Chapter 69. The Challenger
Since there were no wooden swords for sparring, Veron drew his own blade. In contrast, Binaeril didn't even have a decent weapon to his name.
The Duke pointed this out.
“Does milord not need a weapon?”
He knew well enough that mages did not wield special arms, but he couldn't help feeling that Binaeril looked dangerous standing unarmed against an opponent bearing a real sword.
‘Unnecessary worry.’
Duke Duks shook his head, casting aside his useless anxiety.
Hadn't he been the one to observe Binaeril's abilities most closely during their recent journey?
Binaeril had displayed ghastly prowess, plunging into the heart of a demonic beast horde, rampaging freely every which way, and blowing their heads apart.
Watching him even brought to mind his own youth, when he had been revered by the northern barbarians.
‘But I won't give him my daughter, absolutely not!’
Veron, who now faced him, was also a genuine knight who had steadily honed his skills across many battlefields alongside him since childhood.
‘Binaeril may have the advantage against demonic beasts, but in a one-on-one situation…’
It was difficult to easily predict the victor.
If the distance was closed even once, wouldn't Veron come out on top? The Duke's heart leaned toward that possibility.
Looking around, the other soldiers were watching their duel with eyes full of excitement.
“Men, I swear.”
“Yes? What did you say?”
“I asked what the two of you are standing around waiting for! Quit dawdling and start already!”
Even at the Duke's roar, Veron didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned boldly and answered in a booming voice.
“Are you ready?”
At Veron's question, Binaeril nodded.
Veron assumed a horseman's stance, raising his sword high above his head.
In contrast, Binaeril stood without any particular stance, as if he were out for a leisurely stroll.
To an outsider, it might have seemed a rather comical sight, but Veron didn't relax his guard.
“Here I come!”
Since this was a spar conducted with safety in mind, he announced his preemptive strike.
“Ha!”
In an instant, Veron charged, thrusting his raised sword in a straight line.
It was a style of swordsmanship different from Dominique's.
Veron's attack was fast and heavy, but…
‘…slower than Dominique.’
Binaeril spread his palm and thrust it forward.
A prepared barrier enveloped him in a spherical shape, blocking Veron's attack.
Veron felt a heavy recoil.
But he hadn't expected an attack of this level to work in the first place. He immediately chained into his next strike.
Spinning his thrusting sword, this time he aimed for Binaeril's chest.
The follow-up attack was even slower than the initial thrust. Veron had unconsciously held back his strength.
Binaeril noticed this as well. Ignoring defense, he instead pushed his body forward, flustering Veron.
“Uwah!”
Shocked cries burst from among the spectators.
To their eyes, Binaeril appeared to be acting recklessly.
The barrier raised by Eden blocked Veron's attack. Advancing as he was, Binaeril shoved Veron aside with his shoulder.
Veron fell in an unsightly heap.
“Tsk, tsk. You foolish bastard!”
The Duke's tongue-clicking reached even Veron's ears.
Binaeril extended his hand to the fallen Veron.
“Sir Veron, surely you didn't request this duel merely to go easy on me?”
“Ah, n-no.”
Veron's face turned bright red.
To think he had requested a duel only to end up humiliated because he held back against his opponent.
“Veron! Cease this overstepping consideration. It's nothing but unsightly!”
The Duke shouted at Veron. He had no desire to watch a lackluster duel either.
Veron grasped Binaeril's hand and rose.
Binaeril once again widened the distance to a moderate degree and waited.
“Hoo—.”
Veron steadied his breathing and assumed the horseman's stance once more.
“I shall come at you with everything I have.”
“Haah!”
Veron seized the initiative once more.
The first strike was the same thrust as before.
Binaeril simply tilted his head, easily evading Veron's attack.
The moment he thought he had dodged it—
A second sword strike was bearing down upon him.
The first strike had been bait to draw his defense; this one was the true attack.
‘But still slow!’
Speed is power. Binaeril cast the same defensive magic, clashing head-on with Veron's attack.
This time, the one who cried out was Binaeril.
Veron's sword, which he had expected to block with ease, contained undeniable force.
Binaeril hurriedly drew upon Veritas’s mana, hardening his defense.
He barely deflected the attack and retreated two steps.
“What was that? That attack just now?”
He was bewildered. He had never felt such power even when receiving Dominique's strikes.
A slow yet powerful attack. It was a bizarre sword.
“It's my specialty.”
Through the exchange, Binaeril understood Veron's strategy.
It was a sword strike containing fearsome power despite its slowness. He mixed in attacks that served as bait to compensate for that weakness.
“So you deliberately force a defense with the first move to conceal your true aim, putting your full power into the second strike.”
Veron's eyebrows twitched.
“You understood immediately.”
Binaeril acknowledged it. He too had been underestimating his opponent.
“Yielding the first attack was my arrogance.”
Binaeril prepared to properly take the offensive.
Veron raised his sword once more.
His opponent was a mage. How would he attack?
He had never faced a mage in one-on-one combat before.
Clap!
Binaeril clapped his palms together crisply.
Veron's eyes rapidly darted left and right.
