Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 34

Honorable Duel (2)

The blood of nobles is pale blue.

Because there are responsibilities, obligations, and karma that cannot be borne by warm red.

“…….”

But Alicia wasn’t ready to be cold yet.

The gaze of countless people towards oneself.

And even Ender’s ferocious eyes glaring at him in front of him.

‘It’s hard to breathe.’

No matter how determined she was, it was difficult for Alicia, a girl not yet 20 years old, to withstand the momentum of Ender, who had been through many hardships.

That’s why I turned my head.

To avoid his gaze as naturally as possible.

And what was waiting for her where she turned her head were the blue eyes she saw that day.

“……?”

A blond boy with a stupid expression on his face as if wondering what’s going on.

As the boy came into view, Alicia was able to regain her focus.

My pounding heart calmed down, my dizzy vision returned, and the cold sweat that had been flowing ceaselessly stopped.

The comfort she felt on the hill where her father and mother were was present in the blue eyes of the boy she was looking at now.

Inside, I was finally able to exhale.

※※※※

Vlad was quenching his appetite while looking at the knight standing next to Xayar.

‘He was on our side.’

He was an unknown man who had spied on the opposing team’s knights like himself yesterday.

Joubert, a knight sent by the Shahzad family.

Looking at Joubert, who was looking at him with playful eyes, Vlad was about to become crooked without even realizing it.

‘Somehow he knew me.’

The person who overpowered him, pretended to be close to him without permission, and ultimately abandoned him without any regrets.

[The woman named Alicia definitely got a good paddle. I think there is a good chance of winning.]

‘I guess so.’

Although he couldn’t answer out loud in front of so many people, Vlad also thought that there was a high possibility that Alicia would be the winner of this duel.

Although I couldn’t even look at the knights who were close to Ender’s side, the knights Colin and Pablo were not as good as Jayar and Joubert, no matter how high I put them.

Joubert, the knight sent by the Shahzad family, had reached such a level that his voice could not easily read his energy.

Considering the rules of this duel, which was a best-of-three match, it was a fairly predictable result.

Even if it means giving up one person.

※※※※

“Stop! Please stop it! “I surrender!”

The priest’s intervention came along with Alicia’s urgent request.

“Stop! “The duel is over!”

“……yet!”

“Lord Duncan. Your master waved his handkerchief. “Admit defeat.”

“…….”

It was a fierce but also sad duel.

Old knight Duncan.

He had guarded the Hainal family for a long time, and although he was over 60 years old, he still maintained his skills, but ultimately the passage of time was inevitable.

I tried my best, but the world only accepted the results in the end.

“It was a good fight. “Captain.”

“…Am I still your leader?”

Duncan gritted his teeth as he looked at the young knight holding out his hand towards him.

Charles, a knight of the Hainal family who offered his sword to Endre.

“……Not required.”

He was raised with the thought that he would become the future of the Hainal family, but now he has returned to the form of a sword that cuts down its owner.

It was his own misjudgment, and it ended up hurting Alicia, so Duncan’s miserable feelings were indescribable.

Although he stumbled due to his wounds, Duncan slapped her hand away with the last of his pride and bowed his head towards Alicia with a feeling of guilt that he could not hide.

“……”

Although her expression was unwavering, deep ripples were occurring in Alicia’s eyes.

An old knight who asks for forgiveness for his mess.

Because he was like the last remaining pillar to Alicia.

Duncan’s blood came back to Alicia as tears.

“This duel is the victory of Lord Ender’s knight, Sir Charles!”

With the priest’s declaration, those accompanying Ender let out loud cheers.

Just as Ender risked everything to gain the Hainal family, they would also have risked a lot for Ender.

The winner takes everything and the loser loses everything.

Those who took the first step toward victory under the universal laws of the world were clearly worthy of shouting.

“Next deputies, come out!”

Vlad swallowed his saliva as he heard the priest tell him to come out and call the next duelist.

A best-of-three duel.

Among them, the person who performs the most important duties is probably the person who takes the second position.

If the first person wins, he can decide the winner, and if he loses, he is tasked with handing the duel over to the third person, pledging to win.

“Alicia’s second knight, please come forward!”

And the knight in charge of that important mission was none other than Zayar of the Bayezid family.

One-eyed Xayar.

Although he was not a knight with a fancy title, Duncan and Joubert unanimously decided to place Zayar in second place.

The weight of the name Bayezid guaranteed that level of trust.

“Jayaryo.”

“Colin.”

What is important to a knight is his lord’s orders first and his own honor second.

What many people saw as an honor duel was a battle from which one could not back down, risking his master’s orders and his own honor.

