50: Knights vs. Adventurers 2
Pathetic. That was all I could say.
He must have been deeply offended, because the battle of the direct subordinate soldier named Iji was now a full-fledged battlefield.
His blows, which seemed almost violent, were sharp and backed by solid training, and the sound when Mash received them was deafening.
Mash, who had received the blow, was Mash, but Izzy, who had swung such a blow without hesitation, was also Izzy. I wondered if he really had no intention of killing him, as the intensity of his spirit was so strong that it reached me.
In the middle of the battle, I glanced at Eldred only once, but his gaze seemed to say, “What are you doing? Kill him quickly.”
The battle continued for a while, but the development was almost one-sided.
When Mash attacked, he was either deflected or dodged, and when Izzy counterattacked, Mash took the direct hit head-on. Mash, who had been fighting bravely at first, gradually became defensive, and in the end, he lost consciousness at the moment his sword was knocked away by Izzy’s fist.
And Izzy, who had defeated him, looked at Mash with eyes that seemed to say he would cut him down if he got up, and after confirming that he was not moving, he bowed to the Crown Prince (me) and stepped back.
…Hmm? Mash is the vice-captain (sub-master) of a mercenary group that specializes in combat. And I can see that he’s not weak. After all, he’s withstood several attacks from the ‘Claywood’ golem.
Is this it? I was filled with a sense of foreboding that the three remaining people would be in danger. Even though the battle between the demon beast and the humans was different, this was…
Of course, the adventurers (Adbel) and mercenaries (Soldia) who were shown such a sight were not intimidated.
Rather, Keith went out as if he had been set on fire, and from the other side, Kurta Pipin, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard, came forward. By the way, Mash is currently being treated by a magic doctor. His nose is definitely broken, so I hope he gets it fixed properly.
And I won’t go into details anymore. The two of them fought, but Keith was completely defeated despite his best efforts. Next, Lug Nathan, the vice-captain of the direct subordinate unit, came forward with Grieg, who had been beaten up by the vice-captain, around his shoulders.
In short, it was a close draw. Grieg, who was mostly defensive like Mash and Izzy, was attacked continuously, and at the moment when he was about to be finished off in a similar way, Grieg’s desperate blow caught Lug in the face. It was a powerful blow that could be called magnificent, but of course, Grieg also received Lug’s fist in the face, and both of them were unable to fight.
Did Lug let his guard down, or was Grieg’s last attack sharp? Probably both.
And the remaining ones are the adventurers, me and Nail. On the Crown Prince’s side, Romero and Eldred.
Romero came out first from the other side. I was wondering what to do, when Nail stepped forward.
“Excuse me, but I’ll take the lead. I can’t back down when the vice-captain of the Alliance (sub-master) has lost.”
“Oh, go ahead.”
Speaking of which, Keith was defeated by the vice-captain of the Royal Guard. Then, the captain would be the Guild Master (Guild Master). I can understand the feeling, but I realized it at that moment.
From Noble mtl dot com
Nail will be overwhelmingly defeated.
I finally understood the real difference between adventurers (Adbel) and mercenaries (Soldia), and knights (Knight) and soldiers (Soldier).
Adventurers are experts in defeating demon beasts, collecting plants, and exploring dungeons and the Tower of Babel. Mercenaries also specialize in war and bandit extermination, while also working as adventurers. Those who make a living in these two professions are strong. There is no doubt about that.
However, knights and soldiers, who can be called the standing army directly under the king, are different.
They fight to kill the enemies of those they serve. Sometimes they also hunt demon beasts. They may be behind adventurers in that regard. However, they are never inferior in terms of hand-to-hand combat.
There is an absolute difference between the two in terms of what they aim for, what they consider their enemies, and what they do for that purpose.
Therefore, there is no way that they, who are adventurers and mercenaries, can defeat the knights who have been chosen as the guards of the next king of this country, and the elite knights and soldiers sent by the head of one of the most prestigious ducal families in the country for his grandson, Romero and Eldred, who stand at the top of these two peaks.
As expected, Nail was defeated by Romero after several exchanges without being able to inflict a single wound. And that was with considerable restraint.
