Chapter 147
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 147 – The Third Night
When they heard the signal to start, they both stepped forward at the same time.
Dill also stepped forward without slowing down, and unlike the first run, he stood boldly in front of Logas.
“…..?”
Seeing Dill, who looked completely different from before, Logas was startled for a moment.
But what he had to do was the same.
He swung his sword as usual and used all his strength to defeat his opponent. That was all there was to it.
“Zeaaaah!”
A swing that was not too big but bold enough.
The best solution for Logas was demonstrated, and the blow was swung down at Dill.
A frontal strike was what he wanted.
But Dill was sure of that as well.
“Kuh… it’s heavy. But I can take it…”
Dill remembers training with his father.
It was a blow from a man called Marshal Lloyd that he had received since he was a child.
Even though it has been reduced, the weight of the blow is not that of an ordinary person. It is a heavy, heavy blow that he has received since he started holding a sword.
Because he has continued to receive such blows, the power of the blow has gradually built up in Dill’s body.
This power was nothing less than what it would take to stop a blow from Logas…
“Are you going… frontally…?”
It was a close encounter that made one wonder where such power could be found.
In Dill’s case, there are other skills he has developed in addition to his muscular strength.
“I have to show Ain-sama that I can do it too…!”
Gritting his teeth, he spreads his strength throughout his body.
It circulated through every single blood vessel, concentrated from the brain to the tips of his fingers.
Not only was he physically tired, but he was also mentally exhausted from the concentration.
Despite this painful situation, Dill frantically moved his fingers and feet.
“Phew…! Hah!”
He swung his sword through his own breath without letting his blood boil too much.
He swung at the large sword held by Logas so as not to kill his own strength.
“Not yet. I’m not done yet…!”
It was a move that seemed to drive the opponent into a corner.
The best at it was what Ain had shown before.
He was always more than one step ahead in everything he did, swinging his sword as if he were leading and dominating.
He watched Logas’ every move and continued to move in a way that Logas hated.
“Nuh-uh…! What an annoying move!”
To break the ice, Logas makes a gesture of swinging his greatsword.
In the first fight here, Dill had stood around to avoid the exchange of blows.
But this time, he decided not to dodge but to take the fight.
“Break again!”
From the neck to the shoulders and from the shoulders down to the armpits to the waist. It reached his well-developed thighs, kneading power into his entire body.
Such a vicious upward swing hit Dill.
――But.
“Logas-dono…! You don’t seem to have any power!”
It was a desperate swing.
Dill had the upper hand, so there was a hint of something in his grip.
The grip was weaker than usual, and there was no power in the legs, not even in the toes. His hip position was a little unstable, and he may not have been able to twist his body enough.
These little acc.u.mulations had become a blow that Dill could catch, even if it was a blow that used his whole body.
“H-How did you catch that…!”
If you catch a sword as if you were holding it from above, your opponent won’t be able to put any power into it.
In addition to the stand-up with Lloyd, it was also the blow Ain gave him when he returned from the Demon King’s castle.
Dill used it brilliantly and held Logas from the front.
“Kuh… ah… power…!”
Perhaps because he was trying to swing up, his center of gravity was not stable.
His entire body was also unable to function properly, and the physical advantage was overwhelmingly in Dill’s favor.
But Logas was determined not to be outdone.
“I’ll take the second one…!”
Dill was so excited that he finally said it himself.
Then he put all his strength into his body and pushed Logas’ sword to the side.
Then, seeing that Logas’ front was now empty, Dill pressed his sword against Logas’ chest.
“Hah… hah… one point, right?”
He looked at Logas, out of breath, and Logas’ face was colored with surprise.
For the two of them, it was a time when many thoughts crossed their minds, but from a third party’s point of view, it was only a fraction of a dozen seconds or so.
It was natural for Dill to look tired since he had worked so hard in that short time.
“――Yes. I lost the second round.”
Logas admitted defeat, and the second round was a victory for Dill.
Upon hearing these words, Dill used his sword like a staff to support his body.
There was no doubt that he had won the match, but the difference in physical strength really showed.
On the other hand, even though he had finished his second match, Logas still seemed to have a lot of time left.
“F-Father lost a point…?”
“Grint! Logas just let him win, so don’t say such stupid things!”
Logas was an absolute presence for Heim.
The fact that he had lost a point was a big shock to the people in Heim.
“It’s just like Tigre said. Look, Logas still has a lot of room to maneuver.”
It was true.
Unlike Dill, who used his sword as a walking stick, Logas stood up alone and began to walk toward Heim with steps that were not heavy.
