episode_0016
by fnovelpiaKaang! The duel began with the sound of sharp metal clashing.
Fred watched closely as the three people in front of him sparred. In Fred’s opinion, giving up a player to Ban seemed like a fool’s errand.
However, I was concerned about Ban’s strength at close range to launch an overt attack from the beginning. Therefore, we adopted a strategy of charging but taking a defensive stance.
On the other hand, Ban’s strategy did not change. Short-term decisive battle. Rather than lunging at him and throwing out his sword, the moment he saw Fred holding it in his arms, he kicked his tense muscles and delivered a powerful stab.
Although Fred had the advantage of watching Van’s sparring, he had become accustomed to the knight-style sword while dealing with the three people in front of him.
“Intake-!”
However, Fred’s level of perfection was so different that it was unfair to compare him to other escorts.
Why was Ban fundamentally stronger than the previous guards?
“You have been in and out of the firing line several times.”
“Well, that’s right.”
Two elements are essential to the strength of a drone. Training and actual combat.
Doing only one of the two will not improve your skills. If you only practice, you will not be able to adapt to the harshness of actual combat and will break in vain. If you only focus on actual combat, your neck will be blown off due to the lack of detailed details.
Therefore, the equality of the two was the most important factor, like balancing scales.
The first three were excessively focused on training. Of course, those three will become stronger later as they experience real combat, but at least for now, their skills cannot be compared to Ban and Fred.
Although they didn’t have perfect balance yet, Van and Fred had really good balance for their age.
I was half curious. Even though he was forced to cut himself with a knife in a back alley, how was he able to accumulate that much experience in combat?
That curiosity soon disappeared. Wedge! Van’s sharp slash grazed Fred’s forearm.
Ban’s attack did not cut through Fred’s flesh. However, Fred’s bare forearm could be seen through the gap in the hem of his clothes where the dagger had cut him.
“···Wow. Isn’t it a joke?”
“Compliment, thank you.”
“No, it’s not a compliment. You weren’t crazy either?”
“Father said. There is no swordsman who can become strong without getting hurt…”
Countless scars were visible through the torn clothes. I don’t know where they came from, but they were traces that couldn’t be obtained unless they crossed the line of fire.
“···That’s someone our age?”
During the fierce fight, the ladies and guards who were watching the sparring could not close their gaping mouths.
Even Carls, who thought he had seen a lot and lived a long time, had never seen boys of that age show such a level of sword fighting.
‘As expected, bringing Ban to the mansion was the right answer.’
There was quite a bit of opposition to bringing Van from the back alleys to Bismuth Street. It was a pretty reasonable inference that someone who had nothing to lose and nothing to lose would cause an accident.
Carls was also one of those opponents. Although I met Ban in person, talked to him, and changed his attitude.
Fred and Van, who were the sons of a knight and would have trained under him with the best care, were fighting as equals.
Just as Bismuth created a high-quality training hall to invite knights, the strong were people that could not be invited carelessly.
However, such a loyal talent came to Bismuth. It was like picking up a lottery ticket from the ground.
Kaan-! Sak, Suk! The sparring had already been going on for several times longer than the combined time the three had endured earlier.
“Tsk.”
Ban clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like the situation. Although the disadvantage of the dagger in a head-on confrontation must be taken into account, it at least meant that the sparring did not go as Ban intended.
Before we knew it, blood was flowing from cuts here and there on Van and Fred’s bodies.
However, in terms of physical perfection, half of them cannot match Fred. Since he was young, he had been eating all the good things for his body, and compared to the older Fred, Ban’s body had a long way to go. Blocking with an instinctive flash was now approaching its limit.
“···Phew.”
Ban lowered both hands that were on his chest for a basic guard. It was a blatant expression of intention to deliver a strong blow.
“······.”
Fred, who saw this, stood still in a timid manner, as if asking him to come in.
“······.”
“······.”
Before the final competition, only the sound of each other’s breathing filled the gymnasium. And, not long after, Ban kicked off the ground and rushed at Fred.
“Ha-!”
And with that charge, Fred thrust his sword forward. It was the most perfect stabbing I’ve ever done tens of thousands of times in my life.
“······!”
Ban’s eyes widened when he saw that stab.
***
“···When will you come?”
The entrance to the training hall located in the Bismuth Mansion. Ban was standing in front of him. As if waiting for someone.
“I feel anxious. An instructor with no concept of time.”
A few days ago, on a day that was no different from any other day, Carls called his class.
“···Tutoring?”
“Yes. Although it is not the type of training that a young lady receives, it is training related to combat.”
“Do you do that too? Welfare is really good.”
“Because you are going to be a servant and a guard at the same time. We need to become several times stronger than we are now.”
“That’s correct.”
The topic of conversation was simple and surprising. They said they would invite an instructor to teach the class swordsmanship.
As a class, there was no reason to refuse. It was an educational opportunity that I could not receive even if I wanted to. Of course I accepted.
And today was the instructor’s first day of class.