I don’t feel any discomfort about it. I’ve seen his strength up close.
As the fallen Nail was carried away to be treated, Eldred, with a fearsome expression, approached the center. It’s not as strong as that battlefield, but it’s a tremendous wave of soul power.
I let out a small sigh and handed my cloak and two swords to Miririra. All I’m wearing now is a dagger hidden into my belt and a few healing potions.
There’s no way I can win a sword fight against Eldred. If I take up a sword now, I’ll just swing it around according to my ability level value. Then there’s no point in having it in the first place.
As I walked to the center of the field, I used all the support magic (buff) I could. Excellent offensive skills can sometimes surpass the ability level value. Especially when the opponent is Eldred. I can’t afford to be complacent enough to face him with ease.
“Don’t you need a weapon?”
Eldred asked me as I approached. I lightly clenched my fists in front of my chest and then opened them.
“I could use it, but that’s not my style. I only use that when it’s faster to cut.”
“I see.”
After saying that, Eldred drew his sword and assumed a stance. I remained standing where I was. Even though he was looking at me in such an unguarded manner, Eldred showed no sign of underestimating me.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Romero, who was standing nearby, announced the start of the match.
“Begin!”
“――”
In an instant, Eldred’s sword tip closed the distance and came straight at my neck. I’m sure he’s confident that he can stop it, but to me, it looks like death is coming at me. Even though I was being attacked by such pressure and killing intent, I was a little happy.
Because this is what has protected me until now, and in that battle.
With a smile of delight, I gently grasped the tip of the sword.
“Huh?”
“It’s a good sword.”
I haven’t checked, but Eldred’s power level is probably between 5 and 7. On the other hand, I’m 6-7. And since I’m also enhanced by support magic, the gap can never be filled. It’s a difference that’s greater than that between an adult and a child. Therefore, no matter how much Eldred pulls the sword, it won’t budge.
However, as expected of Eldred, he lets go of one hand and punches me in the face. But even after taking a direct hit, I remained standing.
I’m not using the [Five-Colored Room (San-Ku-Room)]. Even so, Eldred’s fist can’t inflict even a little pain on me.
Eldred lets go of the sword and takes a distance. The quickness of his judgment must be one of his strengths. He doesn’t have the luxury of being paralyzed by confusion. His figure teaches me about fighting.
“Are you a monster?”
“I’m a perfectly ordinary race.”
After saying that, I throw the sword back to him. Eldred catches it and immediately starts slashing at me from all angles. Fast, sharp, and powerful. I receive each of those blows with a dagger enhanced by [Property Hardening (Mana-Cooling) )] that I had drawn from my belt.
What an amazing swordsmanship. I don’t know if this is his full power. But even so, Eldred’s every move leads me to an unknown world. In the midst of that swordsmanship, I dared to continue receiving his attacks. For now, I just wanted to burn those moves into my eyes.
“As expected.”
It was a compliment from the bottom of my heart. Whether he took it as an insult or a provocation, Eldred took a big distance once.
“[Muddy March (Lost Heart)]”
“Hmm?”
I feel a momentary discomfort in my body. I’m sure I’ve been hit with something.
I check the status of my visual record only.
————————————————– ————————————————– ————————————————–
Status: Speed decreased: Nullified by magic resistance
Stamina consumption rate increased: Nullified by magic resistance
Mental resistance: decreased Nullified by magic resistance
————————————————– ————————————————– ————————————————–
A debuff spell, I guess. At the same time, Eldred came charging in with a powerful step. The moment he entered the range, I saw the magic power wrapped around the sword that was about to be swung down, and I activated the semicircular [Five-Colored Room] on the spur of the moment.
“[Threat Annihilation (Distill-Leet)]!!”
With an earsplitting sound like metal being scraped, Eldred’s attack skill called [Threat Annihilation] and my [Five-Colored Room] clashed. It’s probably a blow that wraps a raging wind around the sword. If I were to take this, even a ‘ claywood’ wouldn’t be safe.
I see, the debuff spell earlier was meant to make sure that the big move would hit. It’s educational.