‘Where? Where is the attack coming from?’
But there was no sign from either side.
‘Below!’
He could tell from the subtle vibration felt through the soles of his feet.
Veron stamped the ground urgently.
A blunt stone pillar erupted from the earth, grazing the bottom of his chin.
Shwick!
Before Veron could come to his senses, he heard a chilling sound.
He reflexively raised his sword straight ahead.
Clang!
A blade of wind that had split through the stone pillar clashed against his sword. Had he failed to react, his head would have been severed.
But it didn't end there.
The severed head of the stone pillar shattered into pieces in midair.
Veron frantically swung his sword, batting away the falling stone fragments like hail.
Amidst his desperate deflection, he heard a clapping sound.
‘Again this time?’
He felt another vibration beneath his feet.
Veron stepped back. The distance between him and Binaeril was growing.
‘At this rate, I'll lose.’
A third clap.
Since the same pattern was repeating, Veron could sufficiently predict the attack.
‘If I close the distance, I have a chance!’
He leaped forward. Or rather, he tried to leap.
Veron, who had stamped the ground with force, was bewildered. He felt a powerful resistance holding his body in place.
Turning his head, he saw shadows stretching like glue, gripping his limbs.
‘What in the…!’
The vibration beneath his feet was growing stronger. Veron was struck in the stomach by a stone pillar that shot out like a heavy club and immediately lost consciousness.
Knight Veron fell face-down on the ground like a frog with its limbs splayed out.
Applause erupted from the onlookers.
“Wow!”
“He repeated the same attack on purpose to lure his opponent's movements. And there he staked everything!”
“Amazing. At long range, there's no enduring it. But if Veron hadn't let his guard down and yielded the distance, who knows.”
“Are you stupid? Didn't you see Sir Binaeril fighting demonic beasts? His specialty isn't that kind of magic.”
“Originally, his specialty is bam! Magic that blows heads off one by one.”
“I didn't see it, is that really true?”
Binaeril smiled thinly as he listened to their cheers.
It was true. Ever since learning magic bullets, he had consistently used them as his main weapon.
Since this was a spar, and Binaeril was also quite exhausted, he had only utilized basic magic today.
“Enough, enough! Someone go wake up that fallen fool. It's almost supper time. Everyone, a round of applause for the victor, Sir Binaeril!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Thunderous applause burst forth.
Binaeril approached Sir Veron, who was being carried away, and checked his condition.
“Was I too excessive? He isn't seriously injured, is he?”
“Yes? No, no. Had you held back, this bastard wouldn't have been satisfied either. Well done. You weakling, how long are you planning to lie there!”
Another knight slapped the unconscious Veron on the head, waking him.
Binaeril's heart nearly dropped at such an uncultured and informal alarm clock.
“You bastard, you bastard! Still not getting up? Still not?”
“Excuse me, Sir Knight. Please go easy…”
Someone placed a hand on Binaeril's shoulder. It was Duke Duks.
“Well done. It was a splendid duel.”
“I had only seen you hunt demonic beasts before, but your psychological warfare in a duel is impressive as well. Do you have experience facing knights?”
“Yes… well.”
He decided not to bring up Dominique.
“But you made one mistake today.”
“Yes? A mistake, you say?”
Duke Duks looked at Binaeril with a sympathetic expression.
“You should have just lost instead. You'll come to understand what I mean soon enough. Come along. Dinner appears to be ready.”
The awakened Veron approached Binaeril immediately, putting aside even his meal.
“Sir Binaeril, thank you!”
“Are you well?”
“Perfectly fine.”
Veron had a bump on his head like something straight out of a cartoon.
It looked uncomfortable enough that even wearing a helmet would be a bother.
“Somehow my head hurts more than where I was hit in the duel, but I'm really in perfect health!”
Sir Veron swung his arms about vigorously.
“But I must apologize for this.”
“What on earth…”
“It's difficult to put into words, but you'll understand if you just wait a day. Anyway, enjoy your dinner, Sir Binaeril!”
Veron left behind some unsettling words and squeezed into the crowd of knights.
“Loser, do you even deserve to eat?”
“You starve~”
Voices teasing Veron could be heard among the rowdy group.
And before even a full day had passed, Binaeril understood the meaning of the warning.
“Sir Binaeril, are you there?”
The next day, a voice called out from in front of Binaeril's tent.
It was the knight who had slapped Veron's head yesterday. I believe his name was Asdal?
“If you are not busy, a duel with me…”
“Ugh, again?”
That wasn't all. Behind Sir Asdal, a large number of people could be seen lined up.
“But what about these people? Did they come to watch?”
“No? They're all here to challenge you?”
Binaeril blinked and counted the number of gathered people.
At least what looked like twenty knights were waiting in line in front of his tent.
Asdal, standing at the very front, smiled brightly at Binaeril.
“I came first! I'm number one!”
“Here, I'm number two!”
The people in the front row directed gazes brimming with subtle anticipation at Binaeril.
It was enough to feel burdensome.
Binaeril had a premonition that the remaining journey toward the ducal territory would not be a smooth one.