Looking at him, one could be forgiven for thinking that Logas had given him a victory.
“…..”
Seeing Heim’s group waiting for his return, Logas smiled at them for a moment.
But after that, his mental state was one of the worst possible.
――I lost a point to a boy not even twenty years old…? Logas said in his mind.
The only other time he’d ever lost a point that he could think of was in his last fight with Ed.
And yet, he lost a point in a head-to-head confrontation as well.
Feeling helpless, he tightened his grip on his sword.
It was not a feeling of humiliation, but it had been a long time since he had felt this frustrated.
“The third will surely be my victory. But… Well, I have to straighten out this weak-willed self.”
Logas, the great general of the Kingdom of Heim.
He honed his concentration and increased his fighting spirit for the third round.
＊＊＊
As Logas began to regain consciousness, Dill returned to the Ishtalika group.
His arms were slightly numb from the effort he had put into them, and his thighs were shaking with stress, probably from the effects of holding on as hard as he could.
“Dill. Let me see your hands.”
“Fa-Father…? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“Just let me see them.”
Lloyd said and pulled Dill’s hand forcibly.
Ain looked at them worriedly.
“You don’t have any strength in that area, do you?”
While ma.s.saging his hand, Lloyd pointed to a certain spot.
It was the inner part of the forearm, the muscle that connects to the fist when it is clenched tightly.
The muscle had pumped so much blood and condensed so much muscle that it was damaged to the point where it was difficult to exert any force.
“As expected from a man who claims to be a great general. I didn’t expect him to make me understand the difference in physical strength to this extent.”
“Huh… There are other ways to do it, though.”
Lloyd looks dismayed and turns his gaze to Ain.
“Ain-sama. As I told you before, this is what it means to be young.”
“S-so that’s what you meant by being young… I see.”
Just before the second round began, Lloyd told Ain.
Maybe he could get the second round, but he didn’t know about the third.
…This was probably the reason.
“I would have stayed calm and waited for the right moment, and then gradually stepped in with my sword. If you could have done that, I think you would have been a top-notch swordsman, but you were in a hurry to win.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I understand how you feel. I’m proud of you, too, because you managed to win one point. But you should have thought about the right time and place to overwork your body without thinking about the consequences.”
Dill quietly accepted Lloyd’s words and thought about what he needed to think about.
If he thought about the fact that he had the last one left, then a stand-up fight like the second one should have been the third one.
Even if he fought the third one under the current circ.u.mstances, the result would be clear.
“But you will have the best experience of your day in the third round.”
Lloyd smiled and spoke to Dill.
“The best experience?”
“Umu No matter how it looks, you’ve won the second round of Logas-dono. Considering the content of the first round, it must have changed his mind. Maybe he will show you his sword as a great general.”
“B-but isn’t that no different… from fighting with you, Father?”
“What are you talking about? Of course it isn’t. What I did was practice, and what Logas-dono shows in the third round is hostility.”
Upon hearing this, Ain, who was standing next to him, was deeply convinced.
Ain had experienced several battles in which he faced intense hostility.
It was the sea dragon and, more recently, the one-on-one battle with Marco.
Both were fights to the death.
As expected, because of the name of the friendly match, Logas will not come with the intention of killing him, but it is clear that the atmosphere will be different from the previous two.
“Lloyd-san. You mean he’s going to come in suddenly on his first turn?”
――Yes.
Logas would surely come to finish him off from the very first move.
He would be more powerful than ever, and at the same time, his speed and swordsmanship would be affected.
“As Ain-sama thinks, Logas-dono will lose all restraint and try to crush Dill from the very first move.”
Ain thought for a moment.
If that is the case, it is better to give up the fight, considering Dill’s body.
Because he didn’t think he should do the third round with his current physical strength if there was a chance he could get hurt.
…But Lloyd thought differently.
“Ain-sama. Dill has expressed that he will surpa.s.s me. Then that must not be avoided.”
Perhaps sensing what Ain was thinking, Lloyd told him this as if he were troubled.
“Are you all right? With the injury or something.”
“Dill. Can you make it?”
“O-of course! Ain-sama, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Dill bowed and apologized.
More than that, he didn’t want him to push himself too hard, but looking into Dill’s eyes, Ain couldn’t stop him strongly enough.
“Fufu… That’s an admirable pride you have, Dill.”
Sylvird, who had been inquiring about the situation, came over to help the exhausted Dill.
“The second was brilliant too.”
“That’s too kind of you.”
“As for the third, you should go and experience the true spirit of your opponent. Your sword is nothing to be ashamed of as a knight of Ishtalika. Don’t worry if you fall down, I’ll have Lloyd carry you up. Hahaha!”