“Oooooooooo!!!”
Eldred’s roar increases the power more and more. However, my [Five-Colored Room] won’t break with this much. Eldred’s attack continued to attack my [Five-Colored Room] with a loud noise, but the magic effect suddenly stopped, as if the wind had died down.
I also deactivated the [Five-Colored Room] and jumped back to take a distance.
On the other side, Eldred is looking at me while calming down and catching his breath. Even though his trained power is completely useless against me, he never backs down. Somehow, I feel proud.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t you going to attack?”
Eldred calls out to me without moving from his spot. I slightly frowned at that.
I have mixed feelings about this battle. I enjoy this situation that I planned, but I also feel uneasy.
All the soldiers on the other side are fighting with their skills and bodies that they have trained through relentless training, in order to not give up their pride and honor in front of the Crown Prince (me).
I hesitate to trample on them with just my high ability level. I sigh to myself, thinking how selfish it is to say that it’s something I started. But if I don’t do something, Eldred will just end up looking ridiculous.
I let out a small breath and lowered my waist slightly.
“That’s right, let’s do it.”
I said, and took a step forward. That alone brought me right in front of Eldred. I gently placed my palm on my chest and activated [Wind Strike Pressure (Breeze-Rush)]. To put it simply, it’s just a magic that releases a gust of wind.
However, the one using it is me, who is at the 6th rank of magical power.
“――”
I saw Eldred blown away in an instant and crashing into the wall. Although I had held back, it seemed that he was not showing any signs of moving. I exhaled softly and turned my back. Even though I had done it myself, I felt like I shouldn’t watch Eldred like this any longer.
But it was at that moment when I took a step to return to my original position after bowing to the Crown Prince (me). A tremendous wave of soul power attacked me from behind.
I hurriedly turned around, my spine trembling, and there was Eldred, his soul power bursting out.
“Marlead!”
Eldred glared at Romero, who was trying to approach and stop him, and stopped him. The pressure was so great that even I, who was not being glared at, felt like I was going to take a step back.
‘Soul Rampage (Overboost)’ — a skill that draws out abilities beyond one’s limits, and is not reflected in individual information. This is the first time I’ve seen it.
This grants enormous power, but it is also a double-edged sword. Instead of drawing out movements that exceed one’s limits, it consumes life force, mental strength, and physical strength at a tremendous rate. After using it, one will not be able to move for a long time, and if one continues to use it, one will surely die. It is a forbidden technique.
Eldred is using such a dangerous skill in a mere match like this. With my [Magical Eyes], I can see in detail that his magical power is bursting out violently and decreasing rapidly. He is in a state of damage. The momentum is also Remarkable.
“Marlead! Your body will collapse!”
There are different qualities to ‘Soul Rampage’. There are those that only slightly exceed one’s limits, and those that push them to the limit. If it is the latter, the soul will surely collapse.
And Eldred in front of me is choosing the latter without hesitation.
“I can’t lose, man.”
I take a step back, overwhelmed by the ferocity of his approaching figure. At the same time, I feel a sense of tragedy. What on earth is making him do this?
“I can’t lose in front of the young master.”
–Young master. How long has it been since I heard those words?
When I was still very young, maybe three or four years old. Around that time, there was a period when Eldred called me that.
I see. In Eldred’s mind, I am still the young master. He still calls me young master.
“I give up.”
“Huh?”
“I lose.”
I raised both hands in front of my chest. I can’t attack him anymore.
To him, who was more like a brother than a brother.
“I can’t defeat you with any more attacks. Since you didn’t fall from that, I can’t beat you. That’s why I give up.”
“Don’t mess with me…”
Even so, I took another step closer to Eldred, who was about to take a step forward, and knocked him out with a palm strike to the stomach. However, even though he lost consciousness, ‘Soul Rampage’ did not stop. After hesitating , I used [Mana Unlock], which I had been using on myself, on Eldred, and it somehow stopped.
I used [La Mère] on Eldred, who was still unconscious in my arms. At least his life force should be fine now. on how much physical strength he has used, he will probably wake up in a while.
“Lord Plum, I lose this match, right?”
