Level up with swords (9)
It was a few days after the conversation with El Monte.
Today, as always, the sun sets across the sky to the west, leaving behind only its dark tail, turning into twilight.
The boundary time between day and night.
The school, once bustling with students, was as quiet as ever. All the students going to and from school had gone home, and the students staying in the dormitory had also finished eating dinner.
So, no one encountered Leon as he headed to the annex.
Jerk, jerk.
Only the sound of footsteps echoes in the empty hallway. It is a sound that is difficult to hear during the day when there is all kinds of noise. Leon concentrated his thoughts as he listened to that unfamiliar noise.
It’s been quite a while since I sparred with someone other than Lian.
In the commoners’ class, there was no one other than Lian who could spar with him, and Lian didn’t spar with anyone else.
Other students misunderstood it as a friendship.
“ah.”
[What?]
El Cid asked after seeing Leon suddenly stop.
“No, it’s nothing special. “I think I know why the Elmont gang started picking a fight with me now.”
[hmm? Why?]
“It’s because of Lian.”
Leon walked again and explained the reason.
“In the meantime, because I hung out with Rihanna all the time, I treated him as someone who shouldn’t be touched. But since we haven’t spoken or even sparred for over a month, I guess I was wondering if I should try to touch him. “The reason you came to see me so openly last time was to find out if Rian was interfering with you.”
[What if Rian stopped them?]
“They said there was a minor misunderstanding, so they probably got their foot bitten.”
In some ways, it was a very noble thing to do.
Although his mouth is watering like a wild cat that smells blood, he stabs it once just in case. When it comes to politics, there is no bigger variable than the intervention of someone higher than my status.
No Risk High Return.
This was the situation most favored by aristocrats without commercial morals.
[Ha, that’s absurd.]
El Cid even snorted and laughed at those words.
[No risk, does the world seem so easy? In the end, you ended up falling for my trick. If we had started an argument on the spot, it would have ended with one or two people being embarrassed.]
“That is correct. “It was a good thing for me.”
Leon also agreed with that opinion.
Elmont’s biggest mistake was failing to observe Ryan well as he was trying to avoid the variable. I didn’t worry about why Leon was so relaxed or why he kept fighting instead of backing down.
They just ignored it, disparaging it as the struggle of an insignificant person.
It’s like not being able to find the stone beak under your feet because you’ve been looking down from a high position since you were born.
“I will completely break your arrogance.”
Leon let out a cold voice and walked into the annex.
“Are you here?”
As soon as he crossed the threshold, a deep voice greeted him.
Instructor Helmut.
He is famous for being the most strict in the academy. His sparse gray hair resembled a lion’s mane.
A physique that has not declined at all even though he is over 60.
The muscles that stood out through the thick clothes looked like they could crush a rock. Inside the hollow eyelids, a strange look was looking at Leon.
“It’s changed quite a bit in just one month.”
Helmut spoke in a voice filled with slight surprise.
“If you were planning on doing something reckless, I would have tried to stop you, but I guess that wasn’t necessary. Isn’t that right, Leon?”
“···I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“That’s sly.”
Despite Leon’s refusal, he smiled happily.
I knew that the Elmont gang was engaging in this kind of behavior, but I could not intervene with the authority of a single instructor. All it did was protect them from getting seriously hurt.
However, that vicious cycle seemed to be broken this time.
“Do whatever you want.”
“yes?”
“Show those idiots an example, understand?”
Leon widened his eyes for a moment and nodded.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the agreed upon location.
On the flat floor, a circle with a diameter of 20 meters glows softly. It was a symbol of the rule that if you step on it during a match, you will lose ‘out of bounds’.
The nobleman who came first shouted at Leon.
“you! “For a commoner to keep me waiting, his liver must have gone overboard!”
“haha.”
Helmut, who was standing next to him, laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
To him, who could clearly see the gap between the two, the little boy of the Heinrich family was like a rabbit doing tricks in front of a bear.