What if he fought haplessly?
For Dill, who was worried about such things, there were no better words of encouragement.
Encouraged by Sylvird, Dill stood up.
“Hah. I will give it everything I have right now.”
“That’s it, Lloyd. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble carrying your exhausted son.”
“Oh, Your Majesty. What are you talking about? I carried Dill when he collapsed just last month…”
“Fa-Father! That’s a secret…!”
Dill’s face flushed with embarra.s.sment as he overheard Lloyd’s revelation.
“What’s that? Dill, can I ask you about it?”
“No!”
“Ain-sama. It’s no big deal, I just carried Dill, who couldn’t get up from training with me, and carried him…”
“Fa… Father, you betrayed me very quickly…”
“There was no way I could say no when Ain-sama asked me.”
This was a reasonable excuse.
However, despite his embarra.s.sment, Dill felt the tension relax.
His body seemed to become lighter and lighter.
“Ain-sama.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Dill, who has regained his energy, called out to Ain.
He made a gesture as if his grip had recovered as well.
“After finishing the third round and returning home, would you like to talk about how my father was scolded by my mother the other day?”
“I would like to hear about it. I’ll be waiting for you with all my might, so be careful!”
“Hey, Dill? You betrayed your father!”
Ain and Sylvird laughed at the exchange between the two.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way!”
Without answering Lloyd, Dill walked lightly toward the center of the circle.
Seeing this, Lloyd put his hands to his temples and began to laugh as if troubled.
“My goodness. I am ashamed that my son has become such a naughty boy.”
“He’s grown into a good man, hasn’t he? I’m glad he became Ain’s bodyguard.”
“I have nothing more to say. Dill is a lucky man.”
＊＊＊
Dill, who had returned to the center of the circle, was greeted by Logas, who had returned to that spot earlier.
He looked into Dill’s face and spoke to him.
“That was magnificent swordsmanship you displayed earlier.”
Dill had not expected such honest praise.
He was taken aback, but he could not help but thank him.
“I am honored to hear you say that, Logas-dono.”
“That’s why I will also show you mine, my best sword.”
“You mean to say that you have held back until now?”
After hearing Dill’s words, Logas chose his words carefully and answered.
“It wasn’t holding back… But if I had to use an a.n.a.logy, I would say that I just wielded the sword as if it were a training exercise.”
“I see. Then the next sword you show me will be different?”
“Yes, that’s what I meant.”
Hearing this voice, Dill broke into a cold sweat.
He felt the presence of a strong man in the air that Logas was carrying.
It was not just a strong man but a completely superior one.
“…Please take care of me.”
After this conversation, both raised their hands to let Lloyd know that they were ready to go.
Lloyd saw this and gave the signal, and they both ran out at the same time, just like the second round.
――Still, they were the same up to the point where they started running.
As the distance between them grew closer, the two men raised their swords, putting them in a close combat situation.
As for Dill, there was a part of him that wanted to avoid this, but even if he avoided this first move, the next one would still be tough.
So he took the game head-on.
Up to this point, the situation was the same, but in the next moment, the situation changed instantly.
“Wha…?”
The situation became so intense that Dill tried to push Logas back with all his might.
But he didn’t move an inch, and Dill had a lot on his mind.
――Was he that tired? No, that’s not it… that’s…!
He remembered himself in the first and second rounds.
Even if he had full physical strength back then, would he be able to push back the current Logas?
This time, Logas was as heavy as a large rock, and it was pushing in like a gigantic monster.
It was clear that it was not a simple power, but even the sharp look in Logas’ eyes had an effect on it.
In other words, Dill was also pushed by the spirit of the Logas.
“――Kuh!”
“Hmph…!”
Logas’ body started to look bigger, and his presence increased.
The air was heavy on Dill, even before the issue of the difference in abilities.
The situation seemed to be at a standstill, but only for a few seconds.
Gradually, as Dill’s body was pushed backward, his knees lowered, a few inches at a time.
If he continued to be pushed, Logas should lose strength. Just as Dill thought that, Logas moved.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to crush you.”
Using the strength of his arms, he pushed Dill’s sword away from him and held it aside.
Then he pointed the bottom of his sword at Dill and used it to strike Dill’s sword as if he were poking it.
This was a completely different display of Logas’ skill than his previous fights.
And the localized impact threw Dill’s hand off balance.
“That’s not how it works…!”
Something like that would not break him.
Regardless of this thought, Logas’ attack was not over yet.
As soon as there is an opening, he moves his sword.
“Yes, of course it won’t end like this!”
