It was definitely a good decision to speak to Lynn Mayer first about the recent incident.
Of course, if it hadn’t been for the student council president of the officer school, things would have been much tougher.
Thank goodness Lynn Mayer is a typical, justice-driven student council character. If she had even the slightest negative feeling towards the academy, then we might have completely lost communication with the students, all thanks to the witch’s magic.
Even if those two students who got beat up and healed by holy power wanted to meet me, they wouldn’t have helped. It was all because Lynn was so kind: “There’s no helping it. I’ll go with you,” she could say without hesitation.
Well, that said, I didn’t think we wouldn’t be able to deal with the witch anyway. It was just the anxiety of not knowing what might happen next. If we could just pinpoint the witch’s location, things would end up flowing just like the time we went to find the Witch of Jealousy.
In the first place, I didn’t think Jian would lose a duel against anyone. I felt that clearly last time.
Anyway, back to the topic of Lynn Mayer: thanks to bringing her into the fold last time, there was one clear benefit. Lynn’s gaze at me became extremely positive.
Not being affected by the witch’s magic is one thing, but she also didn’t have any ill feelings towards me to begin with. However, there’s a huge gap between “I don’t have any thoughts about that person” and “I think they’re a really good person.”
To the extent that in the former case, she might hesitate to help if I asked her for assistance, while in the latter, she would help without a second thought.
And that ‘requested help’ becomes increasingly important if what I’m asking for is something really annoying and unwelcome from her perspective.
“Are you talking about a duel with Kihmuhir?”
Upon my request, Lynn made a somewhat ambiguous expression. This was only natural; Kihmuhir’s skill was absolutely not something to be taken lightly.
Ramihi Kihmuhir was among the top ranks in the academy. Not just first-year students, but when you looked across all students, his name would definitely appear in a countable ranking.
In other words, even if the highest-ranked students at the officer school competed, they would almost certainly have no chance against Kihmuhir. The academy was on a different level than the officer school to begin with.
The fact that students could harbor even a slight feeling of jealousy is itself a sign of that disparity.
The officer students who defeated Erica last time had probably become quite vain because they ‘beat an academy student.’ Of course, Erica was not a combatant to begin with, so that pride was somewhat misplaced.
Because of that, the image Kihmuhir had among the students remained at rock bottom. It was a lingering downside left by the Witch of Jealousy.
“I understand what you’re thinking, but I honestly believe I have no chance against Kihmuhir. If I lose, it could even have a negative effect…”
Lynn, being smart, quickly came to such a conclusion.
It’s not a wrong statement either. If Lynn and Kihmuhir were to duel, Lynn would undoubtedly lose, and Kihmuhir would definitely gain confidence in his own abilities, making the students feel worse when they witnessed that.
“Well, initially, that would be the case.”
That’s right. “Initially,” being the keyword.
Last time, Jian went through something similar with Kihmuhir.
However, the students who got beaten up by Jian didn’t harbor any significant ill feelings against him.
It did help that I healed those students one by one from the sidelines, but the decisive reason was that Jian didn’t display any disrespectful behavior towards the students. Because of that, their spar was simply wrapped up without a hitch.
So, if we set up a similar situation with Kihmuhir, it should work out the same way.
Kihmuhir would eventually recognize the students, and then he would make peace with their representative during the event.
Of course, even if such an event happened, the ill feelings Kihmuhir had built wouldn’t just disappear, and many students might still return with their hatred for elves… but that’s beyond my control.
What I could do was stop the snowball from rolling any further to prevent the situation from deteriorating. After that, I’d just have to watch and hope the parties involved would accept it positively.
“But if Kihmuhir sees constant effort and development, she will eventually have to acknowledge Lynn.”
Even though they were a super pretentious group, elves still had a minimum set of virtues to keep society functioning.
As a meritocratic group, they would recognize undeniable talent in the end. This aligns with what I said previously about ‘acknowledging based on other elves’ perspectives.’ If there is solid evidence like other elves’ testimonies and they still refuse to acknowledge it, it would be viewed as a lack of judgment.
