Chapter 6 : The Vulgar Dare (4)

“Tree branch…? Are you joking with me right now?”

Evelyn’s voice turned cold as she saw the weapon I had prepared.

“I am more serious than ever.”

“Is it a magical artifact? If not, did you prepare a branch from Yggdrasil or Valkarian?”

“I picked it up in the park.”

“So, you are joking.”

The tension I had felt from her softened, replaced by cold fury.

As she assumed a stance, ready to lunge at me, I raised my hand and shouted,

“Wait!”

“What now?”

“I’m offering you one last chance. If Lady Evelyn forfeits this duel peacefully, you won’t suffer any major injuries. What do you say?”

“Enough nonsense!”

With such force that the ground beneath her foot cracked, she launched herself at me like a cannonball.

Bam!

The acceleration was incongruous with her heavy armor.

Cutting through the air, she resembled an unstoppable iron fortress.

“Oops.”

I dodged to the side, and the spot where I had stood moments before was instantly pulverized.

There was no need for her to swing her sword; the ground shattered just from the impact of her steps.

Whoosh!

Her sword flew straight at my chest.

While dangerous, it wasn’t a fatal blow—it seemed she didn’t intend to kill me.

She’s probably thinking of beating me senseless and then figuring out a way to exploit me.

“Oh dear, if this keeps up, someone might actually get hurt.”

“Your movements aren’t bad.”

After dodging her successive attacks with ease, she gave me a surprised look.

“I assumed this would be over in the first move. It seems I underestimated you. Among the incoming students, you’re not entirely incompetent.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“But how long can you keep running? Being unarmed, you have no way to defend against my sword. This duel will end soon.”

“Unarmed? But I have this tree branch…”

Whoosh!

She didn’t bother responding to my nonsense and swung her sword again.

Evelyn Rose, the prodigy of a prestigious knight family, recognized for her talent with the sword since childhood.

Her swordsmanship was both powerful and fluid, her movements enhanced by mana to transcend human limits.

No wonder she’s arrogant.

If it weren’t for Kalian making this cohort unusually strong, she’d have easily taken the top spot.

“How long will you keep dodging?”

“Until I feel like stopping.”

“You’re agile, I’ll give you that. I now understand why you’re not wearing armor.”

No matter how much she tried to predict my movements and land a decisive blow, I slipped away just in time.

She attacked; I evaded.

This pattern continued for a while.

Over time, her movements grew even faster and deadlier than when we began.

The composure to hold back disappeared, leaving her single-mindedly focused on taking me down.

But even so, her sword never touched me.

“Stop dodging and fight back!”

“No, thank you.”

“With such a cowardly strategy, you’ll never defeat me. You’ll tire out before I do!”

Evelyn gritted her teeth.

I had to admire her for maintaining her posture and breathing through it all.

Most nobles would’ve dropped their sword and collapsed in despair by now.

Still, she was only human.

Prolonged combat like this was bound to shake her.

“Why…? Your movements aren’t even impressive, so why can’t my attacks land?!”

“Because your skills are mediocre.”

“I’ve trained my entire life in the greatest knightly house. I held a sword before I could even walk! So how… How is this happening? What trickery are you using?!”

“It would’ve been better if you hadn’t picked up a sword at all. At least then, you wouldn’t have wasted your time.”

“You insolent—!”

Evelyn Rose, the prodigy of the renowned knight family.

She was always the best.

The heir of a duchy, unmatched in strength, and a staunch believer in meritocracy.

Because she was stronger, she believed the weak should yield to her will.

That’s precisely why I decided to teach her a lesson.

Today, I will shatter her pride completely.

By doing so, I’ll ensure she never dares to show her face before Kalian again.

I can do it.

I haven’t spent my time idly, armed with knowledge of this world’s hidden secrets.

“Isn’t this getting tiresome?”

“This can’t be… This can’t be happening… How can someone of such lowly birth, someone so insignificant as you—!”

“Even an unassuming tree can hold centuries of wisdom. Do you see everything as nothing more than firewood for a half-day’s warmth?”

“What are you rambling about?!”

“I’m saying you shouldn’t underestimate a tree branch.”

For the first time, I blocked her sword.

Using nothing but the tree branch I’d been holding all along.

Evelyn’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“H-How? Is it magically enhanced? No… That’s impossible. Infusing mana into a mere twig wouldn’t make it this strong…”

“Impossible things aren’t so impossible, are they?”