Therefore, even though it was the first time we met, it was a situation that had no choice but to naturally rise.

The two knights began glaring at each other across the floor strewn with red blood drops.

“Where did you sell one of your eyes?”

“I ate because I was hungry.”

“nice!”

Colin was big enough to have a head, but Xayar did not back down at all.

Rather than saying he didn’t back down, it seemed like he was just ignoring it as if it was annoying.

“Then everyone must have come downstairs. “You’ll never find it again.”

“I know.”

“You two, move to your designated seats!”

It seemed like he was trying to provoke something in his own way, but Jayar was a person who didn’t move to that extent.

Rather, a dark tendon was carved deeply into Colin’s forehead due to Xayar’s attitude of ignoring him like a dog.

“I’ll say it again. The fight ends when the agent or principal expresses his/her intention to surrender and suffers injuries so severe that he cannot continue the duel. And Aurors are prohibited from using it.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll dig out every single eye that’s left. “One-eyed.”

“…Please don’t forget that it is an honorable duel.”

Colin’s growling was unusual, but the priest stepped back to begin the duel.

Even if it was an honor duel with rules, since it involved fighting with a sword, sometimes things could get out of hand.

“God allows it under today’s sun!”

“Kaaaa!”

As soon as the priest’s signal was given, Colin screamed and rushed towards Xayar.

The speed was unbelievable for someone of such a large size, but it was a powerful blow worthy of someone of such size.

Indeed, he was showing his skill enough to be called a mud boar in the central region with just one swing of the sword.

Zayar, who took the brunt of the force, just stood there with a blank expression.

bang!

Colin’s sword shatters the floor of the hall with a huge explosion.

Debris from the floor flew out in all directions.

“Oh oh!”

“Just as I heard, your strength is amazing!”

Alicia clutched her chest at Colin’s blow, which resonated loudly in the hall, and Vlad took out the dried fruit Joubert had given him yesterday and bit into it.

Because it started now.

“…….”

It was Colin who saw that Zayar had avoided the blow by one step and figured that he had a good chance of winning.

It would be better if it were a little faster.

I just need to hit it a little harder.

Then you will be able to catch up with that narrow step.

bang-! bang-! bang-!

Colin, who smelled victory, began to chase after Xayar’s afterimage with his sword in full spirits.

With each strike, the hall shook and people’s exclamations and shouts rang out.

“……this.”

However, the knights standing on Ender’s side noticed that the momentum of the fight was strangely distorted.

And that’s when Colin, the person involved, sensed that something was wrong.

“¡Olé.”

“You bastard…”

Now that Colin was facing Xayar, he could see that all his efforts had been in vain.

Unlike himself, who was completely out of breath, Jayar had a clean-cut face without a single disorder.

“…….”

Vlad, who was watching the duel, felt Xayar making eye contact with him.

He was signaling to Vlad by pointing his finger to his unmasked right eye.

Take a close look.

A kid trying to run even though he can’t even walk properly.

“You bastard!”

Colin, who was very excited, tightened his grip on his sword and swung it at Xayar, but his sword could not find its target and only cut through the empty air.

“…!”

Colin was astonished with his eyes wide open.

Because Xayar’s new form was strangely splitting apart.

The footwork was neither fast nor slow, but it contained numerous possibilities.

Is it right or left?

Are you avoiding backwards or moving forward?

I couldn’t guess.

“profit!”

Colin opened his eyes wide and swung his sword ceaselessly, trying to ignore Xayar’s movements that were deceiving him.

It wasn’t a sharp move, but in some ways it was the best choice.

Because when you can’t come up with a clear alternative, you have to do the best you can.

And Colin wasn’t the only one watching Xayar’s movements with wide eyes.

[Watch carefully. Is that what I’m doing to show you?]

‘…….’

Last night, Zayar gave a sharp warning to his anxious squire.

Before you think about running, think about walking properly.

At the same time, he showed off one of his tricks and handed over a candy to a whining Vlad.

‘You can only use the same technology as you do now if you have the right basics.’

“Kaaaaap!”

Colin was screaming and striking his greatsword non-stop.

The thick veins engraved on his shoulders and forearms showed how powerful the sword was.

Tung-!

It only bounced lightly with a dull sound.

Empty! Empty! Teuung-!

Colin’s attacks continued, but Xayar was countering them without any error.

No, I was cutting it off.

[That’s it. There’s a gap, right?]

Every time Xayar struck back with his sword, Colin’s momentum was subtly faltering.

It was a gap that was bound to arise as the RBI was forced to deviate.

[It’s a counterattack.]

A counterattack.

A technique of hitting the second ball along the gap created while blocking the first attack.

