64 – Marquis Freya 6
“That’s how it happened,” I explained to Johann how I ended up having a duel with Ascal.
But for some reason, Johann’s expression still remained dark.
“…So what’s the deal with the mask?”
“Are you trying to see my face here?”
“Do you really want to see my face that badly?”
“Ah…”
I recalled the conversation I had just had with Ascal a while ago.
It was a conversation before Johann appeared, but it seems like he overheard it.
“Of course, it was just a joke. I don’t really lose anything even if I lose the duel.”
“…Don’t play such jokes again in the future.”
Even though I called it a joke, Johann’s expression still remained dark.
“To be honest, even if I were to really take off the mask, it wouldn’t be a big deal. At most, Lady Ascal might develop feelings for me, that’s all.”
I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but there was no reaction at all. Instead, it became even colder.
“……………”
Johanna grabbed my arm tightly without saying a word. I felt pain in my arm from the force of her grip.
“Senior?”
Without releasing my arm, Johanna took a step closer.
With just one person moving their head slightly, a collision seemed inevitable.
It was the first time I saw Johanna’s face up close like this.
Even at such a close distance, not a single blemish could be seen on her fair skin.
While Johanna’s expression was cold, strangely, her breath was rough.
Johanna’s hand, which had been holding me tightly, loosened its grip.
“Phew……….!”
Relieved that she finally let go, I held my breath.
It was because Johanna’s hand had traveled up my arm.
From the arm to the shoulder, chest, neck. And even the face.
Johanna’s hand slowly but surely painted a picture on my body.
“Senior???”
Ignoring my words, Johanna moved her hand. Frowning because she couldn’t touch my face due to the mask, she redirected her hand to my neck.
“Senior, didn’t you eat?”
“……………..”
Ignoring my words, Johanna traced the back of my neck.
As if leaving a mark of possession on her belongings, she continued to touch and explore without stopping.
“If you come back to the academy, would you like to have dinner with me? I know a great place!”
Upon hearing my words, Johann’s hand paused.
“Just the two of us?”
And the hand that had been fidgeting stopped.
But the tension in the air had not dissipated.
“Yes, just the two of us.”
Honestly, there was no one else to call.
I couldn’t call Erika either.
“If there’s someone else you want to call…”
“There isn’t.”
Johann cut me off and spoke firmly.
Then he asked about the place to have dinner.
When exactly we would go. What kind of place it was. If anyone else had been there, and if it had good soundproofing. He asked various questions.
“But why are you asking about soundproofing?”
As Johann’s expression turned cold, the corners of his mouth slowly rose as the conversation progressed.
“Um… there are other people here too, but how about we have some intimate moments when it’s just the two of us?”
Startled, Johann finally removed his hand from my neck.
Then, with his head lowered, he muttered to himself.
“…when it’s just the two of us… intimate moments…”
He was close, but his words were too faint for me to hear.
“Senior, then I’ll go spar with Lady Ascal now.”
As I walked towards Ascal, I glanced at where Duke Freya and the Duchess were.
Then, I turned my gaze away.
I never saw Duke Freya draw his sword and look at me, nor did I see the Duchess beside him trying to stop him.
“Lady, huh? Disappointing. You were so friendly earlier, calling me ‘sis.'”
Ascal looked at me, lifting the corner of his mouth.
I felt a chilly aura from behind, but I didn’t turn around.
“Someone might misunderstand if they hear.”
“Misunderstand… that aside, by any chance, if you don’t have a sword right now, should I lend you one?”
Not understanding Ascal’s words, I checked my hand.
In my hand was a swordstick that looked like a staff.
‘No way?’
‘He’s dressed strangely, just as I heard.’
“I heard you eat wearing a mask?
Of course, at first glance, it’s natural not to think of this as a sword.
But if you’ve heard about me, you should naturally know.
If you don’t know about this swordstick, there’s a possibility you don’t know about unique magic either.
Even though I became famous for defeating Lofri in a duel and making him a beggar last time, for some reason, stories about unique magic didn’t spread widely.
“Roki?”
“I’d appreciate it if you lend me a sword. I came in a hurry and left it at the dormitory.”
“Indeed, it’s even stranger to come wielding a sword when you’re suddenly invited. Well, I’ll go get mine for a moment then.”
“Well, I’ll leave this staff here for now. It’s the cane I used when I hurt my leg before, but it feels empty without it, so I always carry it around.”
Approaching Johanna, I spoke as if Ascal could see us.
“Roki?”
Johanna called me as if she didn’t understand the current situation.
Since Johanna knows this is a sword, she probably doesn’t understand why I’m asking for a sword.
“Hush.”
After putting my index finger to my lips, I spoke to Johanna.
