129. jbbdaejeon
Life is often likened to a marathon.
Unfortunately, in our lives, we rarely run on an organized course like a marathon.
There are times when you have to walk on rough mountain trails, times when you have to run along the water’s edge, and times when you have to wade through sticky mud.
And like a marathon, the course is not unconditionally set.
Even if we run on one road, our lives continue to appear at crossroads.
The biggest crossroads among them is the turning point in life.
For people, at least one turning point in their life comes to them. It will be different depending on the individual, but it will come in the name of fate, miracle or tragedy and stand in front of it.
At what age can you take responsibility for the choices that will change your future life?
To take myself as an example, being expelled at the age of 18 and going to the forest of the Demon World is probably the biggest turning point.
From my own experience, 18 years old was still too young to take responsibility for my future self.
“Whoa.”
But can we set the time arbitrarily?
Here, Tana Christa, a girl like me who had a turning point in her life at the age of 18, took a deep breath and gripped her wooden sword firmly.
“you can do it.”
There was a tremor in her voice as she repeated it to herself, but she repeated it over and over again, as if reciting a prayer to God.
“it’s okay.”
Fortunately for Tana, it was the fact that she had a companion with her. And not just one, but two.
“Yes, you have already beaten the twins dozens of times. don’t worry.”
Eve and Tana nod together at my words. Rin, who was standing next to him, didn’t understand and gave a puzzled expression, but this part was like a code that only the three of us could figure out.
“Then let’s start sparring. Please prepare both sides.”
Today, the royal servant who served as the witness of Dalian declares in a coercive voice.
I thought that Bertia would come because it was Elise’s handmaid, but it seems that she couldn’t come because she was well known in the academy.
“Bye.”
Gently push the backs of the two.
The twins standing on the opposite side showed a sense of composure from their expressions, but the eyes of their younger sister, Bathory Meias, were filled with fear.
‘Yes, you are too young to decide your future.’
If Tana wins here, Bathory Meias will be taken as Elise’s maid. 17 years old, one year younger than us.
It’s unfortunate, but in the end someone has to go.
*
“We will start sparring by mutual consent.”
A person who, regardless of who it is, just wants to finish quickly. Of course, it was the twins who moved first at the same time as the starting sign.
Because they didn’t have to waste time.
‘It ends at once.’
Ben and Bathory didn’t even have to talk. They are twins who have supported each other for 17 years. We fought a lot, but we relied on each other that much.
Like a pre-arranged dance, the two of them could clearly see each other’s movements in their heads.
vice versa if so.
Tana and Eve haven’t been friends for a year. In terms of time and teamwork, it was an overwhelming defeat.
It is not for nothing that blood is thicker than water.
However, the one holding the two back firmly was the man who attacked the only forest said to be inhabited by demons on this continent.
Attacking the forest was not simply a matter of defeating the beast and surviving.
In the first place, in order to hunt witches, it was necessary to closely analyze the opponent’s movements, habits, preferences, favorite places, disliked smells, and routines.
Because the boy was not a strong man who reached the highest level from the beginning. In order to grow step by step, I needed an effort to the extent that I felt like my brain and eyeballs were falling out.
Even before she simply clashed with the beast and wielded her sword, the Sherpa had already started fighting with her head and eyes.
Compared to the berserker-like monsters living there, the twins from the prestigious aristocratic family were literally at the level of roasting beans.
right!
puck!
Two sounds intersect.
One was the sound of the wooden sword wielded by Ben Meias colliding with Tana’s wooden sword.
Another was that Eve’s sword accurately hit Ben’s stomach.
‘It worked!’
Tana, who made eye contact with Eve, bowed down and passed Ben, who was crouching and drooling, and once again met the sword with Bathory, who was aiming for Eve.
– The twins are looking down on you. So, of course, when Dalian starts, they will run right away. The first thing you should aim for here is Ben Mayas. Probably because he’s a man, he runs faster than Bathory, so there will be a moment when he jumps out by himself for a while.
– That’s what we’re aiming for. They both face Ben at the same time.
Daniel’s voice seemed to ring in the ears of the two girls.
The current situation with a wooden sword is very awkward.
Tana and Eve. They were much more talented in magic, writing, and thinking than directly fighting.
So Daniel twisted his gaze a little differently.
There is no need to deliberately bring these children to Dalian.
It was easy if I replaced Dalian as the specialty of those children.