It is an advanced technique that reads the opponent’s moves and responds accordingly, and was created with a strange approach of suppressing the first strike with the second strike.

Although it was difficult to attempt, it was also a technique that promised death if successful.

“…!”

Vlad was looking at the miracle that Xayar was showing with his eyes wide open.

Tears were about to flow from his forcibly raised eyes, but the boy, who was thirsty for everything, was gorging himself on the scene he was seeing with his eyes.

Without even breathing.

I was lucky to meet Zayar.

Although he was a rough and twisted person, he was a person who made sure to do what he had to do.

Today’s class is a counterattack.

Gyobojae was a wild boar from the central region.

※※※※

“It’s over.”

Xayar adjusted his eye patch and looked at the priest.

“The winner is Sir Xayar, the knight who represents Mistress Alicia!”

Jayar’s victory was clearly declared, but instead of cheering, the people on Alicia’s side just looked dead.

A battlefield filled with silence.

People on Endre’s side were stunned by the strange atmosphere that Jayar gave off, and people on Alicia’s side were at a loss for words.

“……”

However, the person who was even more silent than them was Colin, who was currently kneeling with a blank expression on his face.

He hit a wall today.

And I felt embarrassed.

It was something so huge that it seemed impossible to overcome.

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Did you take a good look?”

Vlad was just grateful when he saw Xayar deliberately creating a scene for him.

Although I didn’t show it.

“Thank you. “Lord Xayar.”

“I just followed Joseph’s orders.”

Duncan expressed his sincere gratitude to Xayar for his victory.

His appearance, wrapped in red-stained bandages, was quite pitiful, but Xayar was as polite as possible.

“Next duelists, please come forward!”

Duncan lost and Zayar won.

Now that the vanguard and midfield battles are over, all that remains is the grand battle.

“Is it my turn?”

At the priest’s call, Joubert entered the duel arena, stroking his well-maintained Kaiser mustache.

This duel is enough.

If she wins this, Alicia will become the rightful Baron of Hainal, recognized in the name of God.

The earnest gazes of Alicia, Duncan, and their followers focused on Joubert’s back.

However, Joubert, who was actually involved, just smiled inexplicably as if nothing had happened.

Two knights entered the duel arena, walking through the silence created by Xayar.

“Arnstein’s Pablo.”

“Once again. “We’ve seen each other before.”

“Arnstein’s Pablo.”

“……Shazad’s Joubert.”

Joubert smiled sheepishly as he saw the other person not getting the joke.

He turned his head and greeted Alicia.

It was a wonderful greeting that I learned properly.

“huh?”

However, Josef, who was watching the duel from the VIP table, noticed something was wrong when he saw the greeting that Joubert had just given.

This is because it was not a greeting that could be used in the current situation.

“I’ll say it again. The match is decided when the agent expresses his/her intention to surrender and when the duel cannot proceed…” The

priest was diligently explaining the rules of the duel, but Joubert just stood there blankly.

“I will abstain.”

“…If there is a serious injury. “What did you say just now?”

The priest could not understand the words that came out of Joubert’s mouth at once.

Because although I heard it with my ears, I did not understand it with my head.

Because it was something that couldn’t be said right now and shouldn’t have been said.

“I will abstain.”

Like an actor on stage, Joubert looked around with exaggerated gestures and shouted.

“I, Joubert, the representative sent by the Shahzad family, will abstain from this duel.”

“…….”

“…….”

Joubert, who actually spoke the words, seemed as if nothing had happened, but to those involved who had to accept those words, it was a declaration like thunder.

A terrible silence fell in the hall.

“This…this.”

Duncan, who had finally come to his senses, was struggling with his injured hand as if this could not happen.

“…!”

Alicia, the person involved in the duel, was standing up with her lips quivering.

Her white skin was turning pale blue.

When everyone is panicking without understanding what is happening.

Clap-clap-clap-

The sound of someone clapping was quietly echoing in a hall filled with silence.

“It’s abstention!”

Ender Hainal.

“Then the duel is over!”

The man, the second heir to the Hainal family, finally revealed his hidden teeth.

“Isn’t that so!”

There was a man who confidently shouted alone in the silence of everyone.

He was an accuser and a usurper.

He was also the one who held four cards before entering the duel arena.

“……shit.”

Josef, who noticed that he was caught up in a nasty situation, quickly signaled Bordan with a wave of his hand.

“Now acknowledge me before God, priest!”

Joubert’s greeting to Alicia with an exaggerated gesture.

It was a goodbye.

“That I am the only and rightful High Day!”

This duel was rigged from the beginning.

By those who do not know honor.