“Well, then, Senior Johanna. Can you take care of this ‘staff’ until the sparring is over?”
I handed the swordstick to Johanna.
“…..Yeah.”
Johanna took the swordstick I handed her and flinched.
Well, it’s a fake made with illusions.
The real one is in the spatial gap right now.
If Ascal knows about my ability in advance, the chances of losing are high.
But what if he doesn’t know about me?
Even if he’s an Imperial Knight, I was confident I could win.
I just abandoned the plan I made a moment ago and came up with a new one.
“Well, I brought a good one.”
I received a sword from Ascal.
The sword in the duke’s possession must have been special; even a casual glance made it look impressive.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
Ascal pulled out a silver coin from his pocket and tossed it high into the air.
No words were exchanged, but it was understood. When that silver coin hit the ground, the duel would begin.
Ascal and I both assumed our stances.
The coin fell to the floor.
Both of us surged towards each other.
Clang!!!
The swords clashed.
* * *
Ten minutes had passed since the duel began.
Swoosh. Whack.
Loki continued to swing his sword at Ascal, but Ascal either dodged or blocked with his own sword.
After avoiding Loki’s swing, Ascal immediately swung his sword back at Loki, but Loki skillfully used shadow steps to evade.
“An unusual movement.”
Ascal widened the distance and stared at Loki.
Loki’s swordsmanship wasn’t particularly exceptional.
But the reason the match hadn’t concluded even after a considerable amount of time was that peculiar movement.
“Tsk.”
Even just now, the sword should have reached Loki, but for some reason, it didn’t.
It was enough to stress out the examiner.
But if he had trembled just from stress, Ascal wouldn’t have become an imperial knight.
As Loki prepared to attack again,
Ascal, with his lower body reinforced with mana, surged forward like an explosion, charging at Loki.
Clang! Clang! Swish! Fwish!
As if not allowing Loki any time to use shadow step, Ascal continued to swing his sword without stopping.
Clang! Clang!
Loki, barely blocking the fierce attack, seized the opportunity to escape using shadow step.
Fwish!
But Ascal immediately followed and swung his sword.
He didn’t move after seeing where Loki went. He predicted where he would move.
He couldn’t read the process of movement, but he read the result and responded.
This is Ascal’s solution to shadow step.
Loki rolled on the ground to avoid Ascal’s attack.
“He’s really darn strong.”
Endurance and mana to continue strong attacks.
The ability to cope with unfamiliar movements and experience gained from practical combat.
From Noble mtl dot com
Ascal Freya was definitely strong.
But not to the point of being unable to hold on.
◈
Clang!
Once again, the swords clashed.
“If you keep running, you can’t defeat me. Surely, that’s not all you’ve got?”
Ascal held the sword with such proficiency that one couldn’t imagine him as the same person before the duel, dead serious.
Empowering his body with mana, Ascal continued to wield the sword relentlessly, yet he showed no signs of fatigue.
Though it seemed like Ascal would lose if it continued like this, he had no intention of letting it continue.
“No way, that’s not going to happen. It starts now.”
As if challenging Ascal, Loki reinforced his sword with mana, almost daring him.
And then, he took a stance as if he would spring forward any moment.
“Planning to unleash an all-out strike?”
Ascal positioned himself as if he was ready to receive that strike.
Crash!
A sound like the bursting of air filled the space as Loki surged toward Ascal.
“Have you been hiding your strength until now?”
Ascal gazed at Loki rushing in at a speed incomparable to before.
He was surprised by the speed, but not to the extent of being unable to react.
Ascal, too, swung his sword from above towards the charging Loki.
Just before their swords clashed,
Loki withdrew his hand from the sword.
“I don’t fancy grandiose strikes that claim to contain everything.”
The blade of Ascal sliced through the air, aiming for Loki’s discarded sword. As Ascal’s sword swung down, a gap naturally formed in Ascal’s defense. However, even then, Ascal quickly assessed the situation.
“Loki’s sword is already shattered.”
With his mana-enhanced fist, he could withstand the blow.
Thud!
But then, a sound of fingers flicking through the air echoed, and Loki’s hand revealed the staff he had been holding earlier. Only when seen up close could one realize that the staff was actually a sword, with a sharp blade-like tip.
Loki wielded the sword-staff towards Ascal’s defenseless body, but Ascal swiftly kicked the ground, avoiding the blade.
Having averted the crisis, Ascal quickly glanced at Johanna. The staff that Johanna had been holding, which belonged to Loki, had disappeared from her hand.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
At that moment, the sound of fingers flicking through the air reverberated. Ascal looked at Loki. Every time the fingers flicked, a dagger appeared in Loki’s hand.
“Lady Ascal, what do you think of my ability?”
Loki, holding multiple daggers in one hand, inquired of Ascal.