Chapter 268

Episode 268: If it exists (6)

“Win!”



“I’m next!”

“No, I...!”

How did it happen like this?

In the clearing in front of Sir Walter’s house, I fiddled with the hilt of my sword, having achieved another victory. Sir Walter mentioned here is, of course, the name of the knight who invited me.

“Valentin would be better.”

“yes.”

“Can you do more?”

“...I think it’ll be okay.”

Although I had defeated three knight candidates earlier... my HP itself did not wear down much. The attack itself was never allowed, and swords collided, and this was possible because the amount of recoil – which was less damage than getting hit on the back – was somehow covered by natural recovery.

I shrugged my shoulders as I watched the numbers drop by the second and then build up again with natural recovery.

“good. Then keep going. “Valentin’s seat.”

“yes!”

For your information, there is nothing special about why things happened like this.

I was semi-forced to accept the invitation—I had no inclination to refuse—there were seven knight candidates who had previously lodged in the house I was invited to—I wondered if this was the support the store owner had mentioned—and Sir Walter suggested that I participate in the pre-ceremony sparring. ─It seemed like it was meant to be a test of skills─.

“We will compete in the name of God.”

Of course, if I had known that the pre-dinner sparring would last this long, I would have refused. no. Did you really refuse?

“start!”

I watched my opponent rush at me at the top and focused on his movements.

The upper position, which I thought was only possible for a downward strike, came back to a position where I could slash my thighs or waist with just a few things, such as bending my knees and lowering my wrists by changing the angle of my waist.

visor!

What was able to stop that was purely physical. It’s not that I had any skill or skill to deal with that, it was just that I was able to do it because I was stronger and my reflexes were faster.

However, those who learned it properly were different even if they had something different.

The moment the sword was blocked, instead of engaging in a power struggle with it, the opponent twisted his wrist to the opposite side and rotated the sword. The blade, which had spun around, lifted up to cut me from the other side.

Cough!

But this is something I’ve experienced before from three people.

I blocked that too for now. widely. As if he had even expected this, the other person’s hand wrapped around the tip of his blade – Foible.

Half-swording. The opponent’s sword tilted as if pivoting on the part that was in contact with my sword, and the crossguard and grip part, not the blade, began to approach me.

If I don’t do anything like this, the end of that crossguard will pierce my neck.

Pow!

However, do you need to be so devastated to use it?

I forcefully hit the other person’s arm upward. Because they were from the Shagi tribe, they were bigger, but I was stronger. Just as I learned from them, my sword, including half-swording, brought the tip of the blade to the opponent’s uvula.

Then the other person also urgently twisted his waist and neck and moved his arms.

As I raised the sword, the sword that floated upwards spun, and the rotated forte struck my blade to the side. Gang. A metallic sound tore through the air.

The hem of my rather loose tunic swayed and my body fell backwards. Whick! The opponent lowered himself where I was and cut him, then raised the blade again.

Top tax again. It is very different from me, who is stepping back and lowering the sword while holding it with one hand.

Cough!

But when we ran into each other again, things went in a slightly different direction than before. This is because I swung my sword differently because I thought there was no need to suffer again what had already happened, or because I wanted to see more ways to deal with it.

The moment my sword made contact with the opponent’s sword, before the opponent could even move, I turned like a figure 8, struck the sword away, and stabbed straight into his upper body.

Suddenly!

Then a strangely curved sword aimed at my head. My sword seemed to twist its body to avoid it, but thanks to that, I had no choice.

I hastily drew the sword that was pointed inward to stab.

The right hand holding the hilt of the sword was placed on my left shoulder and next to my head, and while the right hand came there, the hand that moved forward supported the sword as if sweeping the lower part of the blade.

My sword, which became an obstacle, bounced off the opponent’s sword.

Of course, if you just stay like this, he will change his stance and attack again.

But is there a need to see it as is? My sword stretched forward, aiming for the moment when the opponent’s sword bounced away. The strength to overcome all inertia helped the sword leap forward.

A simple, ignorant, but even more threatening sword path was developed.

“stop!”

At that moment, Sir Walter shouted. My blade retreated, stopping just short of the opponent’s neck and a piece of paper.

“It was a good sparring.”

