Heinzel rubbed his face with both hands and trudged toward the inn.
That baldy looked so pitiful from behind that I couldn't just leave him.
I felt a tiny bit of kinship.
"U-Uncle...!"
"What is it."
He answered without turning around.
"Th-that... uh... instead of sparring... how about arm wrestling?"
"Arm... wrestling?"
Heinzel turned back.
"Y-yes...! Arm wrestling! Th-that way no one gets cut in half and we can still have fun... right?"
"Forget it... you don't have to force yourself..."
He turned away again, looking even more dejected, and started walking.
Haah... this uncle is such a total loser.
Jokes like that are supposed to be brushed off coolly, like me. Tsk.
I had no choice but to stand up and trail after him.
"U-Uncle...! Then let's make a bet. A bet..."
"What kind of bet are you talking about?"
"Uh... if you win, I'll buy you a stone-slab steak. But if I-I win... um... buy me jelly."
Heinzel's footsteps stopped.
"A bet, huh... But do you really think a little kid like you can beat me?"
He flexed his arm, showing off his bicep.
That arm had a muscle the size of my entire head.
Ugh... I can't lose.
Time to show the power of max Strength...!
I copied him, raising my sleeveless left arm to flex my own bicep.
"Kheup—! Kwahahahahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
Heinzel took one look at my arm and burst into insane laughter.
"Wh-why...?"
I didn't get the joke, so I poked my own arm.
Soft, squishy flesh met my fingers.
Um... uh...
B-but I'm still strong!
Max Strength, damn it!!
"Th-then just try me... If I win... I'm buying a whole month's worth of jelly."
"Khehehehe... Fine. Little one, if you win, I'll buy every last jelly that shop has."
"Huk...!"
I pictured the mountain of jelly I'd seen at the shop earlier.
That much and I could bathe in jelly...!
"B-but... I'm only buying one person's portion... for you?"
"Make it two."
Two portions... sixty silver...?!
Ugh... my hands were already shaking.
"Nngh... o-okay. Then for fairness... let's ask Rubia to referee...!"
I'm winning.
I'm definitely winning...!
I'll even bribe Rubia if I have to!
She and I are super close friends who share a secret, so...
She'll take my side at least a little, right?
"Great! Let's go!"
Heinzel laughed boisterously and charged toward Rubia and Luci.
I ran after him as hard as I could.
"Ru-Rubiaaa...!"
"Yes?"
Luci's healing seemed nearly finished; no more divine power was flowing from Rubia's body.
"Th-that... I-I decided to arm-wrestle this uncle, okay? Rubia... please be the referee...!"
"Mm! That's how it is! We're counting on you!"
"Ha, hey you. You really want to beat a kid the size of a mouse...?"
"M-mouse...?!"
I glared at Luci once.
"Ahem. Well, just looking at him, Heinzel seems way stronger. That's all..."
"I'm stronger..."
Pfft—
A snicker came from behind me.
The only person behind me was... Rubia?
"Ru-Rubia...? D-did you just laugh at me?"
"Ahahaha... n-no? When did I...?"
Her shoulders were shaking.
Her whole body was trembling...
"F-fine. Nobody's on my side... I'm not sleeping with you later."
I don't need jelly.
I'll beat Heinzel with my own strength and earn it.
I whipped my head away from Rubia.
But then...
Something shocking slipped from her lips.
"Noah. What are you talking about. You already ate all of it. The jelly."
Ah... right.
"Uh... r-refund... I'll pay back what I ate..."
"No."
Rubia's verdict was absolute.
"Ugh... fine. I-I hate you... and you call yourself my friend... you won't even take my side..."
Hearing my muttering, Rubia reached out a hand.
I yanked mine away.
"I'm not holding it."
"Oh my? What if you get kidnapped?"
"Th-then I'll just get kidnapped..."
It was scary, but I tried playing hard to get for now.
She'll coax me now, right?
Th-then I'll play hard to get just one more time—
"Hmm— fine. Do whatever you want."
Huh...? Eh...?
Wh-why isn't she grabbing me...?
"So, I just need to referee, right?"
Just like that, she switched to pure business mode.
I... I was genuinely shocked...
"Ru-Rubia...?"
"Yes?"
"Uh... um... n-never mind."
"Okay."
With that curt reply, Rubia immediately turned her back and started scouting for a good arm-wrestling spot.
Traitor...
She was so nice just a minute ago...!
Why, why the sudden change!
She could've held my hand at least once!
"Ah, this looks good. Come over here."
Where Rubia stood was a flat rock.
Her work was impressively efficient, but I didn't feel like agreeing easily.
"N-not really..."
"Mm! Perfect! Come on, little one!"
But... my voice was drowned out by Heinzel's ridiculously loud one.
Annoying.
Annoying annoying annoying.
Grumbling, I walked over to the rock.
A handkerchief was already laid out on each end.
I hated how good Rubia was at this.
I really hated it.
"Alright, both of you take a side. Right hands, yes?"
"Mm! Doesn't matter!"
"M-me too..."
Heinzel and I took opposite sides.
"Now... lock hands."
The height was perfect for me, but not for Heinzel.
He dropped to one knee and got into position.
Then he stretched out his arm.
I matched him and stretched mine out too.
"Hmm... let's just call this a handicap from Heinzel. Alright?"
"Mm! Doesn't matter!"
I looked over, wondering what she meant, and saw Heinzel's arm stretched out wide.
The height difference must have forced him into that pose.
Ha, and he still thinks he'll win?
I was genuinely pissed now.
No mercy.
Heinzel, even if your hand gets crushed, not my problem.
"D-don't regret this..."
"Khehaha! Bring it on, little one!"
I clamped down on Heinzel's hand as hard as I could.
Well... "clamped" was generous given the size difference, but anyway.
"I'll count down."
Three.
Two.
One.
The instant the count ended, I threw every ounce of strength I had to the left.
And then.
KWA-AAAANG—!
Heinzel's hand smashed into the rock, and the boulder supporting our arms...
shattered into pieces.
"Mm...?"
Heinzel's dumbfounded sound.
"Uh... uhh...? H-how is this..."
And Aileen's flustered voice.
Both of them lifted my deeply sunken mood high, high into the sky.
"See? I won, right...?"
I said it, then turned my back.
Ah, right.
I turned back around to face Heinzel and Rubia.
And in the coolest tone I could manage, I said,
"Just... half a month's worth of jelly is fine."
"Huhh...?"
"I-I'll only take half of what I bet..."
Then I turned again and finished walking away.
Wow.
I was seriously cool just now.
I was striding confidently toward Luci when—
"Nngh...?"
A sharp gaze stabbed into the back of my head.
Rubia and Heinzel?
No. Those two were looking at each other, talking.
Luci... was facing the wrong way.
Then... who?
The moment I expanded my Qi Sensing,
that gaze vanished without a trace.
As if it had teleported away.
Leaving only the faintest trace of mana behind.