Leon walked on, paying no heed to that overbearing attitude.
He entered the circle without saying a word in return.
“Instructor, let’s start right away.”
“good night.”
Before the other person, whose attitude of ignoring him rolled his eyes, had no time to say anything, Helmut opened his mouth.
“Jeff Heinrich, and Leon. You will compete with each other’s honor and oaths under my presence. Sepp Heinrich, what do you want from this match?”
“That commoner is confessing his own sins.”
“Hmm?”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Helmut looked back at Leon with a strange expression, but smiled bitterly when he saw that calm and weak face.
And he asked Leon the same question.
“Leon, what do you want from this match?”
“This is the last time I will be involved in this match.”
“good night.”
After hearing the two people’s conditions, Helmut nodded.
There are two roles given to observers.
One is to judge the winner fairly, and the other is to notarize the conditions for the winner.
Now, there was only one step left for Leon and Jeff.
“Fight the sword!”
At Helmut’s signal, the two raised their swords.
It is a wooden sword, not an iron sword.
This was because even an unsharpened sword could cut flesh if it was injected with aura. It was an unfavorable condition for Leon, who could not use Aurors, so Helmut personally intervened.
It was right after that.
“start!”
At the same time, Leon took the first step.
[Leon, should I show you that guy’s abilities?]
‘no it’s okay.’
Leon’s eyes widened after rejecting El Cid’s offer. Being able to know his opponent’s abilities was a great advantage, but if he relied on that convenience, he would not be able to trust his own eyes.
No matter how great he is, he is just one of El Monte’s subordinates.
There was no reason to lend El Cid’s power to a guy like that.
Kiiiiing.
Increases concentration. The field of view becomes wider, and visual information from all directions is absorbed, regardless of whether it is up, down, left, or right.
<Rodrik’s plan> was consciously activated.
Then I had the illusion that the whole world was slowing down.
The brain, which has received a huge amount of information, accelerates at will, turning a momentary noise into a long-lasting tinnitus. Normally, it was a feeling that I should have felt at least once in a desperate moment.
‘come.’
The enemy moved in a slow world.
Did you say Sepp Heinrich?
I will never think of that name again. It wasn’t until he took a look at the man’s gray hair, blue tie, and even the ring on his right index finger that he felt the need to respond.
A diagonal cut that goes from the upper right to the lower left.
As it was a very obvious trajectory, just in case it was a trick, Leon took a half step out of the way and held out his wooden sword.
and… … .
Bah!
The wooden sword exploded on the side of Jeff’s head as he ran at full speed.
“Gyeong.”
Jeff lost consciousness in one hit, and Leon looked at the little guy with a blank expression.
Did you ever think that you would win in vain like this?
I feel like a fool for being even a little nervous.
[You said you would win.]
Even Helmut, who was standing outside the circle, pursed his lips in embarrassment, but El Cid spoke as if he knew that would happen.
Even though it resides in the holy sword, does that mean it has the insight of a great hero?
While Leon was inwardly admiring, Jeff, who had fainted, slowly got up. As if he didn’t know anything, he fainted after being hit on the head and was looking around stupidly.
It was Helmut who made him realize the cruel reality.
“Jeff Heinrich, you lost.”
“yes?!”
Jeff shouted in disbelief at those words, and then raised his voice as he approached Leon.
“You guy, don’t you think you won just because you hit one shot by chance! This is a mistake! One more time. “Compete with me once again!”
This is an extremely rude attitude.
Even though they were commoners and nobles, they seemed to have forgotten that they were not the only ones here.
Deep anger appeared on Helmut’s expressionless face.
“That’s it! Jeff, I won’t allow you to behave any further than that—”
“Well, of course.”
“···what?”
In response to Leon’s refreshing answer, Helmut asked back without realizing it. To withdraw from a game that has been won is, in common sense, nonsense.
Jeff, who was shameless, reacted immediately to that answer.