“…Yes, no one has any objections. You lose.”
“Then this”
I left Eldred’s body to Romero and returned to where the adventurers were. On the way, I glanced at the Crown Prince (me) and gave him instructions with ‘Metas Voice’. The Crown Prince (me) nodded and stood up.
“Well done! It was a great battle for both of you! Romero, I think these adventurers are worth using, what do you think?”
“Yes. As you say.”
Romero, who was holding Eldred, bowed his head.
“Then. I will leave the security on that day to this guild. Is that okay, Zeel?”
“As you command.”
“Hmm. Well, there will be some details about the security. My soldiers need to rest for a while. The adventurers should also rest for a while. Jarnar. You come with me. Zeel. I leave the rest to you.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“With that, the Crown Prince (me) left. As for us adventurers, we all looked somewhat tired.
“Everyone must be tired.”
“Where do you get off saying that?”
“Seriously.”
“I’ve decided right now that I’ll never clash with your alliance.”
“I second that, Guild Master.”
I guess I was mistaken about us being tired. Everyone’s pretty lively. As I had Mamilira put on my coat, Zeel approached us.
“You must all be very tired. I will show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you.”
I replied on behalf of the group, and we all followed behind him.
He led us to a reception room that was meant for people of lower status.
“Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
With that, Zeel left the room.
Everyone looked around the king’s vacation home with a sense of awe. After a while, Nail spoke up.
“I’ve never seen the Crown Prince before.”
“Me neither.”
I don’t think it’s common to see royalty in general.
From Noble mtl dot com
Well, maybe it’s because Prince Karl-Mine is such a rare type among them. Or maybe it’s because we live in the same city.
Then, Grieg and Mash started talking.
“Hey, what did you think, Mash?”
“Hmm. Well, he certainly looks the part. Like a prince.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. The guy I was telling you about.”
“Oh. You mean how he is on the battlefield. From what I saw, he’s nothing special…”
Well, he doesn’t have any strong soul waves, and he’s not the real deal anyway.
But the magic is mine, so he’s definitely very close to the real thing.
In that sense, he’s the spitting image of the incompetent Crown Prince.
“Well, that’s how he seems. I thought the same thing at first. But just wait until you see him on the battlefield. To put it bluntly, that frail body of his transforms. I saw his words and his bearing and I thought, ‘I can follow this man.’
“If that’s how you see it, Boss, then he must be something.”
“Interesting.”
As Grieg and Mash were talking, Nail joined in. Just then, a maid came in with tea and cakes.
“Tea and cakes for you.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
“We appreciate it.”
I watched as the four of them fawned over the pretty maid. I can understand being captivated by a woman or feeling various desires. But I’ve seen too many of them, or maybe I just can’t see them as women anymore, so I don’t feel any desire toward maids. At most, I might see them as expensive works of art.
I glanced to the side.
“?”
There was Mamilira, her cute little face and cat ears twitching. It warmed my heart.
Now then.
‘Connect the three of us: the clone, Janal, and me.’
‘Understood.’
『Understood』
Both of them spoke at the same time. ‘Meta Voice’, it is possible to use this even with multiple people. If everyone thinks of the face and name of the person they want to participate, they can have a conversation at the same time I think the limit is probably around three people.
『Clone, thank you for your hard work earlier. It helped』
『Then that’s good』
『Janal, honestly, how did it look from the outside?』
『After seeing Lady Mirimilla at first, it seemed difficult, but after seeing His Highness the Crown Prince’s bravery, I was convinced that there would be no problem』
“I see. I couldn’t bring myself to attack Eldred. Then that’s good. In terms of form, it will be a coalition (raid) participating in the Tripartite Alliance, and I will be the coalition leader (raid leader)”
『I think that form is the best. I think that both Lady Plum and Lady Marlead will have no objection if His Highness the Crown Prince leads』
『I understand. Then, Clone, when Eldred wakes up, call us to the large reception room』
『Understood』
『Then, January, later』
『Understood』
After that, a simple meeting should be enough to finish things up.
I listened to the lively conversation while drinking my slightly warm tea.