Saying Kihmuhir lacks judgment would be a major insult to a pureblood elf raised among them.
In other words, if I could make it so that she couldn’t help but recognize that persistent effort of challenging her day after day, the proof of ‘never giving up’ would be too significant for Kihmuhir, with her elf blood flowing through her.
If possible, showing development during that time would be even better.
…From the perspective of the one undergoing all this, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were thinking, “Why should I have to go through all this?” while feeling angry.
“Hmm…”
Lynn fell into deep thought.
“I guarantee it.”
Satsuki, who had come along to persuade her, said.
“Elves can never overlook the strengths of others.”
Even though she wasn’t a pureblood, Satsuki, who had half-elf blood flowing through her, seemed to add credibility to that statement.
“…I understand. Then I’ll take your advice, Saintess. As the student council president, I can’t just sit idly by.”
In the end, Lynn made up her mind and said that with a slight smile.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you? We’re the ones who always receive help.”
Lynn responded with a bright smile to my words, and she looked incredibly pretty.
The heroine is truly a heroine.
*
As expected, Lynn got wiped out on the very first day.
Yeah, “wiped out” is more appropriate than saying she lost—it was a complete defeat.
I had never really seen an elf’s combat style up until now, but watching Kihmuhir, I understood it clearly. Elven combat was distinctly different from human combat.
I had merely jotted down “quick and decisive,” but there was a massive difference between reading something simply written and actually witnessing it firsthand.
For example, I try to fend off attacks with my shield while waiting for the right moment to counterattack with a single strike, while Rina distracts her opponents with her quick and flashy sword moves, looking for openings to stab. Jian employs straightforward swordsmanship with precise and definitive cuts.
Kihmuhir’s swordsmanship was like an intersection of those three styles.
A meticulously refined combat style without any unnecessary embellishments seemed reminiscent of Jian’s technique, yet the way the dual daggers flowed seamlessly combined the elements of smooth transitions like Rina’s style, rather than being rigid.
Every thrust or cut carried maximum force and speed. There wasn’t even a moment for the opponent to raise their shield, focus their mind, or get into position.
Every piercing dagger came rushing toward me, brimming with murderous intent.
How many could I possibly parry? Even if I managed to block some, I’d have no opportunity to counterattack. The morning star’s functional lethality derives from the physical force behind the swing, not merely its sharpness. I might even lose my weapon before I knew it.
It was clear that Kihmuhir possessed skills far superior not only to mine but even to Rina, who trained with me every day.
Well, it’s not like the ranking system is just for show.
With me and the Selena Group all being on the leaderboard, considering the significant skill gap between Jian and the others, Kihmuhir would undoubtedly be ranked second, bridging the gap between Jian and the others.
Her movements embodied the essence of “quick and decisive.”
In contrast, Lynn had many awkward spots when compared to Kihmuhir.
Though this was only when comparing with Kihmuhir, the issue is that the opponent is indeed Kihmuhir.
When you think about it, all the students here were merely middle schoolers just a few months ago, so one could argue that this level of skill is acceptable. They still had two years left before graduation, and they were still young students. With this kind of talent, they could surely catch up and learn.
Yet, in a spar that felt almost like real combat, such future potential meant nothing.
Holding a military-style sword tightly with both hands, Lynn could only manage to deflect the first two attacks.
And then immediately, Kihmuhir’s dagger pierced her right shoulder—though it didn’t go through completely. Thanks to the anti-accident magic, of course.
Instead, Kihmuhir’s dagger grazed against her shoulder line as she leaned back, avoiding the attack, causing a slice that left Lynn’s shoulder bleeding.
“Eek.”
A streak of blood splattered onto Lynn’s cheek. It seemed to have even hit her glasses.
…Thinking back, in my previous duels, I would usually either get knocked out after taking one hit or I’d fight while healing in real time, so I had never seen such gruesome injuries in the school sparring sessions.
