The Extra Who Beats Up the Male Lead
"Phew..." I exhaled slowly to maintain my composure. "Are you sure it's alright to duel with real swords? You might get hurt."
"Indeed. I am quite worried about leaving a scratch on the young master of a ducal house."
Lutera Edelian scoffed. "You certainly have a silver tongue."
"My tongue is just as formidable as my swordsmanship, my lord. But tell me, are you perhaps lacking confidence?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, cowards usually babble to ease their tension. Just like you are doing right now."
"You bastard...!"
"As a friendly tip, scowling like that will give you wrinkles on your forehead."
"..."
He was absolutely furious; I could see the veins bulging on his neck. Before the duel even began, a chilling tension hung in the air. My provocation had worked perfectly; the easy smile that had graced Lutera's face was completely replaced by pure, murderous intent.
"Now, let the duel begin!"
The moment the referee's voice fell, I lunged forward.
Clang! Our swords clashed. Lutera immediately deflected my blade and swung his sword in a straight line.
‘Straight line toward my left shoulder.’
Whoosh! Tracking the trajectory of the red line, I twisted my waist to dodge his blade. This was my first time clashing swords with Lutera, but a single exchange was enough to tell me everything. He was far more skilled than I was.
"Your expression has changed. Did clashing swords finally help you realize your place?" Lutera stretched, cracking his neck from side to side.
"..." That smug, overly confident face of his was starting to get on my nerves.
I charged at him once more. In response, Lutera spun his sword and assumed a defensive stance. It was easy to tell this was a trap. The red line was drawn too blatantly. It was undoubtedly a counter-stance from the Edelian swordsmanship style.
I aborted my attack mid-swing.
"Do you happen to know of the Edelian swordsmanship?"
"Not really. This is my first time seeing it..."
"I suppose you have the skills to back up that big mouth of yours, then."
Lutera smirked, drawing a brilliant arc in the air as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.
‘Upper-left upward slash, lower-right downward slash, center thrust.’
I contorted my body to dodge every single one of his attacks. The spectators, who had been making a racket, fell into a stunned silence at the unbelievable sight.
"Do you have a master?"
"I do, but most of it is self-taught."
It's not like I could tell him about the Special Shop. Life is just a series of unfair advantages anyway. Just like how I was born a commoner and he was born into a ducal house.
"Your talent is extraordinary!" Lutera bellowed, lunging forward with his sword.
Clang! This time, I didn't dodge. I blocked it. But...
"Ugh!"
Lutera's strike was incredibly heavy. It felt so heavy that my arms trembled under the pressure. Recalling how the instructor parried and redirected strikes, I slid my blade against his to deflect the force.
Swoosh!
‘Whoa, that actually worked?’
Meanwhile, the instructor watching from the sidelines gasped in admiration. "That kid... Did he seriously master that technique just from watching me do it a few times?"
While some watched the breathtakingly intense duel with bated breath, defying all expectations, the majority of the crowd began to hurl hostile jeers.
"Know your place, you filthy commoner!"
"No way! Did you use magic? You cheating bastard!"
"Look at him scurrying around like a rat. Is that dirty trick hereditary?"
"I heard his father is some low-life adventurer. No wonder his swordsmanship is so cheap! Haha!"
The arena was currently filled with nothing but jeers directed at me. They must have been furious that a duel they expected to end in seconds was dragging on, with me pulling off stunts and holding my ground. But... my heart was pounding. I had intended to generously ignore their insults.
‘Is this Hound's emotion?’ I was feeling a surge of genuine anger without even realizing it. ‘Well, anyone would be pissed off if their parents were insulted.’ Looking at my reflection on the blade, my face was flushed red. ‘Don't worry. I'll show them with results.’ I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.
"Huu..."
Just then, Lutera spoke up, his eyes shining with excitement. "Truly magnificent! It is a waste for such outstanding talent to remain a commoner. How about it? Will you join the Knights of the Edelian Duchy?"
This was unexpected. For the proud, arrogant Lutera to acknowledge someone else and offer a scout proposal... But I had absolutely no intention of accepting. Once I became the strongest in this world, I was going to establish my own house and claim all the villainesses I had my eyes on.
"I am deeply honored by your praise, my lord."
"Haha! I have never met an opponent of this caliber among my peers. I truly like you. What do you say? An offer to join the Edelian Knights is not something just anyone can receive."
"I am terribly sorry, but I must decline your offer. I have a different goal in mind."
Lutera's expression turned bitter with regret. "I see... Having a dream is a good thing."
"Uh... yeah. I suppose so."
At that exact moment—step!
"Ugh!"
I had let my guard down for a split second, allowing Lutera's attack to break through. The impact was on a completely different level from before. It was an attack infused with Aura. Lutera's sword, now pressing against mine, was enveloped in a dark, shimmering light.
"Are you using Aura now?"
"I figured it was time to get serious."
"Then I shall match your sincerity, my lord."
Deep within my heart, I summoned the power of my three stars. A brilliant blue light wrapped around my blade.
"You can use Aura as well?"
"I am self-taught, but I can manage to manifest it."
"Even that is self-taught?" A wide grin spread across Lutera's face. "You really are an extraordinary bastard!"
"Oh, please. I could never compare to you, my lord!"
Clash! Our swords collided once more. Perhaps because two different Auras were clashing, I could feel the very air vibrating through all my senses. A collision between three stars and four stars. Naturally, I was pushed back by the sheer difference in raw power.
"Regrettably, it seems I am one step ahead. Let us bring this duel to an end."
"..." What an idiot. As if a duel is decided solely by Aura.
