Chapter 18

Episode 18

My wooden sword staggered and swung randomly toward the air and hit his chin.

“KKKKkkhh!”

Naturally, his body was knocked up in the air, shoved away, and rolled on the floor. On the contrary, I had already lost my balance, but I managed to use the sword as a support to avoid falling.

“What happened?”

Silence quickly lurked around because of the hit.

“Ugh?!”

I pointed the disproportionately shaken wooden sword at Baltian, who stood up with a perplexed look on his face, unable to understand the situation.

The foundation for the sword technique I used was to show one’s weak point, and it was about tricking the opponent thoroughly.

“Pfft.”

Unlike him, who was angry, laughter poured out from the audience. He didn’t expect the blow.

“I’ll kill you!!”

Perhaps it was because he got smashed by someone to whom he yielded the lead to.

The guy staring at me with an eerie expression came in quickly, his sword pointed at me.

An old eagle was definitely better than a young crow.

His swordsmanship was definitely sharper than the kids his age, as he participated on behalf of the Voltiz Kingdom. His postures were well established, and his sword’s movements were quite accurate.

However, because of his lack of experience, his actions were too predictable.

That applied not only to Baltian but also to most people.

Whoooong!

With the sword down, I took a step toward him and raised my weapon.

From the axis of the legs to the shoulders and the waist, it seemed almost impossible to restrain him because it was a sloppy posture that was swung without being properly supported.

In an instant, my sword was deflected away from my body by the blade he swung up, and I heard the sound of gasps from all sides.

There was also a worrying cry from Winley, who was surprised.

Even those who were proud of knowing the situation seemed to think that I just accidentally struck Valtian’s sword and that such a coincidence would never happen again.

Well.

Paang!

Seemingly unable to let it slide, he lifted his wooden sword towards me. In retaliation, I straightened my legs and distracted my balance.

“Eek.”

At the same time, my body followed his weapon’s flow of momentum, spinning, collapsing, and avoiding his attack.

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Simultaneously, my sword swung away directionlessly as it dodged his.

I hit his forehead that time.

* * *

“Kkkh!”

The same situation happened again. People were surprised by the jaw-dropping moment.

Baltian was one of the brightest to participate in the upcoming competition, even though he had a bad temper.

On the contrary, I was known as a weak prince who just recovered from a six-year-long coma. I couldn’t have relearned the way of the sword properly.

In fact, the careless attitude I showed would’ve instilled more confidence in his mind.

However, the results were different from their expectations.

Unlike their prediction that I would be defeated, losing the duel in a second, I knocked down Baltian with my sloppy swordsmanship twice.

If it were a real fight, not a duel, he would’ve been killed twice already.

“That stupid trick!”

“Well, I’m winning. Your skill must be worse than I thought.”

Baltian, who jumped up at my words, had his face red full of shame.

Pffftt!

As someone burst into laughter as if they couldn’t hold it in anymore, he got madder, almost as if that added more fuel to the fire.

“That’s terrible.”

“To a beginner who doesn’t know how to swing a sword.”

“Who said Prince Baltian is one of the most skillful competitors?”

What could describe it better than evil swordsmanship?

I was staggering as if I was drunk, avoiding or offsetting the opponent’s attacks and delivering a sudden and unexpected attack.

To be honest, it was quite an efficient sword technique since it frustrated the hell out of the opponent. If it was used in a situation where people were watching, its effect became even greater.

Just like now.

“Well, I’m not sure whether I was lucky or my opponent is weaker than I thought.”

“Damn it!”

Since it was almost a style made for entertainment purposes, I actually gave it the ridiculous name of Entertainment Swordsmanship rather than Drunken Swordsmanship.

Even if it was called the entertainment meta itself, it was no exception.

Of course, it would be meaningless if it was just fun and weak.

Even if it was made for entertainment in the first place, would the swordsmanship created by those swordsmen be weak?

An unexpected result unfolded.

Baltian, embarrassed by the situation, eventually began to summon Mana, emitting sword energy.

“Prince Baltian! I can’t believe you are using your sword energy at someone who’s not a knight in a duel! Are you out of your mind?”

Princess Ileana shouted faster than Barris, who looked just as enraged as her.

However, Baltian ignored her and came at me with spiteful eyes.

“I’ll kill you!”

I took a step back at the very moment he attacked with the sword energy, acting as if I was scared.

“It’s too late to dodge!”

“Brother!”

The moment Barris, who shouted in despair, ran out to protect me....

“If the coincidence persists, I will be suspicious.”

There was a person who seemed to be unable to understand the situation ever since it started.

Eventually, I stopped fooling around, took a step back, and collapsed as if my legs lost strength.

Paang!

At the same time, the weapon containing the sword energy sliced through the air where my head was supposed to be, scattering in the air aimlessly.

What a moron.

“Huh?!”

Right before it hit me, I fell backward and avoided the offensive, and as I did so, I saw his eyes widen.

I murmured, speaking in a hushed voice, having no intention to be heard, making his eyes fill with even more anger.

He soon realized something went wrong and tried to run away.

It was a little too late to go back. There was nothing I could do now except continue executing my Entertainment Swordsmanship technique.

“Ugh!”

My staggering feet tripped his legs, which made him lose his balance and fall toward me.

Thump! Thump!

We got entangled as we rolled over the floor. Those who watched our miserable and unsightly battle were silent as if they were at a loss for words.

Whoooong!

And, by the time the cloud of the moment was over...

Miraculously, I preempted the position of pressing him down from above and reflexively hacked my sword down, hitting the floor inches away from his head.

It looked as if my sword, which I used for nothing but supporting my body, had delivered a clean hit.

“...”

Baltian was on the floor. I sat on him and purposely missed his head.

As the winner of the match was determined by a coincidence, astonishment and cold silence surrounded the banquet hall.

I felt everyone’s eyes on me, surprised by the ridiculous situation.

As I looked up, Baltian, who had rolled on the ground with me, looked up at me with a disbelieving expression.

There were a lot of surprises.

Lightly, casually and slowly, I lifted the sword that struck the space right next to his ear and smiled. Immediately afterward, I heard the sound of him breathing in deeply.

“I think I won.”

‘Pretend you don’t know anything,’

The silence lasted way longer than I thought.