“The money is paid by the hour, but if it’s like this…”
“Well, that would be troublesome.”
“In the first place, isn’t a time commitment one of the basics?”
“Yes, that’s right. And?”
“I was looking forward to it…? Holy shit-”
At some point, a woman stood next to the grumbling class. Half of the time I didn’t notice at all.
The purple hair, the eyepatch he was wearing. A beautiful woman with a toned body greeted the class.
“Nice to meet you~ My name is Petra. You came at the request of Carls?”
“Well, I didn’t mean to gossip about you-”
“It’s okay, it’s okay~ It’s my fault for being late~”
Ban desperately tried to protect her, but Petra waved her hands as if she didn’t care.
“Well, since I work for money, I will do my job properly. Please take care of me~ Shall we shake hands?”
“Ah, yes. Please take care of me…?”
Startle. Van’s body stiffened as he tried to approach Petra. This faint smell is definitely…
‘Doesn’t it smell like alcohol?’
The instructor who was late and smelled like alcohol made the class feel dizzy.
***
After their first meeting with Petra, the two stood at the center of the training ground.
There were a lot of parts I didn’t like, but I was half looking forward to it.
‘Can I learn the sword too?’
Actually, if you’re a man, wouldn’t it be a sword? A desire to break away from the daggers only used by thugs was blooming in my heart.
But Petra asked Ban whether he knew how he felt or not.
“Ugh…half? It’s half right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What weapon do you usually use…?”
“Until now… I have always used a dagger.”
“Yes, yes, Dagger Joochi…”
Swish! Petra threw the dagger she took out from her chest at Ban. Ban naturally accepted the dagger.
“Why this…?”
“Let’s see what your skills are like, then let’s go…?”
Crack! Petra rushed towards Ban without giving him time to reply.
Since it was a test, I didn’t reject even half of it. To be honest, I was confident in my own skills.
Just like that, they rushed towards Petra without losing even half of the battle.
“Kuhhh-!”
It goes without saying, but half of the students were stuck without being able to do anything.
***
“Ugh, was that too harsh?”
“···No.”
“I’m sorry~ It’s my first time teaching a child…”
Chideok chideok. Petra was applying medicine to the eyelids of Ban, who was sitting down in a daze. It was swollen.
Of course, it was just to see his skills, so Petra didn’t really fight against Ban. Several competitions followed, and the class fought better than expected.
The problem is that it really fought better than expected. Ban’s attack was sharper than Petra had expected, and Petra inadvertently hit Ban’s eyelid with her knee.
-Quite a sum!
-Uh, huh?!
Half of the people fainted while making an ugly sound due to a powerful, skilled knee strike. And, it had just happened.
“Wow, you fought really well! No joke!”
Petra was encouraging her class without knowing what to do. Ban asked Petra.
“···So, are you going to teach me the sword starting today?”
I had never heard of a guard using a dagger before. So, of course I expected a positive answer.
However, Petra tilted her head as if confused.
“Huh? Why?”
“Uh…I’m an escort…?”
“Hmm? Ah, ah!”
match! Petra clapped her hands as if she had realized something.
“The rumor hasn’t spread to this point yet?”
Hmm. Petra cleared her throat and looked at Ban.
“These days, ‘light escorts’ who use memorization like a dagger are a trend in the capital.”
“······.”
“Oh, don’t look at me like this is some bullshit! Take a listen!”
chuck! Petra, in a position as if she was clutching non-existent glasses frames, opened her mouth.
“First of all, the biggest reason why ‘light escort’ started becoming popular is because of wizards.”
“···A wizard?”
“Yes. Do you know why escorts wearing thick armor have been popular until now?”
“That’s because it’s strong.”
“That’s right. The armored knights and guards had no opponents to fight against.”
Petra lowered her posture and made eye contact with Ban.
“Before wizards started popping up all over the place.”
“···What does that mean?”
“In the first place, the threshold for magic was extremely low. The barrier to entry was high. But, these days are different.”
“Why is that so?”
“What the hell! It’s because of the academies that are springing up all over the place!”
Joowoouk! Petra seemed to be choking as she pulled the canteen from her waist and put it in her mouth. A faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air.
“Geoff Academy is not the only academy… There are too many academies these days!”
“···What does that matter?”
“It has to do with it! Not everyone who graduates from an academy gets a good job. There are a lot of people who are becoming adventurers these days!”
Sigh. Petra’s eyes became sharp as she wiped her alcohol-stained mouth.
“···And, the number of cases of joining criminal organizations naturally increased.”
“···!”
“No matter how much armor you wear, if you get hit by a properly prepared spell, you will become an asshole in an instant. In fact, there are several nobles in the capital who were assassinated in this case.”
Toouk. Toouk. Petra continued speaking while rolling her dagger around.
“Knights are said to be strong, but when they wear armor, they naturally become dull. And there is another reason…”
“What is it?”
“The knights are not good at chasing. To be precise, we have been doing well so far, but it became difficult after it became normal for wizards to be in criminal organizations.”
