98 – 98: Dakia’s Sword (2)
The training continued.
The agreed upon time was gradually approaching.
Now, just 12 hours left until the duel.
Desperately nurturing even the magic herb he didn’t usually grow well, he pulled an all-nighter, exhausting himself.
Finally.
A significant change occurred.
“Damn. My wrist dislocated.”
Of course, it’s not a positive change.
My wrist bone keeps popping out, hanging loose.
This is now the third time.
Even if I force it back in, it pops out again after a few swings of the sword.
The discomfort isn’t just in my wrist.
My whole body screams in pain.
With Mijeong by my side, activated as my guardian knight, I can move non-stop for a week day and night.
But the endurance of the body can’t catch up with the stamina.
So, have I reached any enlightenment while my body has been in this shape?
“What the hell is this…”
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I spent two straight days pondering over the concept of ‘expanding the range of attack.’
I dedicated all my senses to feeling the tip of the sword, for detecting the slightest change.
But in the end, I gained nothing.
My sword still cuts the air, creating aimless gusts.
There’s no way I can mimic that sharp, powerful gust created by Transylvania’s blade.
‘Something seems to have slightly changed, though.’
Swinging my sword for two days, a minute change occurred in my swordsmanship.
The stances, the swing form, they all seem to have changed minutely, very very minutely.
Given how much my body has been trashed, it would be weird if nothing changed at all.
But it’s such an insignificant change.
There’s no sudden unusual sensation extending out of my sword strikes.
No sudden enlightenment as if in a martial arts novel.
“Damn, my wrist won’t go in.”
Twisting my wrist joint, forcing it back in.
I furtively glance at a corner of the warehouse.
As expected, Transylvania is still sitting there, quietly watching me.
Just as she sat on the first day.
Like a statue, no change.
Just sitting still, doing nothing.
She could be making remarks as I swing my sword.
She could be pointing out the parts I’ve done well.
Even when I question her, she evades answering subtly.
If I try to interpret her intentions, it’s merely to keep me under pressure to continue.
She just keeps saying she won’t interfere, I should do it on my own…
It’s suffocating.
Shouldn’t she at least define a direction?
Is this what a teacher is like?
I’ll see what I can learn from Transylvania again.
“…Hand. Give it to me.”
“Ouch.”
Mijung walks briskly, grabs my wrist, and twists it around.
I thought this girl was determined to wreck my hand.
A moment later, it begins to rotate properly with a comfortable feeling.
“…Hmmm.”
Is it because she’s a corpse monster?
She seems to be an expert when it comes to adjusting bones.
Mijung sniffs like she’s asking for praise and lifts her head.
I gently pet her head, looking back at Transylvania.
Predictably.
She will probably tell me to take a break and keep going.
As she has been for the past two days.
“Take a rest now.”
“What?”
“You have less than 12 hours left until the duel. You should get some sleep and recover your body before diving into the duel, shouldn’t you?”
“You haven’t mastered Oui yet.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it.”
This is ridiculous.
From my viewpoint, the outcome of a duel is not the least important.
Even if my body is battered and bruised, I wouldn’t mind as long as I could stay here, squeezing every bit of benefit out of these three days while training in Oui.
But to squander that precious three-day span and then tell me to just sleep for the remaining twelve hours?
I’m starting to get angry.
“Come on. You haven’t eaten or slept in three days. You’re not in shape to fight, let alone having not mastered Oui.”
“I don’t need it. Even without Oui, I can defeat the high-ranking Elf warriors with ease.”
It’s not a bluff, it’s sincere.
This duel is not a matter of hand to hand combat, but each other’s power colliding.
In other words, the use of magic is permitted.
So I can use Yeomdong, a skill tremendously rare, in the duel.
Although the power of Yeomdong can’t necessarily kill the opponent, it can incapacitate them temporarily.
In a split second, sword fight, the effect of Yeomdong is enormous.
