WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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Chapter 260: Beneath the Flowing Water (3)
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"This... what is this...?"
Watching the Grand Mage and the Sword Master from a distance, the King of Hale murmured sadly.
At first, the King could not believe it.
A duel. A duel with Runtel Kingdom's Grand Mage.
Setting aside the chance of victory, considering the consequences alone, it was a situation that had to be avoided at all costs.
Yet the young Sword Master had not backed down.
No, judging by Ephrein Slick's words, it seemed the offer had come from Airen's side.
"It's over... It's all over. Winning is a problem, and losing is a problem. How am I supposed to endure Runtel Kingdom's wrath...?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Runtel Kingdom is not so rash that it would intervene in a private duel."
"Sir Oswaldo."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"If I cried right here, it would not be terribly shameful, would it...?"
"...Please do not."
"Hng..."
As the King of Hale wore a miserable expression, the Commander of the Twilight Order's face darkened as well.
He wanted to cry too.
However rude Ephrein Slick had been, the Commander had never wanted things to develop like this.
You don't avoid dung because you're afraid of it. You avoid it because it's filthy.
With that in mind, he only needed to endure for a few more days, and he had truly believed he could manage it.
As long as he kept Kiril Farreira's fiery temper in check.
Yet of all people, Airen Farreira, someone he had never expected, had caused this.
"Hill. What do you make of it? Why do you think Master Farreira did something so unexpected?"
"Hmm..."
Hill Burnett, the Vice Commander of the Twilight Order, let out a groan at the Commander's question.
Hill did not fully understand the situation either. He recalled Airen Farreira from two years ago.
'He had an unusual air about him even then, but this feels different. Now, it is somehow...'
Steady.
No, that was not quite right.
That sense of steadiness had been there before.
If Hill had to find a more accurate expression...
'...Reassuring, perhaps.'
Of course, Hill did not know why.
They shared a connection through the Demonoid Subjugation Campaign, but Hill Burnett was not particularly close with Airen either.
And considering how much a person's state of mind could change over two years, it would not be strange if Airen was practically a different person now.
But for the moment...
"...Let's watch."
"Hmm. Is there something you are relying on?"
"At the very least, I know Master Farreira is not the type to act without a plan."
"That is true, but..."
"For now, it seems our only choice is to cheer for him. Let us put our worries aside for a moment, along with everything we wish to ask... and hope our side wins."
"Our side... Right. He is on our side! A vassal is doing everything in his power for the kingdom's honor, and I cannot remain so gloomy! That will not do!"
Hearing the Vice Commander's words, the King raised their head.
That was right. The situation had already been set in motion.
The relationship with Ephrein Slick could no longer be repaired, so winning was far better than losing.
The King had to cheer. The King had to encourage him.
As the sovereign, the King had to do something so that their side could give its all. Steeling themself, the King spoke with a solemn expression.
"H-Hale's pride! Hale's sacred sword! Sword Master Airen Farreira, give it your all!"
"..."
The King of Hale offered the cheer in a voice so quiet it was nearly impossible to hear.
At the sight, the Queen beside the King let out a deep sigh.
Still, it was not particularly shameful.
Sonan Kingdom and Köln Kingdom both wanted the young Sword Master to knock Slick down a peg, but neither dared cheer for him aloud.
Even so, speculation about the duel's outcome continued in earnest.
"Do you think Ephrein Slick will win?"
"Of course. A swordsman has the advantage over a mage in a one-on-one fight, but only when their levels are similar."
"He has only been a Master for a year, so his skill must fall short..."
"But is House Slick not stronger in theory than in actual combat?"
"Hmm. That is true. And Ephrein Slick came for a banquet, not a battle, so he will not have much magical support equipment..."
"Master Farreira isn't without a chance. He is not facing a battle mage like Perry Martinez, after all."
'...Idiots.'
Kyle Murdock, the Duke of Bisau, muttered inwardly as he overheard several people whispering.
Kyle understood their reasoning, of course.
Runtel Kingdom's Three Heads, then battle mage Perry Martinez, then the remaining Grand Mages.
That was how the public estimated the mages' raw combat power, and the prevailing view was that an ordinary Grand Mage could barely contend with a Sword Master who had only just crossed the threshold.
But that was not the truth.
Runtel's mages were strong. Much stronger than everyone knew.
During the 150 years since demons had vanished, Runtel's magic had developed enormously.
'They will learn that now.'
The Duke exhaled as though frustrated, an uneasy expression on his face.
Rationally, Kyle supported Ephrein Slick.
But emotionally, Kyle was cheering for Airen Farreira. Kyle raised his head and looked ahead.
The duel was about to begin.
* * *
"Are you ready?"
"I am."
"No complaints? The distance, the location? Considering the differences between a swordsman and a mage, you may have some concerns..."
"It does not matter."
'Insolent brat!'
At Airen Farreira's indifferent attitude, a vein bulged on Ephrein Slick's forehead.
What gave Airen such confidence?
The belief that a swordsman held the advantage over a mage in a one-on-one fight?