He slashed at Dill while drawing his sword, and after he finished drawing, he changed his stance again.
This time, the middle part of the big sword. He swung his sword diagonally down at Dill’s side, aiming at the part of his body where he could apply the most force, and Dill reacted hastily.
“You’re young.”
――A feint.
It was only a feint, and as soon as Dill started to react, Logas made a change in the movement of the sword.
He stopped the movement of the heavy sword and lunged at the sword Dill was about to react to.
“Gghh…! Ah…!”
The sudden impact made it hard for him to breathe as the air in his lungs rushed out.
His brain must have been shaken as well. His vision was blurred, and he felt unsteady.
Nevertheless, he positioned his sword between himself and the rushing Logas and put all his strength into it so that he wouldn’t be knocked down somehow…
“This is the great sword of Heim…!”
Dill took the last blow but still showed his will.
He never let go of the sword and never showed any sign of doing more than dropping to one knee.
Logas, who swung his sword with the intention of blowing him away, praised Dill in his heart for his heroic performance in his young body, even though he was his enemy.
Thus, the friendly match between Ishtalika and Heim ended in a victory for Heim’s side, as Logas gained two points.
＊＊＊
“I’m sorry. You had to accompany me…”
That evening.
Heim had defeated Ishtalika, whom they hated, and there was a great celebration on the ship.
“No, I just wanted to take a walk myself.”
You could say he was being careless, but Tigre had left something in the main conference room and ordered Grint to pick it up.
Tigre could have asked any knight to do that. He thought about it for a moment, but since it belonged to Tigre, Grint understood that he had to go and get it himself.
Seeing Grint like that, Elena offered to accompany him.
She had been thinking a lot these past few days.
Maybe that was why she thought a walk in the evening would not be a bad idea.
They did so and made their way to the large conference room Ishtalika had built.
“Elena-dono. By the way, I am glad that His Majesty and His Highness are pleased.”
“Yes, indeed. I am sure they would have been displeased upon their return to Heim if the friendly match had been denied.”
“…But this is really the end of our relations with Ishtalika, isn’t it?”
Tomorrow, both countries would sail back home.
Once the meeting was over, there was no need to remain here.
“Elena-dono… Are you okay with the situation with Krone-dono?”
“What do you mean by okay?”
“I don’t think you’ll see her again. It was unfortunate that His Highness did not end up with Krone-dono, but I thought that Elena-dono might have something to think about if it meant that you would never see her again.”
“That girl seems to have already become independent and lives on her own. She left her parents. If that’s the case, I should probably let go of my child as well.”
She watched her daughter grow up to be more wonderful than she had ever imagined.
This made her more than happy.
The fact that she had lied to Heim was annoying, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least pray for her daughter’s happiness.
“Is that how it is? I still don’t know…”
“I’m sure Grint-dono will understand if you have a child with Anon-dono.”
With an embarra.s.sed look, Grint replied.
“Hahaha… Well, then I have high hopes for the future.”
Then, as if reconsidering, his expression changed, and he suddenly said that he was not convinced.
“But I’m not convinced…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“It’s about Krone-dono. I’m sorry to say this in front of Elena-dono, but I don’t understand why she chose him.”
“By “him,” do you mean His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Ain?”
“Of course. His face is certainly not bad, and he is said to be somewhat intelligent. But His Highness is a much better man.”
Hearing this, Elena also smiled as if she is worried.
When he met Ain in Magna, he introduced Elena to the inn.
Even though he went incognito, he showed his ability to deal with unknown people that way.
This was a good impression, as it should be for Elena, and it was a different idea from Grint’s.
“That’s why I don’t understand. I heard that even when she was in Heim, she refused His Highness’s invitation…”
The situation of the Roundheart family was a story that all social n.o.bles know.
The younger brother, Grint, was better and the older brother, Ain, was not fit to be the next head of the family.
This was a story that has been told many times, and from the perspective of Grint, the person involved, the feelings he had for his brother were probably even greater.
In a word, he subconsciously looked down on his brother.
“The sea dragon is said to be as big as the battleships of Ishtalika. But there is no way that such a monster can be defeated by just one person.”
“It’s certainly doubtful from what I’ve heard.”
“Right? Just because he’s the crown prince doesn’t mean that he should just be lifted up…”
…just as Grint was about to say something nasty behind Ain’s back.
On the path they were walking, a woman Elena knew well came down from the top of a tree that grew there.
“Would you like to see it then? We, Ishtalika, are having a little celebration over there, too!”
――Why can’t this girl always make her entrance in a calm manner?
Elena was surprised by the sudden arrival of this unusual guest.
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