Chapter 71: Duke’s Banquet – 6

Chapter 71: Duke’s Banquet – 6

“…The duel rules are simple. Both sides will continue to attack until one surrenders. However, the use of magic capable of causing lethal harm is forbidden.”

A Duke’s family servant, who had approached unnoticed, briefly explained the duel rules to the two people about to fight.

As a bonus, he lightly snapped his fingers, casting protective barriers around the dueling ground and the combatants.

At this sight, the surrounding nobles, while admiring the servant’s skill in weaving barriers so quickly and precisely, also took in the faces of the two audacious people dueling in such a Duke’s family setting.

“If you are ready, I wish for you to begin now.”

And with those words, Angelo, holding his rapier, swiftly moved towards the mysterious young lady.

Clean, unadorned movements.

While he was indeed a young lord who had grown up somewhat pampered, he was still the young lord of a family in charge of a frontier region, so his speed and movements were not to be underestimated.

Furthermore, having once served in the capital’s Defense Force to gain experience, his skill was quite well-proven.

…And at the same time, it was also the reason he could flirt with so many women and still be in one piece, along with his handsome face.

However, Angelo’s attack was met with an even faster and heavier greatsword.

And it was brought down with full force from above.

Naturally, the rapier, far inferior in both weight and size, was destined to be crushed under the brutal descent of the greatsword.

However, the nobles watching this scene, and even Angelo himself, did not think that a sword strike from a young lady with such a delicate physique would possess much power.

…Until he was hit directly.

“Ugh!”

“…Where did you get the idea to clash head-on with a greatsword using a rapier like that?”

“Haha. It seems… I underestimated the young lady a little. You’re quite strong for your appearance.”

Angelo’s lips curved into a smile as he spoke, but his eyes did not.

Because of the utterly mismatched combination and the unexpectedly monstrous strength, his eyes were filled with undisguised bewilderment.

Therefore… he lightly imbued his body with mana, increased his speed, and began his next attack.

Since a head-on confrontation would definitely be a disadvantage due to the weapon difference, he chose the standard approach of focusing on speed and thrusting attacks.

“Shouldn’t someone stop that?”

“…Don’t bother. The Duke’s family’s servant isn’t doing anything, is he? If it gets dangerous, the Duke’s family will intervene.”

Nobles with no connection to martial arts couldn’t even follow the attacks with their eyes at times.

Therefore… most nobles, despite it being a duel, began to worry about the safety of the mysterious young lady, who, to anyone, seemed like she should be protected.

…Of course, the Duke’s family’s servants, who knew who she was and what she had done at the Duke’s family last time, stayed in their positions.

‘I don’t know what happened… but that person even defeated someone equivalent to a high-ranking Knight. She’ll surely be able to handle attacks like that.’

No, rather, they were worried about something else.

After the last attack, the uppermost floor of the Duke’s family mansion was literally damaged to the point of being a ruin.

Especially since they confirmed that the cause of the damage was quite high-level fire and lightning magic, they knew that the person fighting with a greatsword right now would use magic if things went awry.

More precisely, they also knew that magic, not the greatsword, was her primary combat method in the first place.

…The problem was that if she cast that magic inside the dueling ground, problems could arise.

Of course, one or two spells wouldn’t be much of a problem.

It was quite high-level, but not extremely high-level magic, so even more so.

However… having such magic cast in quick succession within a short time was quite dangerous.

To the point where the banquet hall could turn into a sea of fire if something went wrong.

‘No matter how much she’s the Duke-nim’s benefactor, that’s a bit…’

Fortunately, the person engaged in the duel seemed to be aware of that fact, as she was fighting with a greatsword rather than magic, so there would be no particular intervention.

Even if she used magic quite excessively, it would be tolerated to some extent.

Naturally, the servants of the Duke’s family, who held a great deal of affection for the girl in front of them, understood that the one currently dueling with Angelo was the Duke’s family’s benefactor.

***

Rapid thrusts and movements, interspersed with sword strikes.

An ordinary person might find it quite threatening… but since I could see his movements anyway, I wasn’t particularly nervous.

If an attack seemed powerful, I’d deflect it; if it seemed like he was testing the waters, I’d bring the greatsword down; if it was ambiguous, I’d smack him.

Speed? Strength? This cheat body allowed me to wield a greatsword with the same speed and even greater strength than that crazy son of a bitch with a rapier.

In fact… there were moments when I was even ahead.

However… that damn crazy son of a bitch kept increasing his speed, making it quite tricky to hit him.

He no longer foolishly tested the waters and got hit by the greatsword, nor did he ambiguously attack and get hit by the sword, rolling on the ground for a moment.

Moreover, the smile on his lips had also disappeared.

‘…He’s not a summer mosquito, but he’s annoying as hell.’

If I tried to hit him, he’d dart away, but my greatsword skills weren’t quite good enough to keep up with his speed.

