Ch.520520. Sparring with Hanelrn (2)

Unlike knights and mages, archers are not held in high regard.

After all, arrows shot by archers don’t pose much of a threat to skilled knights. Mages too can easily neutralize them with a single spell or by surrounding themselves with defensive magic.

Therefore, for those with genuine talent in mana to choose a bow rather than becoming a hunter or common soldier is practically equivalent to choosing the path of a loser.

Despite such widespread opinions, some argue that archery is a martial art worth mastering, citing that most elves use bows as their primary weapon. But even this argument fails to gain traction.

Those elves armed with superior archery skills never demonstrate their abilities to outsiders. Besides, humans could hardly hope to match the archery skills that elves have built up over hundreds of years.

Thus, the kingdom’s knights tend to look down on or discriminate against knights who specialize in archery, whether intentionally or unconsciously.

‘So that’s why monsters collapsed when hit by the lord’s arrows.’

Hanelrn had unconsciously underestimated archery as well.

It wasn’t out of disrespect for the lord. She knew his archery was special, but it couldn’t be helped. How could she have known that what already seemed impressively powerful during the Winter War had become even more threatening?

This was all because her judgment had been clouded by her experience with archers she had faced directly, and the lord’s peaceful demeanor that showed no killing intent or hostility.

‘…It’s much more threatening experiencing it firsthand than just watching.’

So she had no choice but to completely change her thinking.

‘I didn’t expect to tremble like this after blocking just one arrow head-on.’

Blocking the first magic-imbued arrow head-on hadn’t been a good decision.

The impact was stronger than expected as flames and wind erupted, leaving her elbow tingling.

‘Bows are difficult to shoot at close range.’

Moreover, this training ground wasn’t particularly spacious.

Even though this was just practice, it would be shameful for her as the captain of the knights to be easily defeated by the lord in front of her subordinates.

With her competitive spirit ignited for the first time in a while, Hanelrn drew upon her mana.

“I’m coming again.”

Whoosh—!

The moment she pushed off the ground, a gust of wind blew across the training ground.

Seeing the dust rising and obscuring visibility, she realized he was trying to delay her approach as much as possible.

Whisk!

Dodging an arrow flying from her blind spot, Hanelrn shouted:

“This is lighter than the northern blizzards…!”

That was just the beginning.

Left, behind, even straight ahead.

Having lost track of the lord’s presence the moment he left her field of vision, arrows now poured in from all directions.

“Hah…!”

With a long horizontal slash, she turned her body to deflect arrows targeting her left waist and back.

Then she tilted her head to avoid an arrow aimed at her head.

And the next one—

‘Too late to dodge.’

Sensing not just mana reinforcing the arrow but a concentration of mana reborn with elemental magic.

She deflected the approaching arrow with the flat of her blade.

Whoosh—!

As the wind erupted, the dust cleared.

The world, previously hazy, brightened again, but even with the open training ground now visible, she couldn’t move easily.

“This is…!”

The wind swirled fiercely above her feet, disrupting her sense of balance.

Rather than charging forward to pressure the lord, she took a defensive stance, and then—

“When did you—!”

Finally sensing the lord’s position from the killing intent pricking her skin.

“Well, it may be lighter than the northern bad weather, but it’s a pretty good method, isn’t it?”

Behind her.

The sight of a sword gleaming brilliantly in the hot sunlight, thrusting toward her.

Hanelrn quickly broke the wind chains binding her ankles, turned around, and blocked the sword strike.

“…I see. I overlooked that you’re skilled in stealthy movement rivaling that of elves, my lord.”

“Since I can handle elemental magic, concealing my presence is easy.”

A brief moment to catch her breath.

Exchanging words while engaging in a battle of nerves with swords pressed against each other.

“Magic, physical enhancement, and even arrow reinforcement… You seem to have increased your mana significantly compared to what I heard about you from Senior Diolia.”

“Compliments won’t get you anything, you know.”

“…It’s not a compliment but the truth. Even now—”

Hanelrn suddenly realized.

In a brief casual conversation between seniors and juniors, she had asked about the military power possessed by her family’s lord. She remembered hearing that while his firepower was unmatched, his mana was insufficient compared to the techniques he could handle.

“You’re enhancing your physical body enough to compete with knights in strength, aren’t you?”

Magic, physical combat, and archery too. He must be pouring mana into everything, yet he still appeared so relaxed. Wouldn’t that mean her senior’s assessment was completely wrong?

“Didn’t I tell you? I requested this duel because I’ve made an achievement.”

“……”

“Particularly, I want to confirm how much I can do with my current mana. Could you indulge me a little longer?”

“Gladly.”

As mana began to imbue the lord’s sword, Hanelrn also wrapped her sword with mana.

When mana-imbued swords clash, they tend to repel each other due to the repulsive force, unless there’s an overwhelming difference in power level.

Despite being an archer who primarily uses a bow, he began to unleash a fierce attack with his secondary weapon, the sword, as if truly wanting to confirm how much his mana had improved.

‘His swordplay is simple.’

Head, neck, armpit, or chest.

The trajectory of the lord’s attacks targeting vital points was straightforward.

‘But I definitely can’t underestimate him.’

The problem was—

Kwang—! Bang—!

With solid fundamentals, he met her head-on despite the repulsive force and pressure erupting with each clash. Like a blacksmith relentlessly hammering iron before a furnace to reforge weapons, he directly confronted her sword energy.

Combat between knights who freely wield mana-reinforced swords is a battle of reflexes and superhuman psychological warfare.

‘I’ll read his muscles.’

Hanelrn regarded him as a knight rather than an archer, her eyes gleaming.