“Me too...”

Sir Walter glanced at me and was silent for a moment.

“I’m asking just in case. “Are you left-handed?”

What followed was an unexpected question.

“...I am ambidextrous, almost right-handed.”

“okay? But why is the sword-wielding form strangely awkward...”

Wow, this caught me? As soon as I heard Lord Walter muttering, a chill ran down my spine. Aside from the fact that I am ambidextrous, close to being right-handed, I have only swung a sword with my left hand so far, so my right hand is relatively awkward.

“Oh and one more thing. Do you have any practical experience?”

“Yeah...what.”

“I guess it was more about hunting animals and demons rather than people, right?”

In addition, even the main enemies I had been dealing with were discovered. I opened my eyes and acknowledged this fact with the feelings of someone who had been cut.

I wanted to create an image that was as far removed from the fight as possible... but what’s the point of hiding it when it’s already been discovered? It was an acceptance that came from that judgment.

It was a bit... scary though.

“also.”

Meanwhile, Sir Walter’s head was moving up and down.

“I won’t ask how you caught those things with a body like that. “Well, it’s just that I can’t use magical power, but looking at what you’re doing, it seems like you can do it.”

The good news is that Sir Walter doesn’t have many doubts about me. I secretly expressed my immense gratitude for his understanding.

“However, as I said before, you are somewhat lacking in technical skills.”

“yes.”

“But it’s not your fault. “It’s not that I didn’t receive an education, but the direction I took when I studied on my own went in a different direction.”

“...directional?”

“So, to put it simply, it’s like this.”

Meanwhile, while I was thinking about this, Sir Walter pointed his finger at the knight candidates.

“Our swordsmanship is based on the assumption of humanoid enemies.”

And as the words continued, the finger pointed towards me.

“This is a sword that assumes an enemy bigger than you, and that is not a humanoid enemy.”

I understood it right away.

“This is why the movements are all big and lack technique.”

Well, in all the battles I’ve fought so far, there haven’t been many humanoid enemies. Even the humanoids that pop out usually end with one shot, one kill, and have never reached a battle of skill.

In that respect, it may be natural for such an evaluation to occur. I took his comment literally.

“If so, what should I do now?”

Accepting one thing and finding improvements are two different things. Sir Walter stroked his mustache in response to my question.

“To be honest... I would like to ask you to at least learn how to use a sword under me for a few years.”

“...is that such a problem?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. The reason I’m asking you to learn is because I’m just wasting your talent. “I’m not saying there’s a problem with the sword right now.”

“Is that so?”

“of course. What is the use of discussing technology when the enemy assumed in the first place is different? If the enemy is huge, prowess is meaningless. “It’s a matter of whether you can cut leather or not.”

“Then...”

“Of course, there’s no harm in learning these little skills. In life, you often end up fighting people rather than demons. Well, if you’re physically strong, most of your skills will be meaningless unless you’re fighting a knight.”

Sir Walter once again coveted my talent, saying that if I hit it with strength and reflexes, most people would die physically. If I hadn’t been accused of not being able to use magic – which is actually not an excuse – I might have dragged him to school right away.

“But since you are staying at my house, in the meantime, learn some interpersonal skills.”

However, I was in a position where I couldn’t do that, and he knew that, so he offered this kind of compromise. It wasn’t a bad thing at all for me. I’m a bit concerned about the penalty due to the camouflage skill, but whatever. Because I’ll be able to endure it somehow.

“yes.”

I stood up, gratefully accepting Sir Walter’s offer. Now that all the evaluations were over, I decided that I might as well go in for dinner.

“Have you ever really caught a devil?”

“It seems like you caught a really large beast or demon, not a skeleton or a ghoul... Is that true?”

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me the story of that time...”

However, my expectations were a little different. Meal time was meal time, but it was a time for discussion and exchange disguised as a meal.

“Hold this. “The apple pie my wife made is truly exquisite.”

“How can I grow so tall? No matter how much I eat, I can’t grow taller....”

“What do you do for exercise? I thought I should do more strength training....”

Between the middle-aged favor for no reason and the chattering green hair and passionate red hair, I have a subtle feeling. I felt longing.

There were a lot of people, but strangely I felt alone.