Blind faith in himself?
Or a lack of experience with mages?
'The third is certain, at least. Perhaps all three.'
Having thought that far, the old mage let out a quiet laugh.
Ephrein could understand it.
Airen had reached the rank of Master in his early twenties.
Even Hall Master Ian, whose fame had spread throughout the continent, and Julius Hyul of the Holy Kingdom had broken through that wall at twenty-five and twenty-six. It would not be strange for Airen to be full of himself.
Compared to that, what about Ephrein?
Ephrein was a Grand Mage personally acknowledged by Runtel Kingdom's royal family, but had never accomplished anything noteworthy enough for fame to spread across the continent.
Moreover, Ephrein had not brought magical tools, the catalysts used to shape magical power into spells, making Ephrein appear even easier for a swordsman to underestimate.
Indeed, those who predicted Airen Farreira's victory cited the fact that Ephrein Slick wore no artifacts.
A foolish thought.
'Right now, I am more thoroughly armed than ever before.'
Ephrein Slick was strongly inclined toward self-preservation.
Like most Runtel mages, Ephrein was full of suspicion and distrust, so Ephrein had prepared thoroughly even when visiting a small kingdom like Hale.
The large palanquin Ephrein had arrived in was proof of that.
The dozens of magic circles engraved on the palanquin were secretly supporting Ephrein.
'This fool clearly knows nothing about mages.'
That alone brought the possibility of defeat close to zero, and the situation continued to grow more favorable.
Though the duel had been underway for some time, Airen remained in the same place.
Airen held the large Sorcery Greatsword aloft and watched Ephrein from a firm stance.
Airen probably did not know much about Ephrein, so Airen seemed to be planning to approach the situation defensively...
'I will teach him just how dangerous it is to give a mage enough time.'
With a sinister smile, Ephrein Slick secretly stirred magical power.
Vwooooom.
Magical power gathered in the magic circles engraved on the large palanquin.
It did not stop there. Following Ephrein's intentions and calculations, the magical power changed and took on the complete properties of spells.
The process was completed in an instant, then repeated again and again.
Dozens of spells were completed.
They were neither elemental spells like lightning or fire nor physical spells that wielded enormous mass.
They were mind-affecting magic.
The most covert and lethal kind of magic, power capable of stripping away an opponent's will to fight, twisted repeatedly into a thick rope and flew swiftly toward Airen.
It was not especially exciting for those watching, but for the one casting the magic, it inspired greater confidence than ever before.
A smile bloomed on Ephrein Slick's face. The smile slowly grew wider until it filled Ephrein's expression.
The changing lines around the eyes and mouth, along with the wrinkles across the face, made Ephrein seem even more unsettling.
Then, a moment later.
BOOM!
"Hm?"
Events unfolded nothing like Ephrein expected, and Ephrein Slick's smile crumbled.
Thud!
Airen stomped hard, shattering the incoming magic.
Airen did not stop there. Airen took another step, then shot forward and closed the distance to the old mage in an instant.
Only then did Ephrein Slick realize something was wrong and hurriedly move his hands.
But Ephrein's mind moved even more frantically.
'How? How did he break through it?'
Unfortunately, Airen was not the only one who knew little about the opponent.
Ephrein Slick knew even less. Ephrein had overlooked many things, but the three greatest were these.
First.
Airen Farreira's ability was not merely at the level of a Sword Master who had just crossed the threshold.
The last time Airen had revealed his strength was more than a year ago, during the championship match in the Proof Land. Since then, Airen had grown so tremendously that he might as well have been an entirely different person.
Second.
Setting skill aside, Airen's mental fortitude was beyond compare.
Naturally. When the wills of Airen's Past Life and present life joined as Airen took up the flaming Greatsword, Airen's heart became strong enough to repel even an ancient demon's curse.
No matter how powerful a Grand Mage's mental attack was, it was only natural that it could not affect Airen at all.
Yet the third factor was even more important than the first two combined.
Vwoooooom!
Mages were not the only ones who benefited from additional time.
That factor had the greatest influence on the outcome.
KRAAAAAASH!
Airen Farreira's sword descended.
It was stronger and faster than when Airen had earned the recognition of Kun, one of the Continent's Three Great Swordsmen.
Stronger and faster than when Airen had drawn admiration from Quincy Myers, the former Red Knight Commander.
Stronger and faster than when Airen had forced Joshua Lindsay, descendant of a great hero, to use the final secret technique.
The brilliant golden light did not lose its presence even amid the raised dust.
"..."
"..."
"..."
No one could speak.
Not the King of Hale, who had been cheering passionately inside. Not the Twilight Order attending the King.
Not Sonan Kingdom, Köln Kingdom, or Bisau Kingdom.
Even the sixty-four mages, who had maintained expressionless faces throughout, looked at the result of the duel in shock.
One Strike.
With a single charge, the Sword Master of House Farreira from Hale Kingdom had knocked out House Slick's second-in-command.
Airen looked down at the disheveled mage and spoke.
"I will say it again. I refuse to go to Runtel."
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