“So, you’re draining your mana to the limit! You’re burning through it just to maintain this charade. How much longer can you last?”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Our blades clashed.

The clash continued—one, ten, twenty exchanges—and despite the countless blows, not a single scratch marred the tree branch in my hand.

Contrary to Evelyn’s expectations, I remained calm, unbothered, and didn’t even break a sweat.

The one who was growing weary was Evelyn herself.

“Hah… hah… Impossible. Losing to someone like this? Me? Evelyn Rose? Is this a nightmare?”

“You need to snap out of it. This isn’t a dream.”

“What… was my life? All the years I’ve spent training… How could there be such a gap? Is this what real talent looks like? Am I… just ordinary?”

Though I continued to prod at her pride with cutting remarks, she no longer seemed to hear me.

Her grip on her sword loosened, her once-fluid movements stopped entirely, and she stood frozen, staring blankly at nothing.

Her eyes flickered with despair and hopelessness.

“Lady Evelyn? The duel isn’t over yet.”

“…”

“Don’t you have more to show? Your noble strength or whatever? You seem to have fallen short, though I doubt you had much to show in the first place.”

“…”

“Hey? Can you hear me?”

I approached the motionless Evelyn.

When she didn’t respond, I tapped her cheek lightly.

“So, that’s it? If you’re giving up, I’ll declare this my victory. There’s no point dragging this out any longer.”

“…”

“From now on, forget about Kalian completely. Don’t go near him for the rest of your life. Got it—huh?”

Suddenly, Evelyn grabbed my shoulder.

“I’ve got you now.”

Her once-empty eyes gleamed with determination, and her entire body surged with power that gathered into her sword.

“I’ll admit you’re strong. But what about this?”

“Using tricks now?”

“Let’s see if you can withstand this—my ultimate strike!”

Whoosh!

A dazzling blow charged toward me, a fusion of pure mana and refined technique, its destructive force engulfing us both.

The once-quiet dueling arena was consumed by deafening noise and blinding light.

When the arena finally returned to its original state, Evelyn’s sword lay severed at the hilt.

A deep groove etched along the path of my tree branch marked the arena floor.

Clang.

A fragment of her sword fell to one side, and Evelyn, unable to stand any longer, collapsed to the ground.

“You… just what are you?”

“Do you want to continue?”

“No, that’s enough. I acknowledge my defeat. This isn’t something that can be overcome by sheer stubbornness. You’ve won this duel.”

“Thank you for acknowledging it gracefully.”

Evelyn now looked at me with an expression no longer clouded by despair but instead mixed with resignation and perhaps a hint of something more complex.

Whether it was acceptance or a newfound understanding, it didn’t matter much.

The important thing was that she had accepted her loss.

I casually tossed aside the tree branch.

“Then, as I said earlier, stay away from Kalian from now on.”

“Fine, I’ll do that.”

“Good. Then I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait, what?!”

As I turned to leave, Evelyn called out in a flustered voice.

“Is that it? The terms of the duel were that you could do whatever you want with me. Aren’t you going to ask for more?”

“I remember. And?”

“Aren’t there other things you want? I thought you’d demand… something… anything.”

“What kind of weird things are you imagining?”

“I-It’s not like that! I mean, money, a title, things like that. Ahem.”

Wasn’t this supposed to be like a one-time wish scenario?

She seemed eager to give me something, but honestly, I didn’t need anything more.

While it’s true that you can’t completely control someone’s feelings, I’ve likely prevented most of the issues she might cause down the line.

“Well… if I had to ask for something, there is one thing.”

“What is it? As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll grant it.”

“Just lend me your ear.”

“S-Sure.”

I leaned in close to her ear, close enough for her to feel my breath.

Then I said, “Keep everything that happened today a secret. If you don’t want to die by my hand, that is.”

“…That’s it?”

“What were you expecting?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

She stared at me in disbelief before shaking her head and extending her hand.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you going to help a fallen lady stand?”

“What kind of destructive lady are you? Get up on your own.”

“I told you, I really can’t move.”

“And I’m telling you, think things through here while your strength returns. While you’re at it, clean up the arena too.”

“Wha—?”

Before she could protest, I quickly exited the arena.

Not only had I used the arena without permission, but I’d left it in ruins.

If I got caught, I’d definitely face disciplinary action.

Waving at her as I left, I silently wished her luck cleaning up.

To Be Continued.