Chapter 53
Chapter 53
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Public Humiliation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I quickly turned my head and scanned my surroundings.
But contrary to my hopes, the lovely students from the basic class were nowhere to be seen.
'Damn, where did everyone go? They're never around when you need them.'
In the end, I had no choice but to accept Vizolt's challenge.
With the princes watching, backing down so easily would surely tank my reputation.
Since it had come to this, I had to see it through.
"This isn't a suitable place for a duel, is it? Civilized people don't brawl in a dining hall. Let's take this outside."
As I spoke declaratively and walked out, I saw his lackeys glance at each other.
They seemed unsure of what to do, looking only to Vizolt for a sign.
Soon enough, the brute stomped his way out, irritated.
"You've crossed the line. I don't care about His Highness's eye for talent or whatever—I'm going to crush you."
The spot I chose was an open space between the dining hall and the library.
"Hehehe. This should be enough of an audience."
Vizolt let out a vile laugh as he looked around.
After all, what's more entertaining than a fire or a good fight?
Students had abandoned their meals and were now swarming into the open space outside the dining hall.
Roughly half were nobles, and the rest were donation-based admissions and recommended scholarship students.
The brute seemed thrilled at the thought of crushing me in front of so many people.
"I don't want the stigma of toying with some riffraff from the basic class. I'll face you using only the Imperial Sound Lock Sword I've just learned. Without aura, of course."
To inflict a more crushing humiliation upon me, Vizolt handicapped himself.
He seemed to think his victory was a foregone conclusion.
"You'll regret that."
I offered the advice in earnest, but Vizolt wasn't listening at all.
"Is anyone going to call the start?"
But no one was willing to step forward.
They likely didn't want to get caught up in the trouble.
Just then, however, someone pushed through the crowd and walked out.
It was Frixon, the donation-based student I'd had the run-in with at the dining hall.
"Mind if I do it?"
"This bastard, who does he think he is...?"
Vizolt glared, about to leave his spot.
'Wow, he's got guts.'
I subtly thrust my practice sword in front of the brute.
Vizolt's steps halted.
The tip of my sword had perfectly blocked his path.
"Surely I don't have to explain the rules of a duel to you, do I?"
From the ready stance until the starting call, the duelists were not allowed to move.
It was an old rule to prevent cheating.
"Hmph! The duel hasn't even started yet, has it?"
But Vizolt seemed to have no intention of stopping.
As he stubbornly tried to strike Frixon, I smirked and muttered.
"Stop making a scene and wipe your nose. Was my punch that hard?"
"Ah...?"
Just then, blood was trickling from the brute's nose.
It wasn't like I had used some superhuman trick to give him a nosebleed without touching him.
His pent-up rage must have burst a blood vessel already weakened by my punch.
But the onlookers didn't seem to think so.
"What was that? That guy made him bleed with just his presence!"
"Can he do it like the Vice-Chancellor? N-No, there's no way that's possible."
"You just saw it. How can you deny what happened right before your eyes?"
"Wait, does that mean he's at a higher level than the Emperor's Sawtooth Sword?"
"Of course, the Vice-Chancellor probably adjusted his power so we could withstand it. That guy must have gone all out, though."
"Just how talented is he to have reached such a level already...?"
The students' murmurs clearly reached both my and Vizolt's ears.
Most of their comments were like repeatedly pushing the brute's berserk button.
"Do whatever you want with your damn call. All I need to do is smash your face into the dirt."
Vizolt radiated sheer hostility toward me.
He seemed to have completely forgotten about Frixon.
'He looks seriously pissed. He's going to burst a vessel at this rate. I'd better treat him quickly.'
For a mad dog, physical therapy is the best medicine.
After a quick glance left and right, Frixon swiftly lowered his arm and shouted.
"Begin the duel!"
*Clack! Swiiish!*
The moment the call was made, Vizolt swung his practice sword fiercely.
It seemed to be the first form of the middle part of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, which he learned in the advanced class.
However, the momentum of his charge was quite different.
'It feels like it's mixed with his original swordsmanship.'
The guy was a muscular pig, built like a tank.
It seemed he usually favored a heavy sword style that relied on strength and weight.
A style completely different in direction from the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, which emphasizes technique and speed.
That's why his movements were so bizarre.
*Clang—!*
As I flicked my wrist and swung my sword concisely, Vizolt's practice sword stopped.
He had fallen right into the first form of the sword's initial part, the Straight Thrust of Clarity.
With a meaningful smile, I locked eyes with the brute and bared my pearly white teeth.
"This isn't going to be a spar. It's going to be a lesson."
*Clash!*
As our swords clashed again and again, Vizolt swung his more wildly.
"Grrrgh!"
*Whoosh! Whooosh!*
Frustrated that things weren't going his way, his old swordsmanship began to emerge reflexively.
He was gradually reaching the point of abandoning even the forms of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
Of course, that didn't make much of a difference.
They were nothing but meaningless gestures.
*Clang!*
"Ugh!"
I calmly executed the second form of the initial part, the Level Swing of Technique.
Though it was only a basic technique, my practice sword precisely cut off the flow of his movements.
I had struck at a critical point, properly disrupting his swordsmanship.
*Swish!*
In the process, the tip of my sword touched Vizolt's body twice.
Because it was a practice sword, there was no real damage, but in a real fight, it would have been fatal.
My strikes had landed squarely on his side.
Had I infused it with aura, his heart or lungs would have been pierced.
But completely unaware of this, Vizolt continued to swing his sword domineeringly.
Of course, there was no way such a pathetic attack would ever touch me.
