CH 254

“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. My subordinate’s insufficient capability…”

In response to her unexpected defeat, Barlock bowed low to the king. However, King Pompassa, on the receiving end of the apology, seemed not to take any issue.

“Don’t worry, Barlock. Isn’t it something to rejoice about, that the Hero has such a reliable companion? Besides… I can’t imagine that she is the strongest mage in our country?”

“Of course not!”

Without hesitation, Barlock answered the king’s question. In reality, while Flanite was strong for her age, she was only above average when considering the entire Magical Ministry.

“When you’re accompanying the Hero on his journey, you’d need to be away from the kingdom for an extended period. Therefore, we can’t send someone who plays a crucial role in national defense…”

“No worries. I understand that, this overall worked out. Rather, I wouldn’t know what to do if we had sent out the strongest without thinking and they’d lost.”

“I’m grateful for your understanding.”

There was, in fact, an ulterior motive: if a young girl close to the Hero’s age joins him, she could sway the Hero towards their national interests… However, that doesn’t need to be said. This was something everyone understood.

“But then, we can’t expect much next time, right? A knight? Or did you nominate someone skilled from the regular soldiers?”

“Well, Your Majesty…”

The one who answered King Pompassa’s question was a man in his forties, dressed in unadorned but sturdy metal armor. Standing next to the king and allowed to wear a sword, the man speaks casually to the king.

“We do have some young, lively people, and we were initially planning to send one of them… but I’ve had a change of heart.”

“General Lobel.. I’ve told you many times, isn’t your tone too casual when addressing His Majesty?”

“That’s fine, Barlock. So, Lobel. What made you change your mind?”

“Yes. I thought I might try my hand at it.”

“What!?”

Barlock expressed his shock at Lobel’s words, but next to him, the king was smirking.

“Oh? You’re interested in that man beside him?”

“Yes, well. The elf girl was something, but the other one is strong. I can tell just by watching from a distance. So I want to try my hand against him.”

“Don’t be absurd, General Lobel! You can’t seriously be suggesting that you want to leave the kingdom to journey with the Hero!?”

Lobel, who did not doubt his victory in the least, replied with a grin to Barlock’s speech.

“In that case, under the pretense of training the Hero, I’ll drag him around the kingdom for two or three months and give him some training. After that, I’ll switch with one of our young ones as initially planned. Shouldn’t that be fine?”

“Hmm, well… If you stay in the kingdom… What do you think, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm… I suppose it’s alright. It’s not necessarily a situation where we have to focus on winning, but continuously losing would be a blow to our national prestige. If you are going, we will expect a victory.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll give it my all.”

In response to Lobel, who deeply bowed his head, King Pompassa nodded generously.

“Very well, then go. Show the Hero the full extent of the strength of our kingdom’s greatest knight.”

“Understood.”

*****

“The rules are the same as before. Please be careful not to go overboard, alright?”

Addressing the two who had stepped into the center of the training  field, the soldier acting as referee called out. However, his gaze was clearly directed at Lobel, and his expression was bitter. And standing in opposition to such an opponent, the young warrior… Ed also had quite a grim face.

“I didn’t expect to face an old… I mean, an experienced knight. Should I go easy?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll let you have the first move, so don’t hold back!”

“Okay, okay, much appreciated.”

Ed, who had assumed another young soldier would come out as before, grimaces at the clear appearance of a real contender. If his opponent were around his own age, he could win normally and end it, but now, if he doesn’t win correctly, he could receive criticism from the surrounding nobles and royals.

(Why has it come to this… Is it because Tia won too easily? They’re trying to balance it out by making me lose, but still, I can’t afford to lose.)

If he loses here, there’s a high chance he will be removed from the Hero’s party. For Ed, that’s something he wants to avoid at all costs… And so, he makes up his mind.

(I guess I have no choice but to get serious.)

He can’t use his banishment skill in such a conspicuous place. But his honed swordsmanship will never betray him. In sync with the referee soldier’s call of “Start the match”, Ed naturally readies his sword.

****

“………………………….”

“………………………….”

They stood face-to-face for thirty seconds. Neither of them moved, but while one chooses not to act, the other is locked in place as well… Of course, it’s Lobel who can’t move.

(This is…)

Even though Ed simply stood there with his sword at the ready, there wasn’t a trace of an opening. But this fact alone made Lobel break into a cold sweat.

(Is he not even going to fake an opening…?)

Normally, if one possesses such skill, they would intentionally create an opening somewhere. Whether the opponent aims for it or ignores it, it’s done to create a trigger that limits the opponent’s movement and leads to a reading game.

But Ed has no openings. In other words, he’s declaring that he will deal with anything… anytime, anywhere, and with enough strength, no matter how one might strike. Whether this was composure, or arrogance… that will be determined by the strike Lobel was about to unleash.

“Here I come!”

With a shout, Lobel raised his sword high and swung it straight down. Without unnecessary bluffing, he swung  his sword at his greatest strength, and fastest speed. Ed, in response, clashed his own sword against it.

Cling!

“!?”

At first glance, it seems that he countered with a simple parry.Lobel’s face changed to astonishment, and he quickly attacked Ed again at different angles, speeds, and strengths, but they were all simply deflected.

Cling! Cling!

“It can’t…be…!?”

Taken aback by the situation, Lobel unconsciously steps back five paces. From his back, cold sweat, born from a fear he hadn’t felt in a long time, trickled down.

(He deflected my attack with exactly the same strength!? What incredible skill… this is the swordsmanship of a man who hasn’t lived half as long as I have!?)

If it were the result of some magic tool or invisible ability, Lobel might not have been so surprised. But having seen Ed’s limbs’ movement while handling the sword, he recognized Ed’s skill was undeniably a human one.

Truly, Ed was not using his banishment skill. What he could easily do with his [Orbit Reflector] skill, he was reproducing with only the swordsmanship he had honed. There were reasons for this, one of which was that he did not want to reveal his hand and use his banishment skill here, but Lobel did not know this.

(If I can make the same movements, I can do the same. But how much training would it take to get there? Thirty years? Fifty years? Could it be that this guy isn’t human, but a half-elf passing as one?)

If that’s the case, that’s understandable. If one were to train for decades while maintaining a young body, they might be able to gain this level of skill… Lobel thought such things, but shook his head to clear away unnecessary thoughts.

(Damn, don’t think about unnecessary things. All I can do now is to give it my all!)

“UOOOOO!!!”

With a mighty roar, Lobel ran towards Ed. The attack he unleashed was a thrust with his entire weight behind it, a sure-kill move if it landed, but not something to use without breaking the opponent’s stance.

But Lobel was certain that Ed would parry it. And indeed, Ed met Lobel’s sword and thrust his own sword out in response.

Cling!

“………………………….”

“What…!?”

As Ed and Lobel remained silent,  only the mutterings of the referee resounded quietly. Following that, a weak laugh spilled from Lobel’s mouth.

“Ha, haha… to think you could parry a thrust with a thrust.”

The tip of Ed’s sword was perfectly aligned with the tip of Lobel’s thrust. Although Lobel had superior physical strength and could have pushed Ed back with it…

“Oops, I parried it again. It seems we are equals――”

“I give up.”

“Seems like… huh?”

“……What!? The match is over! The winner is Ed!”

WAAAAAA!!!

“It’s my complete defeat. This defeat I consider an honor, great swordsman Ed.”

“No, no, no, no, that’s not right! We’re equals, aren’t we! Huh?”

Amidst the roaring applause and Lobel proudly kneeling before him, only the victor, Ed, wore an indescribable bitter expression.