WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: nemui

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◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈

Vol. 3 Ch. 14: Theo, Fury’s Right Straight

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Keith and Theo moved to the backyard together. Naturally, blunted training swords had already been prepared.

As they walked, Keith kept glancing at Theo, who followed behind him.

A small boy with a single braid in his blond hair. His sharp, upturned green eyes made him look strong-willed, and his features had the air of Erington nobility.

（He looks fairly well trained, and Gray Knights can apparently use strange powers... But he's no match for me and my Double Blessing!）

Keith Wolford was fourteen, highly self-confident, and eager to fight. His two older sisters had always doted on him, one of them was a Holy Maiden, and he had only recently discovered that he too possessed a Double Blessing.

He had completely set aside the fact that Allen had utterly defeated him earlier.

In truth, Keith was strong. With two Blessings, even if neither was the Blessing of 〈Destruction〉, his physical abilities became incomparably greater than those of an ordinary person.

（A little squirt like this will be easy!)

Once they reached the backyard, Keith handed Theo a training sword.

Theo silently accepted it and took his stance. His tightly drawn lips made his displeasure obvious.

"Gray Knights use the power of curses as weapons, right? Go ahead and use it."

"That power is for fighting Termea."

"Don't hold back and complain afterward. Here I come!"

Keith swung his training sword upward, from low to high.

Normally, swinging a sword down from above gave it more force. But a Double Blessing could overcome such a difference in strength.

Keith expected the unexpected trajectory to easily knock Theo's sword aside.

But contrary to his expectation, Theo took a step back and deflected Keith's rising sword.

"That swing will hurt your wrist."

"Hyaah!!"

Keith tried to sweep his raised sword sideways, but Theo quickly moved aside and widened the distance between them.

（I'll close a gap that small in one leap!）

The physical abilities granted by a Double Blessing were so great that running normally could make his feet tangle.

That was why it was more efficient to move with short, low leaps when going all out.

The instant Keith made one such leap, Theo closed the distance. Holding his sword horizontally, Theo extended it into Keith's path.

"Guh!?"

It was like charging at high speed only to find a sturdy bar placed directly in front of him.

Even if he wanted to stop at the last moment, it was difficult to halt suddenly in the middle of a leap.

Keith took the blow squarely in the stomach and doubled over, clutching it as he retched. Since he had the Blessing of 〈Regeneration〉, it probably would not bruise. But pain was still pain.

（Damn it... His arm strength isn't anything special, but...）

Theo's stance resembled Allen's. No wonder they fought like brothers.

And yet, he was decisively different from Allen.

Allen Lawrence, whom Theo regarded as an older brother, gave the impression that he had eyes in the heavens, looking down on his opponent's movements from above.

If Allen's sword was a sword of heaven, Theo's was a sword of earth. His feet were firmly planted on the ground.

Every stance and step was careful. He was always thinking, seeking the best possible move. That was how he fought.

"I learned it after trying Curse Armament Manifestation. Physical Strengthening is very useful, but it makes your movements bigger."

Theo was right. Physical Strengthening made movements broader, especially when one had only recently gained a Double Blessing.

It was easy to rely on brute strength instead of fine technique.

"Allen fights much better."

"Shut up!!"

Keith thought.

No matter how skilled his opponent was, they could not dodge something too fast to see.

（In other words, if I hit him incredibly fast and with incredible strength, I win!）

Faster and stronger! Fast and strong, strong and fast!

Keith stepped forward and slashed.

Since the match began, Theo had been observing Keith's footwork, shoulder movements, and gaze.

Keith's movements were straightforward. He did not use feints. Surely that was because his physical abilities alone had always been enough for him to win without them.

（First, read his eyes and determine what he intends to do. Then, the timing...)

Once, Theo had asked Allen how he could swing his sword with such perfect timing. Allen had casually replied:

"Your opponent's arm and leg lengths, and the distance between you. If you take one look, you can tell when your swords will meet, right?"

Allen made it sound very simple, so whenever Theo walked through town, he trained by judging the lengths of passersby's legs and predicting when they would cross paths.

（Keith is aiming for the same opening move, an upward slash...)

If he knew the opponent's aim and timing, he could move his body to evade even without seeing the attack.

Whoosh.

An iron mass sliced through the air. At that instant, Theo pulled his head back and avoided the upward attack. Careful not to touch the path of Keith's sword, he traced the tip of his blade along Keith's neck.

Had it not been a blunted sword, one more step would have cleanly cut through Keith's neck, and it was at that brush with death that Keith's feet stopped.

"You two! What are you doing!?"

A familiar angry voice rang out. Theo lowered his sword and turned around.

Running toward them was a blond man with slicked-back hair and a diagonal scar on his face: Oswald Gregory.

And behind him was someone else. Theo's eyes widened when he spotted that familiar, tall figure.

"Theo!"

"Allen...!"

They had been apart for less than a month since Worg, yet Theo had missed him terribly.

Allen had taken Theo in, and Theo saw him as an older brother. He now wore a Holy Knight uniform, with a fine sword at his hip.

Allen. Ah, the real Allen.

"Alleeen!"

Theo threw aside his training sword and ran toward Allen... then clenched his fist.

Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he threw a straight right.

"You utter fool!"

Theo's full-force strike was evaded as Allen twisted half his body aside.

Allen frowned and muttered.

"Starting with 'utter fool' is a bit much, isn't it?"

"Shut up! I'm angry!"

Yes, Theo had been angry all along. He was so frustrated and furious that it felt as though his head might explode.

Keith was not the target of that anger.

"What are you so angry about? Are you hungry?"

At Allen's crude attempt to calm him down, Theo sharply pointed at the frozen Keith.

"I heard you suffered a pathetic defeat to Keith over there!?"

"...Huh?"

Allen's blank, wide-eyed expression only made Theo angrier.

When Keith said Allen had lost to him, Theo had been so furious at Allen that he wanted to flip over a table and stomp his feet.

Keith's strength had nothing to do with this anger. Whether Keith was strong or weak, Allen could not lose.

"Why did you lose right after becoming a Holy Knight!? Allen is my rival, and the man who'll become my older brother!"

Theo roared, his green eyes blazing.

"I won't allow Allen to lose to anyone but me!"

Allen froze with his mouth half open.

Then, pffft! he burst out laughing.

"Ahahahahaha!"

"What are you laughing at!? I'm seriously angry!"

Instead of an answer, hee, hee... laughter came from Allen, wheezing and convulsive.

Allen bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed, and spoke between bursts of laughter.

"Mr. Oz, Mr. Oz, did you hear that...? Heh, hehe... Isn't my little brother funny?"

Oswald Gregory pressed a finger between his brows and let out a long sigh before glaring at Keith.

Keith turned away with a sulky expression.

In a voice that did not hide his exasperation, Oswald said:

"Theo, Allen defeated Keith earlier."

"Huh?"

"I saw it myself, so there is no mistake. Keith is the one who lost."

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