"Too slow."
I said, retrieving my sword with a flourish, and he reacted instantly.
"Y-You lowly bastard!"
Seeing his face flush red as he panted, it seemed he had realized the match was already decided.
"So you do know how to feel shame, huh?"
"Kraaaah!"
*Wuuuuung!*
Finally, Vizolt manifested his aura and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
It would have been difficult to infuse aura into a wooden sword, but the ones provided by the academy were blunted iron swords.
If one wished, they could be turned into sufficiently powerful weapons.
'Whoa, this bastard's crossing the line.'
*Clang—! Thwack!*
My calmly executed Imperial Sound Lock Sword struck his crossguard and then the back of his hand.
Knights with extensive combat experience considered it essential to manifest aura on their hilts.
But Vizolt hadn't managed to extend his aura to the handguard.
'Then again, if he were at that level, he wouldn't be using the Imperial Sound Lock Sword so poorly.'
The blow to the back of his hand made his aura waver violently.
It was commendable that he didn't drop his sword despite what must have been considerable pain.
Of course, the unfortunate incident that followed was too cringe-worthy to watch.
"Keuk!"
Staggering back, Vizolt stabbed his sword into the ground and shook his right hand.
His face was severely contorted, likely from the shock.
'Stop scowling. What are you going to do if you get any uglier?'
*Clank!*
I suddenly sheathed my practice sword with an elegant motion.
At that, Vizolt glared and pushed himself up.
"Sheathing your sword in the middle of a duel? Have you gone mad?"
"You are already dead. You just don't know it yet."
"What in the world are you...?"
The brute growled like a wild beast and started to approach.
The pain seemed to have subsided somewhat.
But before Vizolt could take more than a few steps, he froze.
He felt an inexplicable coolness around his lower body.
"Huh? Ugh!"
Glancing down, his eyes went wide, and he hastily crouched.
His pants had slid down to his ankles, so it was a natural reaction.
"Oh my! How indecent."
"Pantsing someone during a duel? Is that a new tactic?"
"Seems so. The heir of Railton wouldn't go around without a belt."
"Tch! I wouldn't even fight him; it's too dirty."
The onlookers started to curse at Vizolt.
The men, in particular, cried out with expressions of extreme disgust.
"You son of a bitch!"
In the end, the brute's rage boiled over.
The aura he had been subtly using was now being deployed openly.
'That's right. Come on. I'll completely crush you.'
But I waited for Vizolt to approach, a triumphant smile on my face.
"Stop right there!"
But just then, a thunderous roar erupted from behind me.
I turned my head to see Professor Hoth standing there with a stern expression.
"It seems the school rules haven't been properly disseminated yet, but unauthorized duels on campus are forbidden. Furthermore, you must have them notarized by a professor."
I suddenly posed a question to Professor Hoth.
"What about sparring matches?"
"Those must be held only in the training grounds. It's a school rule."
"I will do as you say, Professor."
When I answered with a polite bow, Erich Hoth looked pleased.
He then turned to Vizolt, his expression instantly hardening.
"For an advanced class student to ignore the essence of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword and swing his blade so haphazardly..."
Professor Hoth seemed to have been watching the duel for some time.
That must be why he offered such a rebuke.
Vizolt shot me a resentful glance before hanging his head low.
'He's the one who was flailing around with brute force, so why is he looking at me? What a ridiculous guy.'
As I stood there with a baffled expression, Erich Hoth continued.
"Disputes between students can be settled with a sparring match. But I cannot forgive you for treating the imperial secret arts in such a manner. Vizolt Railton!"
"Y-Yes, Professor."
"You will run to the training grounds right now and practice the third form of the initial part of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword indefinitely."
"...Yes, sir."
"I can't hear you."
"Yes, sir!"
"Move!"
At Erich Hoth's roar, Vizolt clutched his waistband and scurried away.
Seeing him run toward the dorms, it seemed he planned to change his pants first.
Then, the remaining lackeys also began to shuffle away.
"Thank you, Professor."
I also thanked Professor Hoth for his timely intervention and prepared to return to the dining hall.
But Erich Hoth suddenly blocked my path.
"Well done."
"Sir?"
"Aiming for the wrist was an excellent choice. Of course, it wouldn't work against an opponent stronger than that fool... but still, you have a proper understanding of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword."
I may not look it, but I've earned my keep with a sword for a long time.
'Delicious food is waiting for me, so why are you doing this all of a sudden?'
I looked at him with questioning eyes, but Professor Hoth seemed to have no intention of letting me go.
"If you had learned the third form of the initial part, your response would have been much smoother. You would have had more options."
"Thank you for the advice."
"Since it has come to this, would you like to learn it now?"
Huh? Excuse me?
I wouldn't skip a meal at the academy even if the sky fell.
I screamed internally, but Erich Hoth was already engrossed in his lecture on the Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
Seeing me absorb everything he taught, he seemed to be enjoying the lesson.
Ah, wait a minute.
At this rate, the lunch period will be over, you crazy professor!
"I apologize for interrupting, but I haven't eaten yet."
"Oh! Is that so? I thought you came out to brawl... no, to spar, after you had finished eating. In that case, let's go to the faculty dining hall."
I barely managed to calm down the fired-up Professor Hoth.
It looked like I'd be sharing a table with this grim-faced man, but it was far better than starving.
Besides, I was also curious about the menu in the faculty dining hall.
"Haha. Of course."
I quickly followed behind Erich Hoth.
Glancing to the side, I saw Frixon standing there dumbfounded.
His expression as he watched the situation unfold looked quite complicated.