Chapter 136. Engagement – Axe
“My name is ‘Lan Avviker.’ Call me Lan. This is my younger sister, ‘Ann Avviker.’”
“You can call me Ann. Nice to meet you.”
The sisters, in their late twenties, extended their hands for a handshake to Lena, Leo, and a warrior from the Einarr tribe.
The test to select participants for the Trial of the Grand Warrior ended without much fanfare.
The young warriors from the Einarr tribe, who had come with interest in the trial, saw Lena and Leo Dexter and left, saying, “Well, it looks like there are no spots left.”
In terms of weapon skills alone, Lena had no rivals among the peers of her tribe.
Moreover, Leo was someone who easily defeated Lena, and both of them had learned swordsmanship from the knight Noel Dexter, so it was only natural for the others to give up easily.
As soon as Lena, Leo, and only one warrior remained, and the gathered warriors dispersed, Lan and Ann were taken aback.
Could this gentle-looking young man and the young lady really be that strong? ─ Doubtfully, Ann decided to spar with Leo first.
And she was crushed.
Although it was a light sparring session for the test, she could tell the moment their axes clashed.
‘What kind of monster is this guy…’
The axe Ann used, passed down from her ‘father,’ had quite a broad blade.
Axes meant for weapons typically had narrow angles and thicker blades.
This was to ensure that they could clash with solid weapons without any issues while being heavy enough to crush a skull.
In contrast, axes used as tools had wide angles for ease of use.
They were used for cutting meat or wood.
Hence, the blades of tool axes were thinner and usually had a long handle for versatility.
However, her axe had a broad yet thick blade.
It also had a short handle, meant to be held with one hand, proving it was both a tool and a weapon.
Because of this, it was quite heavy and difficult to handle for most people.
Nonetheless, Ann, holding a typical round shield in one hand and that axe in the other, exchanged several moves with Leo and soon acknowledged his skills.
He easily slid her forceful strikes along the blade of his sword and casually hit her shield as if he were going easy on her with his two-handed sword.
This young man’s skill towered above her, far beyond her reach.
“Wow… you’re amazing.”
“That’s too kind.”
After Ann and Leo’s duel ended, Lan sparred with Lena. She also used a shield and an axe, but having seen Leo’s prowess, she was initially very tense.
Contrary to her expectations, however, the fight turned out to be quite standard.
Despite the two-handed sword being a versatile weapon with blades on both sides and strong attacks, each strike was not as powerful as an axe.
An axe is an axe, even if swung with one hand, and it’s a heavy weapon.
Lan felt both relieved and disappointed. Sparring evenly with this young lady, as she was now, would mean a victory for the axe.
The sword, already struggling under the weight of the axe, was bound to break eventually.
Moreover, Lan had a shield, making her welcome a durability competition of weapons that could turn into a long match.
Still, she thought to end it soon to avoid breaking the expensive sword, just as Lena took a bold step forward and thrust her sword.
“Huh?”
The previously passive Lena had turned to attack.
‘Frustrating. She’s not making any mistakes…’
While Lan assessed her skills, Lena felt frustrated.
Apart from Leo and Uncle Noel, she had never faced someone of this caliber. She had sparred with her father, but Dehorman’s gigantic axe was too dangerous for training.
Lena’s swordsmanship was Noel Dexter’s style of “hiding the leisure of a single move.”
The strength of this swordsmanship lay in its stability, which naturally made it passive. She had to gradually seize the advantage once the opponent became overconfident.
However, since this was a simple test and not a life-and-death battle, Lan wasn’t aggressive, leaving no openings for Lena.
‘What would Leo do in this situation?’
Lena thought hard, recalling Leo’s recently transformed swordsmanship.
Following Uncle Noel’s style yet being highly aggressive.
Leo often took bold steps forward, or shook his center of gravity and attack direction wildly, bewildering his opponents.
Realizing something, Lena readied her sword as Lan’s axe wavered off-target.
Uncle Noel’s swordsmanship was indeed strong. When faced with his infinitely stable style, one might think it was the epitome of martial arts.
However, it had clear disadvantages. Perhaps that was why Leo had recently changed his style?