“···For example, what is it?”
“Well, simply turning the floor into mud and creating plants that entangle the body makes the chase several times more difficult. Those things really feel like shit when you experience them…?”
“I see.”
“Okay, but if you’re the one who learned the dagger…?”
“Chasing will become easier.”
“That’s right~ Basically, since you don’t wear armor, your body is light and you can throw daggers. Wizards, their bodies are weak, so if you just stick one point in them, they’ll crack! And then die.”
“Hmm···.”
Ban, who was listening to Petra’s explanation, nodded. It made more sense than I thought.
Petra hurriedly opened her mouth in response to the class’s reaction.
“Hey, and think about it! Let’s say someone attacks your girl. Are you going to attack me with a full plate?”
“···I don’t think so.”
“Right? As soon as the dagger is properly inserted, I will approach you wearing clothes suitable for attack.”
“Hmm.”
Ban’s sharp eyes became gentle. It’s your chance! Petra tried to drive a wedge.
“So these days, the price of those who use daggers is very high. It’s hard to get it…”
“···Are there few people who use daggers?”
“That’s not it…”
Petra wiggled her hands as if she was embarrassed and then opened her mouth.
“There are not many people who use daggers without a criminal record…”
“······.”
“Well, you don’t even have a criminal record! Is this an opportunity to increase the price?”
Petra, who was struggling, desperately tried to persuade Ban.
“Hey! If an attack comes tomorrow, will you fight with a sword? You’re going to fight with a dagger! Even if you force yourself to do things that don’t suit your body, do you think you can beat kids who have been holding swords since they were toddlers? Let’s develop our strengths! ”
cook! Petra’s words pierced Van’s heart.
It was a statement that cut to the core. There wasn’t much time for the class. I had to become strong within an early hour and be able to play the role of escort.
“Okay.”
“Uh, huh?”
“After listening, there is nothing wrong with what I said. We look forward to seeing you in the future.”
Sigh. Sigh. Petra blinked at the sudden change in stubborn attitude, but then smiled brightly.
“Yes! Tasha! I told you well?”
“···Yes.”
“Puhuh… And, there is another biggest reason.”
“What is it?”
gulp! Petra answered after drinking a canteen.
“You are talented. Sincerely.”
“···Is that so?”
“When we were sparring, you kept attacking from the side I couldn’t see, right?”
“···Sorry.”
Ban kept trying to aim for Petra’s blind spot, which was one-eyed. Ban’s face turned red, as if he was embarrassed by that fact.
Petra’s mouth began to thicken as she was excited to see that.
“Hey, I’m not being sarcastic. Are you sincerely praising me? Because there is a bad guy-!”
“···Is that so?”
“Sure! If they were knights, they would say, ‘It’s cowardly to take advantage of an opponent’s weakness…!’ It’s like this. And then it falls!”
Toouk. Petra was sober in an instant and grabbed one of Van’s shoulders.
“It may be surprising, but a dagger is a weapon that only the bravest people can use.”
“In order to use a dagger really efficiently, you have to avoid the opponent’s sword by a narrow margin and stab it. It means that you are closer to your opponent’s sword than anyone else.”
“You never once felt intimidated by me and attacked me wholeheartedly. Even though the difference in skills is clear.”
“So, you have talent. I guarantee it.”
***
“This is crazy-!”
Fred forgot the knight’s words and actions and cursed.
Close to perfect, the best thrust of your life.
Half of those stabs were not grazed by leaning on the sword like before.
“···Haha!”
I dizzyingly avoided the sting by half twisting my neck. Blood flowed from the eyelids that passed by. The wound was hot, but the adrenaline pumping out of my body made me forget all that.
Fred didn’t put any effort into the thrust just now. If it had hit, it was a blow so powerful that it would have pierced the head and killed him.
It was a cool, crazy dodge. So much so that everyone in the audience could not help but be shocked.
“It’s not over yet!”
However, Fred still had one chance left. He retrieved the stabbed sword and raised it to strike.
‘Where…!’
However, Ban crossed his two daggers in an X shape and struck them down. Kaang! Fred’s sword plunged downward with a strong metallic sound.
“Such nonsense…”
Van lunged forward and struck Fred’s temple with the tip of the dagger’s handle. Wow! Fred’s head pounded loudly.
Ban tripped on his wobbly legs and fell. And with his fist raised high, he looked into the eyes of Fred, who had fallen. The fact that he didn’t finish was an acknowledgment of Ban Na-reun’s rival.
“···lost.”
Fred, who realized the intention, surrendered without hesitation. It was a half victory.
***
“How much does it cost?”
“······.”
“We will adjust the conditions to whatever you want. Ban, please become a member of our Sylvia family.”
After the sparring, Beca, Evelia, and Ban were facing each other. Evelia’s eyes were covered with desire and sparkled.
Evelia was asking Van to be her bodyguard. Beca’s hand next to him was holding out a bag full of gold bars and jewels to Ban.
“······.”
Ban’s head became dizzy.
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