It’s a game I can’t lose.
If only Transylvania would teach me seriously in the remaining twelve hours.
“Go to sleep.”
“I’m not sleeping until you teach me properly. It’s not fair. If I didn’t understand after you taught me sincerely, I would accept it, but you! You’re sitting there in silence. How am I supposed to-“
“Ugh. Mijung, put him to sleep.”
“Alright.”
“Hey, what are you guys…?”
Thump.
Then I felt a touch thump on my back.
Suddenly, my vision blurred, and my strength ebbed.
“Hey…”
I felt a small piece of paper on my back.
It must be an amulet.
Some kind of sleep spell.
“Rest and awaken anew. You’re already exhausted. You’ll only understand the meaning of the divine with a healthy body and mind.”
“You little bastard…”
That’s all I could say.
I couldn’t resist the onslaught of drowsiness and had to close my eyes.
…
…
…
Yujin, lying on the ground, sleeping like a corpse.
As Tranxylphia looked down at him, she felt a delusion as if her already stopped heart was pounding hard.
“We were so close…”
For three days in a row, Tranxylphia felt like she was suffocating.
Every time she looked at Yujin’s sword, it seemed as if it was alive, just like Dakiya’s sword.
As time passed, its precision grew to a chilling extent.
So, she couldn’t say a word about Yujin’s sword.
Concerned that a single word could have a massive impact.
Afraid that my clumsy words, only good for forging counterfeits, would interfere with Yujin’s reproduction of the original.
So all she could do was watch, with fear.
However, rather than Yujin’s sword reaching the divine that Dakiya couldn’t complete.
His body reached its limit first.
Hence, she had no choice but to forcibly stop Yujin against her will.
“I can’t let this precious body suffer.”
Tranxylphia chuckled and gently rubbed Yujin’s cheek.
The swordsmanship that was lost long ago.
Yujin had revived Dakia’s sword, which she believed she wouldn’t see again.
That alone was an accomplishment hard to believe.
This fellow seemed oblivious to it.
“…Stop, touching. Yujin is. Mine.”
“Fine. Just fine. Give him a massage while he sleeps. Relieve the muscles that’ve been tortured these last three days.”
Mijeong blocked Yujin before him and growled.
Tranxylphia let out a long sigh, got up, and turned her back.
‘The outcome will be decided in this duel.’
It’s Yujin who has replicated Dakia’s sword.
Could it not also be Yujin who crafts the Aurora that Dakia could not complete before her death?
The result had seemed likely to emerge in the duel against the elf with rage disorder.
***
“There is no audience. The number of participants is restricted to one each from both sides. One may discuss the outcome of the duel but not the contents of the duel? Ha!”
In the underground world tree.
The common area that had half of its wall collapsed and turned into ruins.
From the place once used as the eye of the world tree, Rex lets out a hollow laugh.
What is a duel?
While it is meant for the participants to wash off their insult and achieve their requests.
The entertaining attribute for the audience could not be denied either.
Yet, without a single audience member, and not even the participants can talk about the duel.
He wondered, what kind of duel is this?
Initially, he thought there was some trick to the duel.
However, upon hearing that the referee is the world tree’s divine maiden, such thoughts vanished.
In fact, has not the divine maiden of the world tree arrived at the scene beforehand?
One couldn’t possibly cheat in front of the divine maiden.
The maiden won’t make an unfair judgement either.
However, this made him wonder even more.
Why would they ask for such conditions in the first place?
Why, indeed, in a situation where one cannot employ foul play?
“Ah, he doesn’t want to be embarrassed.”
From his deep contemplation, this was the conclusion he arrived at.
He didn’t want the specifics of how he miserably lost in the duel to be known.
That’s why the number of spectators was limited.
And why discussions regarding the duel’s content were forbidden.
Now he understood the mentality of that being.
He already seemed quite hateful.
Feeling all the more insignificant, Rex laughed despondently.