Lena moved forward boldly, like Leo.
Starting with a thrust.
Even if it meant dealing with a counterattack with the rearward leg, shoulder sway, and one breath, she had to destabilize her opponent.
As expected, Lan, who had reflexively blocked the sword with her shield, struck down with her axe.
Normally, Lena would have retreated to avoid the axe. But deciding to hold her ground, she gritted her teeth.
– Ching!
The sound of the dual swords and axe clashing loudly echoed discordantly. Unlike Leo, who skillfully slid the axe, he blocked it head-on as he had no such refined ability. Having never blocked so crudely, the long sword trembled as if about to shatter, but Lena’s eyes sparkled, seizing the opportunity.
“Haap!”
Lena pushed the clashing axe to the right, towards the opponent’s shield. Simultaneously, she spun her body around, momentarily considering a back kick to repel the enemy and regain her stance but instead swung her sword in a wide arc more boldly. Gathering all her reserved breath for maximum strength…!!
—Clang!
‘Ah…Was it blocked? Wait! This is bad!’
In the brief moment before her head turned fully, countless thoughts flooded Lena’s mind. Her stance had crumbled; the sword was too far from her body, making defense difficult. How had it been blocked? No time to think! The opponent’s attack is next…!
Lena rolled her body. Swinging her right foot as if to scrape the floor to guard against the approaching foe, she corrected her stance and saw Leo. The person who blocked her sword was not Ran.
“Lena, you did well. But you have to be careful. That was a close call.”
Momentarily dazed with all her focus on the sword, Lena regained her sense of reality upon seeing Leo’s kind smile and hastily bowed her head.
“Ah! I’m, I’m sorry. I did it without thinking…”
With a pale face, Lan accepted the apology. If the young man hadn’t intervened, his waist would have been split in two.
Though she’d nearly died, she wiped the light sweat from her neck and spoke cheerfully.
“No, it’s okay. You’re strong. A strong person doesn’t need to apologize to a weaker one.”
“But, I still… I forgot it was a sparring session for a moment. I’m really sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. By the way, what’s your name? I’m Lan Avviker. Call me Lan. And this is my younger sister, Ann Avviker.”
“Call me Ann. Nice to meet you.”
Lan grinned and extended a handshake to Lena. Ann also shook hands with a warrior from Leo and the Einarr Tribe.
Despite both having been defeated, Lan and Ann felt good. They were confident that with these companions, they could capture the beast.
Meanwhile, the warrior, who hadn’t had his test yet and was watching Leo and Lena, thought with a bewildered expression,
‘I haven’t even had my test yet…’
Having already shaken hands, it was best to keep quiet for now.
* * *
“No way!”
“I’m going!”
“I said no, so no!”
A father-daughter argument was going back and forth. Lena, insisting on going to capture the beast, and her opposing father, Dehorman.
“How long have you been a warrior, and you already want to undergo the trial? Absolutely not!”
“What does that matter! Besides, you took the trial around my age too!”
“I was older than you!”
“I’m much better than you were! You got eliminated in the ‘Mao Ninn-Retii’ tournament… I would have won!”
“You brat! You wouldn’t even qualify! That’s where the best warriors from each tribe gather. No, why am I even talking about this? Anyway, no! No matter how much your skills have improved…”
Eyeing Leo Dexter, Dehorman continued.
“If you were as skilled as Leo, I’d have no objections. You’re still too green!”
“Argh..! Why are you comparing me to Leo! You’d lose to Leo too! You don’t even know!”
“Lose to Leo? Ha! Do you think so too?”
“…”
Caught in the middle, Noel Dexter quietly turned away from his meal.
“What? Really? You think I’d lose to your son?”
“…Leo has gotten quite good. Don’t look at me like that. You’d better capture beasts and monsters, but sparring… that won’t be easy.”
“See!”
Triumphant, Lena’s spirited shout twisted Dehorman’s expression.
“Is that so? Looks like everyone’s forgotten how terrifying my ax swings are. Do you know who I am? This body is…!”
