Chapter 992: The Second Sacred Beast Festival 13
Now that the first round is over, the only one who pulled off a performance that could be called an upset was Gant. That Gant, the Golden Blacksmith. He’s actually pretty strong. Or rather, it seems he’s gotten stronger recently.
“Come to think of it, he was just casually hanging out at the deepest part of the dungeon during that dungeon walk rally earlier. I did think, 『Huh?』 for a second”
“Obviously, I can’t take on an unlimited number of them, but when it comes to monsters that appear in this dungeon, two or three of them don’t scare me anymore”
“That’s quietly on par with an Ace Knight or rather, he’d be a close match for Diel or Gorkus……how’d he get so strangely strong?”
“Well……it’s just that the young guys keep coming back from the labyrinth with their weapons all beat up. I started wondering, is it really that hard, so I went in myself and it turns out I’m actually pretty good with a sword”
“……Isn’t it weird that he got that strong so quickly?”
“Village Chief Diel told me that, too. But you know, when you’re a blacksmith, you make weapons based on how you imagine they’ll be used, right? Somehow, using them exactly that way just clicked for me”
So he had a solid foundation of logic and natural talent. Plus, since he’s a blacksmith, it seems he didn’t even need to train his legs, lower body or core from scratch.
“Still, now that things have turned out this way, I can’t compromise on either blacksmithing or swordsmanship. Images of the ultimate weapons keep popping into my head and I want to master the techniques to use them. I’m just enjoying myself as the mood strikes me”
“……That’s kind of unfair”
“You, are you really that bad with a sword? It’s not like you’re completely hopeless at sports, is it?”
“As for that, I really started too late for a human to be good at it, so please don’t bring it up……”
Every time I see Fiona working hard, I think to myself, I should do a little more too, and I’ve been quietly increasing my training beyond just my legs and core. But no matter how I look at it, I’m not going to become any good at this stage. Being able to pursue that kind of talent as you please is a privilege reserved for elves who stay young for hundreds of years.
“Andy-sama doesn’t need to get any stronger”
Maia suddenly pokes her head in and blurts that out. Gant shrugs.
“Wouldn’t it be more reassuring if you were strong?”
“Even if I’m not strong, I’ll still end up fighting when the time comes. ……It’s because if I get overly confident, I’ll probably end up doing something even more dangerous”
“……You really don’t trust me, do you?”
“Yeah……well, I do have a long history of screwing up……”
Honestly, even I have to admit I’ve messed up quite a bit…….
Before the second round begins, I go to find Naris. After walking a short distance with Breakcore, the sounds that had been indistinct in the echoes gradually took on clearer contours and I realized they were the sounds of practice sparring with wooden swords. Following those sounds further, I found Naris and Emma fiercely sparring under a glowing orb of lighting magic. The sounds varied in volume and came in rapid succession, if you walked through a long tunnel, they’d overlap and become an indistinguishable jumble. ……Or rather, it just meant they were fighting at such a high speed.
“Naris! Emma! Time’s up!”
“Uwa……wait a sec. Huh? Seriously?”
“……Even if His Lordship couldn’t come himself, he could’ve at least sent Leda”
“There’s no place where I can sit that calmly……no, wait, that’s beside the point. Naris, your moves were pretty impressive, weren’t they? Did you really need to worry about that break in training?”
“No, I worked my butt off warming up to get to this point! Honestly, I thought I was going to strain a ligament or something! Emma was going all out!”
“……To be honest, I didn’t really feel like there had been a break of several months either”
“Plus, there’s the added sense of danger from having a dragon right in front of me!”
“……So what?”
“That’s a story from long ago……”
“No, don’t start telling that story, Naris. I said it’s time”
“Right, you’re right”
Even though she’s drenched in sweat, Naris seems to be in pretty good shape. Meanwhile, Emma, who’s been sparring with her, keeps a puzzled look on her face.
“Was she really out of practice? Or is this just her usual level?”
“Is that really such a big question?”
“…..Yeah”
“You’re better off not trying to make sense of Naris”
“I feel like I’m being spoken to rather rudely here”
“Do you really think you’re the sane one here?”
“Could you please stop asking those very vague questions? They’re really off-putting!”
Emma is probably questioning Naris’s mysterious ability to 「Master any weapon she picks up 100% of the time」. To be honest, I don’t really get it either. But it seems that ability is still intact even in a situation like this. Generally speaking, 「Losing your touch」 refers to a state where your senses are off, preventing you from using weapons or your body the way you intend. But is that even possible for Naris? ……It probably isn’t, which is why Emma looks so baffled.
“If you’re worried about your ligaments, should I treat them before the match? It might make you a little too energetic, though”
“Th, That sounds a bit ominous, so I’ll save that for after I get injured……”
Breakcore looks a little disappointed by the refusal. But I think it’s fine to wait until I’m hurt, too.
We emerged onto the ground and began the second round. The first matchup was between Diel and Sharon.
“I’d better get pumped up for this”
“I’m going to avenge last year’s loss”
……Was this the same matchup as last year? I feel like it was decided while I wasn’t watching. The Forest’s strongest swordsman versus the top-ranked member of the Gauntlet’s four girls. Diel’s practical, ever-changing style and Sharon’s power-based swordsmanship, unmatched among the female slaves, should make for a spectacular match. With that in mind, I give the signal to begin.
“Go!”
“…………”
“…………”
Just when I thought Sharon would go on the offensive right away, she shifted into a slightly defensive stance, showing her wariness. Diel, still carrying his wooden sword on his shoulder, stood in a half-side stance with a defiant expression, slowly and meticulously adjusting their distance.
“Last year, the Knight Chief charged in and lost in a single blow, didn’t she?”
Naris seems to remember last year’s battle well. Was she taken out by a counterattack, or does Diel have an offensive move more powerful than Sharon’s? …..In the end, it was Diel who stepped in first. Casually and nimbly, he stepped forward and delivered a downward strike.
“!!”
Sharon blocks it. No,it was supposed to be a downward strike, yet her sword has been swung all the way upward.
“Two strikes!?”
“It’s Diel’s signature move. It’s called the “Leaping Drop Sword”
Gorkus also came over to join the commentary.
“His basic tactics rely on parrying and counterattacking, but when he goes on the offensive, that move is a real pain. Princess Sharon managed to handle it, though”
“I can’t see the second strike……”
“The problem is, sometimes he really isn’t striking at all, that’s what makes it so tricky”
Gorkus gave a wry smile.
“It’s a deceptive style of swordsmanship……but that’s exactly why he’s so strong in a fight”
Diel changed his stance and smiled.
“I’m going to be showing off more and more of these this year, including the ones I couldn’t pull off last year”
Sharon gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes in preparation.