…Ultimately, I had to make a choice.

> Repository of Knowledge has been activated.

With a short message, a cool glass bottle appeared in my hand.

From vision obstruction to enemy deceleration… the potency might have been traded for peanuts, but a potion with overwhelming utility was in my hand.

And, without hesitation, I threw this glass bottle.

……Precisely at the head of that damn crazy son of a bitch.

Clink!

With a clear sound, an ice mist spread out.

And my greatsword cut through that mist, swinging widely.

…Hmm, it seems I hit him properly. Judging by the feeling of something breaking, I think I succeeded in shattering a few bones too.

Satisfying… no! Why is his body so weak?!

No, I deliberately didn’t hit him with the blade to avoid injuring him, you know?

Why is everything but his speed trash?

*…It’s common sense that if you hit someone with that brutal iron club with your brutal strength, bones will break. No, isn’t it fortunate that only bones broke?*

‘No, really?’

*For an average person, that attack could have been fatal. Please, control your strength even when fighting. You’re usually so good at it.*

As the mist completely cleared, the sight of the terribly sprawled Young Lord Angelo appeared.

…Hmm, I feel a little sorry for him…

“Oh…! You are truly strong! I, Angelo, am genuinely impressed! With you, I could fulfill the family’s mission of protecting the frontier…!”

“This damn crazy bastard?!”

Suddenly, about 10 potions of all kinds seemed to pop out above my head.

Offensive potions held in both hands were a bonus.

“Please shut up! You damn bastard!”

…If Christie hadn’t burst out at that moment and slapped that damn crazy bastard’s head, it’s possible those potions would have been thrown all at once.

***

…After a storm swept through, the eyes of the nobles watching me, who had completely shut down Repository of Knowledge, were filled with greed.

Especially the nobles who looked like they handled swords or magic.

However, there were more gazes directed at the suddenly appearing Duke’s daughter than at me.

She was a Duke’s daughter said to be as cold as the Duke, but rumors were rampant that her recent activities in the Defense Force showed she was completely different in private.

And her act of personally slapping Young Lord Angelo’s head proved that those rumors were not false.

“…Where did you go that I looked for you so much, only to find you dueling?”

…Of course, the nobles were reminded that the Duke’s daughter, too, carried the Duke’s blood, by her subsequent cold voice and expression.

She was a Duke’s daughter who inherited the Duke’s family’s blood, capable of sending shivers down one’s spine just by listening to her.

Although recent rumors suggested she wasn’t just stiff and cold, she was still the Duke’s daughter.

“……But that damn crazy bas… no, Young Lord Angelo ignored my words that I disliked him and kept flirting.”

……And at the sight of the mysterious young lady speaking casually despite the Duke’s daughter’s expression, the nobles’ eyes widened again.

Because an unknown girl talked back to the Duke’s daughter, to whom even they showed proper respect and used all sorts of flowery language.

What was even more surprising was the Duke’s daughter’s subsequent reaction.

“It’s true that Young Lord Angelo’s behavior has some, no, many problems… but breaking him like this…”

“…Wasn’t this greatswordsmanship taught to be used like this?”

“……I taught it to you to inflict moderate injuries and make them surrender, not to shatter the bones of your duel opponent.”

The greatswordsmanship that felt familiar throughout the duel.

Some nobles thought, ‘Could it be…?’ but the situation they had dismissed as unrealistic, saying it couldn’t be, actually turned out to be true.

…The Duke’s daughter herself had taught someone her swordsmanship.

At this unprecedented event, the nobles began to stir greatly.

At the same time, the nobles felt a certain sense of incongruity.

Clearly, the mysterious young lady’s words were not high-level, nor did she show any respect for the Duke’s daughter.

However… despite that, her actions exuded dignity and formality one by one.

No, in fact, contrary to her words, her actions perfectly matched formality and etiquette!

“In the first place, Christie, who taught me for barely 10 minutes and told me to use it while properly controlling my strength, is the bad one.”

“……Alright, let’s go with that. By the way, how are you going to clean this up?”

‘…Where am I? Who are they?’

With the continuous conversation and the unusual appearance of the two, the nobles inevitably fell into collective confusion.

It was possible for someone to not show respect. However, calling someone by their name like that was a serious breach of etiquette unless they were truly close.

But the fact that the Duke’s daughter accepted it… also meant that the relationship between these two was truly extraordinary.

“Well, we have just the right item, don’t we? This is a good chance to promote its effects too.”

“…You didn’t plan that, did you?”

“Did you really think that the bones of a perfectly fine young lord would shatter from a greatsword I just swung?”

However, the nobles’ confusion quickly disappeared.

No, it could no longer exist.

Because the effect of the item the mysterious young lady pulled out as she spoke those words… was enough to shake society at the time.

Again, in this world, immediate healing of external injuries was only possible through priests or miracles performed directly by a god.