The moment swords separate, the movement starting from the lower body through the waist and up to the arms allows one to predict the opponent’s attack.

With a knight’s experienced intuition, Hanelrn read the lord’s movements and positioned her sword in the anticipated path, preparing to counter when—

“Ugh…?!”

She couldn’t help but be startled by the lord’s attack that struck her sword half a beat faster than expected.

‘It was clearly a stance to strike my side in an oval trajectory…!’

A large movement. An attack that should take time.

But he was faster than she thought.

‘There was clearly acceleration in the middle—ah.’

Elemental magic.

As an elementalist who handles wind spirits.

Is he using that power to add variations to the otherwise straightforward charges between knights?

‘The trajectory is aimed at my neck. And—’

The moment she moved to protect her neck.

‘As expected.’

Using magic to twist the sword’s trajectory in an uncanny movement.

Suddenly showing signs of trying to plunge the blade into her side.

Gradually applying all the means at his disposal, as if testing them.

“I’ve adapted. Won’t you show me a bit more?”

“Then I won’t hold back…!”

With just a couple of attempts.

It was like someone who had used these techniques for years was regaining his old touch and coming at her relentlessly.

‘This is fun.’

Hanelrn was genuinely enjoying herself.

Furthermore.

‘I want to win.’

Despite the archer displaying such skills, he still maintained a composed appearance.

She felt the desire to defeat her opponent and rise above him.

And then.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine.

Bang—!

The lord boldly threw his weapon backward to deflect her attack. As a result, one of her arms was pushed back, causing her to groan, but she still hadn’t lost her fighting spirit.

The lord thrust at her using an arrow like a short spear.

Kigigigigik…!

The arrowhead scraped against her breastplate, emitting an unpleasant scream.

If he hadn’t been holding back, it would have pierced flesh instead of armor.

But because of such an intense situation.

‘In sacred duels, the strong should ultimately claim victory.’

Hanelrn, with the competitive blood of a northerner fully manifested.

She unconsciously drew upon more energy than necessary during the duel.

‘The lord seems to agree.’

Reassured by the lord’s tacit approval.

She spoke more boldly than any knight of the baronial family.

“Blocking my attack like that wasn’t a good choice, my lord. From now on, the burden on your right arm will be significantly greater when using a sword.”

“Well… if Lady Hanelrn is at a similar level to Lady Diolia, it shouldn’t be a big problem for me right now.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you fail to determine a winner with Lady Diolia during the Winter War? That means your skills are equal—”

“Let me say it again, I will win.”

“……”

“There’s no reason why the captain of the baron’s knights can’t defeat the captain of the count’s special task force, is there?”

To think he would provoke me like this.

“Then I’d like to see that skill.”

“Gladly.”

Hanelrn imbued her sword with intent.

The driving force that made Hanelrn wield her sword was the desire to defeat her opponent and engrave her existence more strongly in the world.

‘I’ll break him.’

Now that she had designated the lord as the opponent she must defeat right now.

The knight’s sword began to shine most sharply.

Like facing a massive horde of northern beasts, she unleashed a clean, heavy horizontal slash with the momentum to cut them in half.

“Tsk…!”

Finally, a small groan escaped from the lord’s lips.

But even so, her attack failed to end the duel.

“Unfortunately… I learned a bit of swordsmanship from my sister at the count’s house…!”

Tsuuuuuuuu!!

‘What on earth is this…!’

A sword more vicious, poisonous, and excessively fastidious than anything else.

His sword began to forcibly wedge its way against hers.

The lord is not a knight. Therefore, he somehow overcame his deficiencies by plastering mana and elemental magic onto his sword clashes. Even as he was slowly pushed to the right along the path of her sword, he was drawing and slashing to offset her force, creating an opening for sword fighting.

Hanelrn knew exactly what he was aiming for.

“The Count’s swordsmanship…!”

A swordsmanship designed to irritate and frustrate opponents, making them lose focus and creating new opportunities for the wielder.

To create the effect of the swordsmanship he had learned, just once.

Somehow the tip of the lord’s sword had climbed up her sword like a snake, now aiming for her chest.

“With increased mana…! I can even do this with a sword!”

The moment she distanced herself to avoid the thrust targeting her breastplate.

“Hanelrn.”

Suddenly the lord was aiming at her with an arrow nocked to his bowstring.

Seeing the two elemental spirits and the magic condensed at the arrowhead.

She realized her feet were rooted to the ground by the overwhelming pressure bearing down on her.

‘The scent of a warm forest.’

Though her nose seemed to detect that distinctive fragrance from the great forest.

What she actually saw was magic powerful enough to reshape terrain.

“It’s over now.”

What dwelled in the arrowhead was a natural disaster.

Her senses, sharpened by combat, told her this was not something an individual could overcome.

Despite having forged together infernal flames and raging winds, the lord still appeared relaxed even after handling such vast mana.

If such attacks had been raining down from a distance from the beginning, what would have happened?

Also, putting such power into a sword would obviously engulf the user as well. This technique must be the ultimate skill of archers—imbuing their abilities into arrows and firing them.

“Ah.”

Finally, Hanelrn understood.

The lord had chosen her as his sparring partner precisely to confirm his achievement.

He hadn’t selected her as an opponent to determine a winner from the beginning.

At this, Hanelrn let out a hollow laugh.

“I concede defeat.”

Normally, caught up in the heated atmosphere, she would have thought about countering.

But it was obvious she would die instantly if hit by that.

Given the current situation, she could only be certain.

“You’ve broken through your wall, haven’t you?”

Just as the baroness had done, now it seems the baron has also shattered his barrier.