“ha ha ha! Even though he is a commoner, he knows the subject in his own way. “Okay, since you showed sincerity, I’ll take matters into my own hands as well.”
“······.”
Leon, who didn’t even feel worth answering, raised his sword.
It means that we will truly compete once again.
Jeff, who had not yet fully grasped the situation, raised his sword with glee, and Helmut just let out a long sigh while massaging the back of his neck.
Since the parties overturned the decision, it was inevitable.
“start.”
Leon laughed at that weak voice and looked ahead.
[Okay, this time, practice instead of finishing it in one shot.]
El Cid understood his intention and chuckled.
That guy named Jeff probably thought Leon had given in, but he would soon learn that it was better to just admit defeat.
It was mercy to end it cleanly with one blow.
Kiiiiing.
As in the beginning, the world slows down.
Leon moved his gaze, shivering at the unfamiliar sensation.
The enemy is moving several times slower. I could even see the movements of my arms, legs, and pupils. Leon, who had learned <Rodrik’s Method>, was able to recognize it at the same time.
That was the moment I realized that fact.
‘ah!’
The image comes to mind half a beat faster than Jeff’s movements.
Because we have identified all the movements that are the starting point of movement, we can now predict what happens next.
‘It’s definitely a little faster than the first time, but…’
Horizontal thrust.
From the upper right downward slash to a horizontal slash.
Continuous attacks targeting the neck, waist, knees and shoulders.
Leon avoided all of Jeff’s attacks with perfect movements without any errors. He must have started using his aura, but his acceleration increased, but even so, he only brushed his collar a couple of times.
‘Gap.’
Jeff stopped in his tracks due to the recoil from the repeated attack. Even though it was a physical ability enhanced by Aurors, its limitations were clear.
Exhausted muscles become stiff and exhausted breathing becomes rapid.
Jeff’s mistake was that he recklessly tried to continuously attack an opponent who was difficult to hit. Due to his lack of practical experience, he forgot ‘how to allocate stamina’.
Sigh!
And Leon, who saw the opportunity, hit his thigh.
“Ouch!”
Jeff, who was not used to pain, trembled, but did not drop the sword. He somehow took two steps back, took a deep breath, and reflected on his mistake.
My mistake was that I couldn’t overcome my impatience and launched consecutive attacks.
Jeff gritted his teeth as he decided to take a different approach.
‘You fool! You should have finished me just now. ‘You can’t defeat me with this level of sword strikes!’
But Jeff didn’t know until the end.
It’s not that Leon couldn’t finish him just a moment ago, it’s that he didn’t finish him, and he could have ended the fight at any time.
The reason this meaningless fight continued was because Leon treated him like a scarecrow. In order to practice <Rodrik’s Eye Method>, he needed an enemy that could move like this.
So Leon dealt with Jeff very carefully.
So that the other person doesn’t go too far in one or two rooms, and don’t miss any openings that may be revealed…
Bah! Sigh! Sigh! Bye!
The sound of a song and a crackling sound rang out in the quiet annex.
[Good! After all, this training must be done in practice!]
El Cid, the sword symbolizing the goddess of mercy, cheered at the one-sided beating and was busy giving advice.
They say it hurts when you hit your shin gently rather than hard.
The clavicle is a soft bone and can be broken at once.
If you hit the wrong head, you’ll faint, so finish it off.
It could be said that it was a lecture more suitable for back alley thugs than for warriors leading peace. And as he listened to the lecture while beating up Jeff, Leon’s knife skills became increasingly vicious.
“Ha, hangbogeeeek!”
Jeff tried to surrender after receiving nearly a hundred hits, but Leon did not allow even that and beat him up.
Helmut, who was supposed to stop it, just cleared his throat a little because he was indifferent to the Elmont gang, and when he saw that they were avoiding critical points, he decided to just watch.
“Winner, Leon!”
It was two hours later that Jeff was finally taken to the infirmary.