Over the past three days, he had been training nonstop, thinking that he should at least prepare.
But it seemed like even that wasn’t necessary.
“High warrior Rex.”
“Yes, priestess. Please, speak.”
“Would you please, consider forfeiting this duel?”
“······?”
The moment he bowed his head to the priestess’ call,
An unexpected request was spilling from her lips.
Rex momentarily doubted his hearing and lifted his head slightly to inspect the priestess’ expression.
From Noble mtl dot com
She was serious.
She was genuinely pleading for him to forfeit this duel.
“I understand that it’s a difficult request. You, High Warrior Rex, are the one who initially proposed this duel, and the one who accepted it wasn’t the defendant but his representative. I know very well that backing out here would strike a severe blow to your honor. Despite this, I am still asking. Please, would you consider forfeiting this duel? If you do, I promise to provide some advantages in your dealings as a priestess.”
“······.”
And the priestess understood very well what forfeiting a duel meant.
Despite knowing fully well, she was asking Rex to become an idiot and a fool.
Would the compensation he was being offered – a slight increase in the possibility of promotion, just be enough to plummet his reputation in an instant?
Especially when it was only a verbal promise without any specific warrant.
Rex had to strive to hide his discomfort, grinding his tongue in humiliation.
“May I ask why you value that man’s life so greatly?”
“No, it’s not that I value the life of Thousand Heavenly Michael Jackson so much.”
“Then what is it?”
“I apologize. As a judge, I cannot disclose the reason as it might compromise the fairness of the duel.”
It is no ‘no.’
It was entirely clear that she was extremely afraid of the human’s death.
Rex bowed his head deeply and opened his mouth again.
“I apologize, Priestess. Unfortunately, I cannot forfeit this duel. I cannot sacrifice my revenge, that I have devoted my life to, and bring everything I’ve built into ruin.”
“I see······.”
The Priestess let out a deep sigh.
Rex unfolded his knees and stood up again.
Meanwhile, I could not hear the priestess mutter, “Still, it seems better to lose honor than life…”
There is just one more thing I would like to ask you, priestess.”
“Yes.”
“About 50 years ago, when Transilvia attacked Elvengard, killed my brothers, and fled. Was there some kind of agreement between you, the priestess, and Transilvia then?”
“……..”
I’ve always been curious.
Having seen the priestess simply let go of the murderer, I assumed there must have been some sort of deal.
But this was merely conjecture, I didn’t really know the details of the incident.
Nevertheless, my conjecture was so compelling that I believed it without a doubt for 50 years.
But then, when I met that human, a faint doubt surfaced.
Because he showed a reaction as if he felt a great discomfort about offending the witch.
“I am sorry. I cannot tell you as it is confidential.”
Even to me, a high-ranking warrior?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Highly confidential information, even for a high-ranked warrior.
Rex scoffed in disbelief.
“But why is the opponent so late…”
There were less than three minutes left until the start of the duel.
It was a basic courtesy to arrive at least 10 minutes earlier, no matter what.
His lifespan, too, was short like a child, and so was his manners?
With a sigh, Rex clenched his jaw.
If he fails to arrive by the start of the duel, it is his forfeiture.
Did he run away to avoid further humiliation in front of spectators and the judge?
Was there not an ounce of pride?
Then, what was the vital energy that I saw for a moment back then…?
“I’m sorry.”
“……?”
A sudden voice came from the tunnel.
Thump, thump. The heavy footsteps resonated.
A silhouette started to become visible in the dark tunnel.
At the sound of the footsteps, Rex, for some reason, hesitated.
An unintelligible sense of pressure enveloped his body.
Just three days ago, he was a trivial thief.
But in just three days, his demeanor had changed.
“I’m late because I was sleeping.”
He cannot be underestimated.
Swallowing hard,
Rex just realized that fact for the first time.
is this only me or our mc have some ability that awakens girls possessiveness?