All the students in these duels were teenagers, and the few adults among them were all teachers, so the thought of intentionally hurting an opponent had never crossed my mind. That’s why serious injuries were rare.
But Lynn was already dampened by the blood flowing from her shoulder. Yet, the duel showed no signs of stopping. Lynn hadn’t called for surrender yet.
Despite the blood dripping from her right arm, she didn’t release her grip on the sword. Lynn’s gaze fixated on Kihmuhir was fierce. Even through her thick glasses, you could see the fighting spirit overflowing from her eyes.
“……”
Seeing this, Kihmuhir’s eyes widened slightly.
Ah, so this is how it goes. Previous students in her situation would have already lost their momentum by now. No matter how elite or specially trained they were, they were still fresh high schoolers. Seeing blood dripping from their arms—oh, the agony felt from that is not something one can easily endure.
I heard that the student who sparred previously got badly beaten, so they might have fought differently back then.
…Or could it be that this was because she was “the president of the student council”? Perhaps she was motivated to crush the spirit of the group leader by making her kneel?
While my mind churned with these random thoughts, it was now Lynn who moved first.
“Haah!”
With a shout, she boldly swung her sword down vertically. It was incredibly fast, but not so much that I couldn’t catch it with my eyes. It wasn’t something I couldn’t avoid. Perhaps it was just that, given her previous injury to the shoulder, she couldn’t put all her strength into it.
Kihmuhir simply watched as the blade approached and then effortlessly sidestepped.
Sidestepping might sound trivial, yet her speed was ridiculous. More than something appearing like it sped through frames, it was like watching a bullet move at a surreal, almost unnaturally smooth rate.
Clang, Lynn’s sword flew sideways. Simultaneously, Kihmuhir’s foot came right up to Lynn’s face.
Lynn couldn’t react in time.
Bam, a dull sound echoed as something solid collided head-on. Lynn stumbled backward, trailing off and barely grazing the edge of the stage.
“Ugh.”
Seeing Lynn’s muffled groan filled me with misgiving.
After all, we’d been gathering for daily training sessions after school, so I had taken this stage too lightly.
Speaking of which, Kihmuhir had likely been inspired by my beating up those two students earlier.
Putting Lynn up there meant putting her through the same situation as those students. I hadn’t realized I had done that.
People remember what others do vividly but can easily forget their own actions. I was a perfect example of that.
Tap tap, Kihmuhir strode toward where Lynn lay. Looking closely, I noticed she was wearing shoes. Did she kick Lynn in the face with that foot? It was impressive that Lynn didn’t lose consciousness.
Blood was dripping from Lynn’s nose, staining the area around her red. If she didn’t have healing magic, her face would soon be turning a nasty shade of blue from the bruising.
Lynn tried to get up, but Kihmuhir simply placed a knee atop her chest and sat down. Lynn, who had already taken a hit to the face and had her head slammed against the ground, looked utterly powerless to push Kihmuhir off.
“……”
With no words, Kihmuhir leveled a dagger at Lynn’s throat. Then with those chilling blue eyes, she silently stared at her. It looked as though the dagger was searching for something in Lynn’s face.
And then—
“Surrender.”
The word slipped from Lynn’s lips.
Instantly, I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew she absolutely wouldn’t die. But the image of Kihmuhir straddling Lynn, pressing down with a knee and holding a dagger to her throat looked just like a hunter finally finding his wounded prey after a long pursuit.
It seemed like she might cut her throat if no one intervened, bleed her dry, and peel the skin off as if it were nothing more than a fantasy game or story. No, it rather resembled a crazed hunter pursuing its prey, merely hunting for the sake of killing.
Even after hearing Lynn’s confession of surrender, Kihmuhir continued to examine Lynn’s face with a chilling look in her blue eyes.
What in the world did she see in Lynn’s face?
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I turned to Lynn’s face again and was once more taken aback.
Her thick glasses had flown off, blood flowing freely from her nose. Had she hit it when kicked? Her lips were also split and blood was leaking from there.