– Bathory knows how to use defensive swordsmanship effectively. Don’t hold on for as long as possible. Keep in mind, you have to keep creating situations where the two are dealing with the same person. so you win
Tana, who was facing Bathory, stepped back before Ben regained consciousness and stood next to Eve.
Ben, who was hit hard from the start, let out a bitter moan and looked at the two of them.
“Is it fun?”
Fierce hostility and excitement engraved on the corners of his eyes.
If I was excited and rushed back alone, it would have flowed in the most advantageous way, but this is not a 1:1 match.
“Ben, calm down. If we stay calm, we will win unconditionally.”
“……after. Yes, I’m sorry.”
He immediately acknowledged and bowed his head as if he was watching a well-trained beast.
Ben, who was about to hit, made eye contact with his sister, took a deep breath, and prepared himself.
Eve and Daniel are helping Tana from being dragged into the royal family as a maid.
Unfortunately, it was the same on the other side.
For his sister’s sake, Ben Meias chilled his rising rage.
Didn’t he promise from a young age that he would become a swordsman of Yi Geuk who would support the Meias family together?
“It doesn’t flow easily.”
“I mean.”
Eve biting her lip and Tana wiping away the cold sweat.
Although they were twins a year younger than themselves, as the two began to approach each other in stride, a pressure that was incomparable to the first rush came over them.
The twins came right in front of me after hitting it once again. Ben tried to hit Tana right away, but Eve got in the way.
Bathory was played by Tana.
“A 1:1 situation? I can handle it!”
Since they were twins who were far ahead in their individual skills, a rather welcoming battle structure was created.
“Ahh……”
“If only.”
I could hear the sighs of the audience, Hayoon and Sen, but Daniel’s nerves were directed exclusively to Eve.
Even though they can look at each other with a slight glance, Eve was looking at Ben Meias without losing even a moment of concentration.
– If you come in with your sword high, step back. Instead of going deep, the stride length is short.
Ben’s wooden sword, which had been raised high, cut through the air. Eve had already pulled her body back.
– A horizontal cut starting from the waist is used to close the distance. It’s okay, so hold the sword firmly with both hands and hit it. You have to hit forward to make the RBI misaligned.
f*ck!
Once again, a clear-sounding bickering spreads throughout the arena. Ben’s sword wasn’t swinging properly because of Eve, who jumped right in front of him.
Of course, despite that, Eve’s hand was tingling.
“Profit!”
– If you take a step back, it’s a raise. I’m lowering my body and lowering my sword in advance. It is enough to block the level of uplift that is not properly applied.
“Where are the tricks!”
– You can’t block it once the chain attack starts. You can think of it as unconditional. But if you do what I said, his skills won’t carry over.
“Are you underestimating Meias!”
In the end, Ben decided to abandon Meias’ well-organized swordsmanship and push forward with his own physical ability.
I tried to subdue it with strength and speed, and this was an unexpected question that Daniel couldn’t give an answer to.
– What if I get excited and swing my sword randomly? are you okay.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t defenseless at all.
– I have been able to stop the reckless swordsmanship of a 17-year-old child without proper posture while following with my eyes. You haven’t been doing morning exercise for nothing, have you?
‘can do.’
can stop
It’s not like the sword will increase to two or three anyway.
The concentration cultivated through reading was directed towards Ben Meias’s wooden sword, and although her hands were throbbing, she had never been hit properly.
“Huh! Whoops!”
Finally, Ben takes a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
When he decided that he could not win with a sword driven by emotion, he took up his stance again.
“I didn’t know that one of my family’s secrets would be used in Dalian like this.”
The wind blows.
Although the windows and doors of the arena were open, the source of the wind was not that natural.
The little boy who had put both of his legs heavily into the arena was now becoming the center of this place.
– Oh? can’t stop I’ve seen you practice once, but you can’t stop it, you can’t avoid it. The downside is that it takes some time.
Daniel’s voice echoes in Eve’s head. For the first time during the sparring, she rolled her eyes to see Daniel’s expression.
He smiled and gave a thumbs up.
– So, make them use the five clothes unconditionally.
Eve immediately raises her wooden sword and throws it at Ben, who is still standing. Baffled by the flying sword spinning happily, Ben hurriedly turned his sword to block it.
“Are you giving up?”
Usually throwing a sword during sparring was like a sign of surrender.
– Remember.
Far from giving up, Eve’s feet were moving faster than ever. It’s not Ben who can’t move recklessly because the other person is preparing for a ritual.
Towards Bathory, who is overpowering Tana.
– Creating a situation of numerical superiority is the only way we can win.