“Yes, yes. The grand warrior of the Einarr tribe. The one who caught two monsters. But you guys said yourselves when you were drinking! That I could become a grand warrior too.”
“That was about someday, not now!”
“Well, how long do you want me to wait! I’m all grown up!”
“Grown up, my foot. You still smell of baby oil…”
In the Einarr tribe, newborns and occasionally even children in winter would be smeared with ‘Danner’ oil to protect their tender skin from the harsh northern winds. The smell of oil from the inedible fruit it came from wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Though an adult, Lena didn’t use Danner oil, and saying she smelled of it was akin to calling her an immature child.
Lena, indignant, began recalling embarrassing stories about her father told by her late grandmother, leading Dehorman to recount seeing her eat her own excrement. Thus, an unwinnable squabble ensued.
A commotion unfolded.
Leo watched his father and Dehorman, and Lena’s mother gauged the situation. Convincing naive Lena was one thing, but persuading her parents was another matter altogether.
What should I do?
Just as Leo, who was deep in thought, was about to say something, Lena cut in resolutely.
“Anyway, I’m going! I’ve already set the date. And it’s with warriors from other tribes.”
“Hmph! That’s funny. Why do those who claim to take the trial gather warriors from other tribes? They must be rejects who couldn’t gain recognition in their own tribe but have big dreams.”
“No, I told you, they were quite skilled! And Urok is going, too.”
“Urok? Urok Einarr?”
“Yes!”
“Did you persuade him?”
“No, he came voluntarily.”
“Well, the tribe is in good hands. But I don’t need to intervene. Urok can’t go. The chief will never allow it. I can’t allow it either. So, give up.”
“Why not? Why wouldn’t the grandpa allow it?”
“Call him ‘chief.’”
“Cheh. That’s mean.”
“Watch it!”
“Fine. Why won’t the chief allow it? Urok wants to go, so why not?”
The warrior who took the test with Lena and Leo was Urok Einarr, the future chief of the Einarr tribe.
To be precise, he was the second-in-line to be the next chief. His grandfather, the current chief, was old but still alive, and his father would become the next chief, so it would be some time before Urok’s turn came.
“….”
Dehorman didn’t answer the question.
The current representatives of the Einarr tribe, including him, were three grand warriors.
When they were young, they had taken the grand warrior’s trial. They had started with five and returned as three, and they always kept glasses for their fallen comrades when drinking.
One of those who had died was the chief’s eldest son and Urok’s uncle.
The three who returned as grand warriors couldn’t bear to face the chief.
They were supposed to celebrate the birth of grand warriors, but the chief had just received news of his son’s death. Dehorman couldn’t imagine what the chief, who had prepared a grand feast, had felt.
That was nearly twenty years ago.
The chief’s second son smoothly led the tribe in place of his elderly father, and that friend faded into memory. Today’s young warriors like Lena didn’t even know he had existed.
Dehorman lost the will to bicker with his daughter. “You absolutely cannot go!” he shouted before going to his room.
Lena grumbled, “He’s just making excuses because he doesn’t want to let us go.” She whispered to Leo that they should sneak out if necessary…
A few days later, Lena Einarr, Leo Dexter, Lan Avviker, Ann Avviker, and Urok Einarr left Castle Avril as planned to take the trial.
They didn’t sneak out.
The tribe even held a modest farewell drinking party, because the chief had given his permission the day after Dehorman’s argument with Lena.
Taken aback, Dehorman cautiously asked the chief for the reason.
What exactly they discussed wasn’t known, but after meeting with the chief, Dehorman didn’t stop Lena, and he said he needed to assess Lan and Anne’s skills in person, then reluctantly gave his blessing.
“You worry too much. They’ll be fine. Whose daughter do you think she is? You were just as stubborn back then, remember?”
“…Ahem.”
“Take care. Be careful. Honestly, I don’t want you to go, but…”
Just as Lena’s mother called after her daughter and tugged her ear to whisper something.
Leo couldn’t tell what was said, but Lena’s response—”Really? Is that what happened?” while glaring at her father—and Dehorman’s flustered retreat into the castle were telling.
Snow continued to fall on Castle Avril.
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