I couldn’t tell if the blood was from her nose or her lips, but it was pooling up in her mouth, staining her white teeth a vivid red.
Lynn’s face was slowly becoming blue, but she was smiling, showing her bloodstained teeth.
This wasn’t some villain from a movie letting out an evil laugh or a forced grin to mock her rival.
It was a radiant smile coming straight from the heart.
I had no idea why she could smile like that in such a state.
Kihmuhir stared at Lynn’s face for a while before wordlessly standing up. Then she turned away and walked off.
Lynn, who had been on the ground, forced her body to rise. It looked like she was about to go down again, but she slightly bowed her head towards Kihmuhir’s back.
“It was fun.”
Kihmuhir’s footsteps halted sharply. She turned back again.
Seeing Lynn bowing her head, she simply turned away and continued on her path.
It was such a harsh scene that I almost wished for it to play out like something from a sports manga where they at least acknowledge each other at the end.
*
“Heal!”
Before Lynn had even fully descended from the stage, I shouted that out. A massive amount of holy power wrapped around Lynn, making the bruises on her face and the gash on her shoulder completely vanish. The blood from her nose remained, and her torn uniform still looked terrible, but…
As the other students rushed over, asking if she was okay, Lynn walked straight toward me.
“Looks like skill alone isn’t enough.”
Lynn, smiling brightly despite her messy appearance, looked incredibly pretty. Maybe it was because she wasn’t wearing her usual glasses.
Thinking about how her glasses flew off makes it a thing I shouldn’t dwell on, but she was indeed beautiful.
“Um, I’m sorry.”
“Excuse me?”
Lynn tilted her head, as if to ask what I was saying, as I suddenly apologized.
“I didn’t expect it to get this bad. Even though I know you won’t die, it must hurt, and I think I was overly complacent. Shouldn’t we change our plans…?”
As I spoke, I felt embarrassed; after all, I had led her into this situation. The more I spoke, the more I felt sorry and foolish, causing my voice to trail off.
Lynn blinked at me, then burst into laughter.
“…Um?”
Calling out to Lynn, who was laughing heartily, she finally managed to stop laughing and wiped away a tear that had trickled down.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
After taking a deep breath, she continued.
“There’s no need to apologize. The Saintess merely made a suggestion, and it was I who accepted that suggestion and turned it into a duel. If I hadn’t wanted to, I wouldn’t have done it. And,”
Lynn flashed me a slight smile.
“You’re not the kind of person who’d force me to do something if I didn’t want to, right?”
Wow, so radiant.
I squinted my eyes at her afterglow.
“And honestly, I was surprised.”
Lynn glanced down at her hands, clenching and releasing her fingers.
“My skills are still far too inadequate. I have a long way to go.”
Then she raised her gaze again, her face adorned with that bright smile she had shown Kihmuhir earlier.
This smile, which seemed to project joy, suddenly felt different when directed at me. What exactly was it? This seemed like a smile I’ve seen many times before.
“So I want to continue. Opportunities for this kind of training, close to real combat, are rare. Plus, it’s not often you face someone whose sword skill is honed exclusively for combat. I want to learn what it means to be a ‘genius’ while facing her in combat. It’s not just because of the Saintess’ request; I want this.”
Ah, I get it.
That smile is more than just a bright chuckle.
In Lynn’s expression, along with the joy and delight, there was also a clear resolve. I had seen it before on Rina’s face.
“Then I’ll help. While I might not reach Kihmuhir’s level, I learned elven swordsmanship from my father.”
“Please do.”
Lynn dropped her head slightly toward Satsuki.
“We’ll help too. After all, it was my suggestion.”
“Thank you.”
Rina, who had been dragged along earlier, looked at me with a confused expression about what was happening, but the others seemed to understand, so she’d just have to follow along. Otherwise, she’d be left praying at the convent.
Thus, one more member was added to the dueling club.
…By the way, can someone at least wipe off the blood? It’s been kind of unsettling for a while now.
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