CH 119.1

In response to Cloud’s one-sided notice, Lorraine frowned at him.

“Today’s the last day? What does that mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Literally. Today is the last time I duel with you. So put all your skills into the duel so you don’t regret it later.”

“Ah! It’s last? You wish! Do you think I would forget about what you did to me? If I uncover what–”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“What..?”

Lorraine’s eyes wavered.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“…why? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“Your reaction just now pretty much says everything. You know very well that I was only accepting because of your insistence until now, right?”

“…”

“Go. Go put on proper armor and bring your main sword.”

Even to Cloud’s command, Lorraine chewed her lips but didn’t move. She asked with the downcast expression she had shown before.

“Do I annoy you? So you mean to finish this?”

Cloud shook his head faintly.

“If you were annoying, I wouldn’t have entertained you until now.”

“Then why..!”

“I am a Hero.”

He said with a solemn expression and stern voice.

“You know the duty of a Hero well, right? I can’t play house with you like this forever.”

“Play house..?” So everything that happened was just a joke?

Was that all?

“Ha… haha..!”

The face chortled ruefully and then turned ferocious and vicious.

“Alright. Let’s see the end today if you so wish. But you know what? If I win, you have to listen to what I want. Don’t even think about cheating. If that happens to be the case, I won’t stay still.”

Having said that, Lorraine promptly turned around and left the gymnasium without waiting for Cloud’s retort.

“Ah, you’re back… Princess? What happened?”

“No big deal. Move.”

Arriving at the inn, she passed her fussy knight and entered her room. She unhooked the armor displayed in the room and put it on.

Silver full plate armor.

Parts not guarded by metal, such as joints, were arrayed by chain mail.

As she hauled her armor and broadsword, she looked at the backpack next to her bed.

Stowed within were magic items with various effects.

After thinking for a moment, she looked away from her backpack.

Bringing it along would help.

However, she wanted to defeat him entirely on her own.

Having donned her armament, she returned to the gymnasium.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Cloud, who was in the same state as before she had left.

“Huh. You tell me to come properly armed, so why are you still the same?”

Instead of answering with words, Cloud tapped the sword at his waist.

The sword was bestowed by the Queen on the coronation day.

Lorraine snorted.

Her eyes turned cold and she glared at him, her gaze signalling warning.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

Lorraine bent over and pulled her sword free.

She spurred forward and stabbed.

It was the same attack as usual, but the speed was incomparably faster than before.

But not to the point of being unresponsive.

Cloud ducked sideways, avoiding the stab.

“You put on the armor, but instead of slowing down, you got faster. Runed armor, I presume?”

Runeing.

It referred to the act of enlaying runes on equipment.

If wizards were rare, wizards who could enchant were even rarer. And wizards who could emboss enchantments were rarest.

Because of that, runed equipment was hard to come by.

And as he thought, Lorraine’s armor was runed for light weighted deftness.

It was the product of imperial power and wealth.

“Good you know what you’re against!”

The broadsword rippled with blue sword energy.

She lunged at Cloud again.

Carter Family Imperial Swordsmanship.

[Lotus Flower Style]-!

The sword filled with sword energy cut at Cloud’s waist. He then drew his sword. The two swords collided. Klang! Lorraine’s sword was blocked.

Lorraine’s attack didn’t end with a single stab.

She immediately swerved her sword and aimed elsewhere.

Klang! Klang! Klang! Klang!

Her sword aimed at a different place each time, making him focus on defence. A truly one-sided attack. The reason this was possible was because of the characteristics of [Lotus Flower Style], the family swordsmanship; but the weight-lightening rune that was engraved on the sword was the biggest factor.

The factors that determined victory or defeat in a fight included not only skill but also the performance of equipment.

Rare metals, enchantments and runes were considered expensive not for nothing.

‘What would you do? I have everything accounted for…’

Lorraine smiled, joyful at the foreboding emotion of her victory.

It didn’t take long for the raised corners of her lips to falter down.

“…”

Cloud parried all of Lorraine’s swift, yet unconventional sword strikes with minimal movement.

Result: it was Lorraine, and not him, who was getting tired because of the erratic swordsmanship.

Something was strange.

Feeling the strange dread, Lorraine receded backward.

‘Why? Why does he block so easily?’

It could have been a bit messy, but he didn’t take even a single extra measure.

Cloud lowered his sword, considering her expression.

“Is it over?”

Cloud asked, and it was just a simple question. However, to Lorraine, it carried a sarcastic undertone, a challenge.

Grinding her teeth, she added strength to the grip that held her sword.

“No way!”

She hurtled toward Cloud again.

* * *

Anyone who has ever been preoccupied with something must have felt the wall.

A wall that stands in your way, a wall that seems like you can never get over it.

Lorraine was feeling it now.

“Aaaaaa!!!”

Out of rage, she slammed her sword on the floor. Furious and vexed, she glared at Cloud.

“What are you? What blasted thing are you!”

Cloud never attacked.

The only one who assumed offence was Lorraine. He only defended.

Still, she felt a sharp sense of defeat.

It was not just a matter of not winning.

She couldn’t imagine the sight of her own sword grazing him. It got worse with each of her attacks, and eventually, she had to admit defeat.

“Tsk… you won’t even answer anymore?”

It was the same defeat, as usual, but this one felt different. After she put in all she had, she was defeated by a crushing blow.

What made her feel more miserable was that this was her last.

She had lost… and for good.

Her head slumped. Cloud came forward.

Lorraine raised her head and stared at him.

She smiled as she watched his slowly approaching face.

‘Even if it’s the last time, he will do something, right?’

Do as you like.

Lorraine didn’t resist and brought her lips to Cloud to kiss. His tongue pressed against her lips and teased her tongue.

‘It’s something I always feel, but he is unnecessarily good at it.’

It must be because he flitted between touching this woman and that.

Feeling awkward for some reason, she did her best not to respond to his kiss. Although it had no effect. Each time his tongue stirred inside her, and each time his hands massaged her body, her mind slowly rendered haywire.

Due to which, she didn’t notice that she was being pushed behind little by little

Also that her armor was being shed off.

By the time she noticed, she had already been pinned to a stone pillar.

The hand that had been stroking her buttocks grabbed her thigh and lifted her leg.