Lutera relentlessly swung his Aura-infused sword, giving me no room to breathe.
‘Upper-left downward strike, immediately transitioning into a center thrust.’
I easily dodged his assault and attempted a counter, but Lutera casually blocked it.
Clang!
‘What is up with that sound? It doesn't even sound like swords clashing.’
Lutera retreated a step. I immediately pressed my advantage, refusing to give him a single moment to catch his breath. I had absolute confidence in my stamina. However, I only closed the distance. I never initiated the attack.
‘Horizontal slash, straight downward strike, upward slash.’
Lutera's eyes widened, unable to hide his sheer bewilderment. "How on earth are you moving like that?"
"Who knows?"
Hound's absurd kinetic vision, physical capabilities, and the Eye that Sees Crisis... Even by my own standards, I was a total cheat character. I decided to draw the scabbard from my waist.
"My lord, please do not resent me for this."
"What nonsense are you suddenly—"
Like a teacher administering a strict but loving discipline, I whipped the scabbard right at his calf.
Whack!
"Haha, this is actually quite fun."
"You bastard!"
Upper-left, lower-right, thrust, horizontal slash. Now that I looked closely, his attack patterns were incredibly simple. Of course, being from a prestigious family of swordsmen, the transitions between his strikes were seamless. But that was it. Once I got used to his attack routes, dodging them was child's play.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
After dodging every single one of his attacks and repeatedly spanking him with my scabbard, Lutera finally stopped swinging.
"Huff... huff..."
"Are you tired, my lord? Perhaps you should forfeit..."
"...Y-You son of a bitch!"
Lutera completely lost his mind and lunged at me.
Crack!
I slammed my Aura-infused scabbard straight into Lutera's chin.
"Gah..."
Lutera's eyes rolled back. He collapsed to his knees, his head dropping heavily toward the ground.
"..."
"Uh, referee? I think it's over..."
"Ah... Hound Egil wins!"
With the referee's declaration, the duel came to an end. Perhaps because Lutera Edelian's defeat was so utterly shocking, a heavy silence descended upon the arena. ‘Ha! Look at these bastards who were jeering so hard. That felt incredibly satisfying.’
The rowdy arena had instantly transformed into a quiet library. I smiled and waved at Mikaris Merian. She just blinked, looking completely dazed. ‘What should I ask for my favor? By the way, can commoners and nobles get married in this novel?’ I left the arena, lost in these happy thoughts.
The duel was over. I was on my way to make up for the liberal arts classes I had missed. Thanks to my Aura-enhanced senses, the students' whispering reached my ears.
"Did you hear? The Edelian family, the legendary house of swordsmanship..."
"Hound who? That commoner?"
"Yes, him! The way he dodged those strikes left and right, I thought he was a slime!"
The entire academy was currently buzzing with talk about the duel between Lutera Edelian and Hound Egil. But a slime? Of all the things to compare me to, they couldn't have picked a cool magical beast...? As I headed to the classroom, listening to the various whispers, someone grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.
"The Lady requests your presence."
It was Mikaris's attendant, whom I had seen before.
"Right now? I'm on my way to a makeup class."
"The matter with the professor has already been settled. She ordered you to come immediately."
"...Understood."
I followed her to Mikaris's room. Knock, knock.
"My Lady, I have brought Hound Egil."
"Come in."
The moment I stepped inside, Mikaris got straight to the point. "So, what is it you want?"
Straight to the point, huh?
"Hmm... I don't really have anything right now."
"What?"
"I'm still looking into whether a commoner and a noble can get married."
Mikaris's eyebrow twitched. "Are you saying that seriously?"
"Of course. Think of how much I've done for you."
Mikaris fell silent. Thanks to this man, Lutera had been thoroughly humiliated, and the rumors surrounding her broken engagement had practically vanished. He was indeed someone she should be grateful to. In this high society, nobles would tear you apart the moment they found even the slightest weakness. Mikaris couldn't meet my eyes. She turned her head away and cleared her throat.
"Ahem... Is there nothing else?"
"Nope. Well, other than that... maybe just promise not to marry anyone else until I come to claim you?"
"What on earth are you..."
"I am going to become a hero. I reckon it'll take about three or four years."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"You saw what I can do, didn't you? It's entirely possible. Once I earn a noble title, I'll come back for you."
"Ha..."
Mikaris was utterly speechless. She couldn't comprehend what this man was talking about. It sounded completely absurd and preposterous.
"Anyway, now that the marriage talks with the Edelian family are off, you won't be getting any other proposals for a while, right? Just wait for me."
Mikaris still found his attitude absolutely ridiculous. To act so boldly in front of a marquess's daughter... Yet, he was right about the marriage proposals. Her father was currently furious over the broken engagement with the Edelian family, so no other noble house would dare approach them for the time being.
"So, will you grant my favor?"
"Three years. I will wait until we graduate from the academy. No marriage proposals will come my way during that time anyway. But if I still don't like you by then, I will reject you."
"Thank you. I'll take my leave, then..."
The moment I stepped out of the room, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to set off fireworks. Marriage with Mikaris, my absolute favorite character? Was this a dream or reality?
But on second thought, three years felt a bit too short. For a commoner to obtain a noble title, unless a war broke out, it required the backing of an immense power like a ducal house. But there was no way a war would just happen... The excitement that had been soaring just a moment ago instantly plummeted.
"..."
Well, what was the point of worrying about it now? It's not like I had any other choice. I could just become a Sword Saint later and bring back a dragon's head, right? I decided to put this issue on the back burner and start planning for the next villainess.