Chapter: 289
I knew Karl was strong.
He was an opponent I had fought countless times before. While staying with the Allen family, I had often watched him train with other knights.
However, facing that strength directly was an entirely different story.
“Ugh!”
As his sword clashed with my shield, my body was pushed back, widening the distance I had just narrowed.
Hah. Damn. I can block the strike itself, but being pushed back is just annoying.
What the hell? Karl isn’t even that muscular, so why is he so strong?! Is he a mix of external and internal muscles?!
“You managed to block that? Your skills have really skyrocketed during real combat. Truly a young lady!”
Karl, standing a few steps away, expressed his sincere admiration, but all I could see was him tea-bagging me.
This guy who has been dominating me now thinks he’s tough? It just makes me more annoyed!
“Are you pretending to praise me because you’re embarrassed you can’t break through a single shield?♡ Your swordsmanship is as sloppy as a shoddy dog!♡”
“Haha! What could I possibly be embarrassed about? It’s your shield!”
What was more irritating was that my provocations didn’t seem to affect Karl at all.
At this point, he should at least feel a bit heated, but he still looks composed.
Is he so used to my insults by now that he’s developed immunity?
Here it comes again. A sword strike coming from the upper right.
That attack, which seems to be coming down with great force, is both fake and real.
If I don’t respond, he’ll swing with full intent to smash me, but if I do respond, he’ll fake me out and aim for a follow-up.
He has the luxury of treating this as a match where all he needs to do is break my shield, so it’s clear he’s playing tricks.
As the one being attacked, it makes me want to curse out loud.
I know I should move and counterattack to avoid that, but I didn’t.
It’s not like I was taught to do that by someone.
Also, it’s not like the situation is so dire that I have to gamble.
“Wow.”
After I neatly countered two of his strikes, Karl’s eyes widened. He must not have expected his scheme to be countered so easily.
To be honest, I was surprised too.
Sure, my proficiency with the shield has dramatically improved, but even before that, my body felt absurdly light.
“What can a shoddy dog like you do with such a sloppy, sloppy, shoddy sword?♡ You wouldn’t even be able to fix my hair~♡”
“I’ve never tried, so I wouldn’t know! Want to give it a go?!”
“Not a chance!♡ How can I trust a perverted lolicon like you?♡”
The back-and-forth continues.
As Karl swung his sword to breach my defenses, I desperately blocked each attack.
From the sidelines, it might have looked like a fierce battle of skill, but I know that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
The fierce tactics he had shown during his duel with Possell, and the utmost form he displayed when battling Duke Burrow, were clearly above this level.
“Blocked that too, huh!”
How long have we been stalemated? I began to sense the changes within my body due to my divine level rising.
Controlling my divine power within my body felt incredibly comfortable.
It feels natural, almost like breathing, as the divine power fills me completely.
And that’s not all. I can feel my overall physical abilities improving.
I can see things I never noticed before.
Things I couldn’t block before I can now intercept.
Even stimuli I previously couldn’t respond to can be dealt with now.
It’s clear.
Strength. Agility. Reaction time. Hand-eye coordination.
Everything has improved a notch.
Is this what it means to have a heightened divine level?
It didn’t feel tangible when looking into a mirror, but facing a strong opponent like this has made me realize what has changed.
Lord Armadi! I’m sorry for calling you a reckless lolicon pervert without thinking! How would I know my body had improved without a status window?!
So just give me the status window! Status window! I need it so I can understand what’s happening!
“I see you’re just a shoddy dog!♡ Is this really all you can do?♡”
As I grew accustomed to the changes within me, one conviction solidified.
If Karl keeps fighting like he is now, I’m confident he will at some point give me an opportunity to strike.
Using this guy’s consideration, I can definitely deal him a proper blow.
Not just a hit that breaks bones but one that breaks his spirit as well.
“Our shoddy dog truly has a lot of consideration!♡”
But that’s not what I want.
“Can’t you even growl at your master?♡”
Right now, my goal isn’t to defeat Karl.
I want to know how far I can push myself in extreme situations.
I want to know how much I can block in my current state.
So, I’ll just poke around a bit into your insides, Karl.
If you were a bit more perceptive, I wouldn’t have to go this far.
But what can I say? You’re a pretty shoddy dog that can’t even grasp your master’s intentions.
“A loyal little pup, huh?♡”
“Thanks for the compliment!”
Seeing Karl smile at the word “puppy,” I smile back.
While the back-and-forth continued, he might have been reading me too, but I was doing the same.
My ability to detect weaknesses has revealed what he finds uncomfortable.
Not just the weak points of his sword but even the things he doesn’t want to hear.
“What a shame♡… The dog I wish for isn’t this cute pup!♡”
“…Huh?”
For the first time, I saw a flicker of emotion on Karl’s face from my words.
I took the opportunity created by that moment of distraction to swing my shield at him.
However, he was still Karl.
The moment he noticed my movement, he hurriedly guided his sword to intercept my attack.
“I’m looking for a fearsome dog with sharp fangs!♡”
As I move my mouth, I think.
Since my stance was slightly shaky, should I dig in?
…No. If I go further, I’ll be caught off guard.
Let’s step back and regroup.
“Not a defeated dog like you with cut-off masculine traits!♡”
“Lady, that’s…”
“Why?♡ Oh, is this all you’ve got?♡ Pfft♡ You really are a dog that’s been castrated for real, huh?♡ Poor thing♡”
“…Understood. I’ll pick up the pace a bit.”
Magic power surged in Karl’s raised sword.
Aura.
Hahaha! That’s right. It would have been great if you had done this from the start!
I know you’re loyal, but don’t just blindly consider your master; think about what your master wants as well—shoddy dog.
Do I have to think for you like this?
Watching the deepening aura, I infused my shield with divine power.
As he raised his sword, my smile reflected on the back of the shield.
It wasn’t a smile to tease my opponent but one born from genuinely enjoying this situation.
“I’ll show you just how sharp this loyal dog’s fangs really are.”
“Really?♡ Don’t overdo it, okay?♡ If you lose the remaining teeth, it’ll just be too disgraceful!♡”
For now, my immediate goal is…
Let’s try enlightening that pure magic power aura with some color.
*
It’s common knowledge that Lucy Allen far surpasses the level of a first-year student at the academy.
She was a monster among monsters, considered the divine one to bring glory to the kingdom, following Benedict Allen.
Naturally, Arthur was well aware of just how unreasonable her talents were.
Having hoped to surpass her at least once, he prided himself on knowing Lucy’s strength better than anyone.
“…Hah.”
But that was an illusion.
“She was hiding this much?”
Right in front of him, Lucy was…
“This is insane.”
Not the kind of being that could be classified with the term student.
What was that shield technique?
Not only did she easily block the sword enveloped in aura, but she also deflected it without a second thought.
What’s more, the one swinging that sword isn’t an average knight.
He’s a knight from the Allen family, whom even the elite first knights of the kingdom wouldn’t dare underestimate.
How could someone trusted with the safeguarding of Benedict Allen’s daughter so easily counter the earnest strike of a knight with such skill?
Like someone possessed, Arthur envisioned himself in their roles.
What if I were standing across from Karl?
It’s not even a matter of winning or losing.
It would come down to how long I could withstand.
Holding out for ten seconds would be quite the accomplishment.
What if I stood opposite Lucy?
There’s no point even discussing it.
Instead of pushing Lucy back like Karl, I’d probably be ridiculed by her and end up crushed beneath her!
Hahaha. What a joke.
What kind of genius can be seen through lines of fate like this?
Genius is what you call those monsters.
I’m just a fool who thinks he’s capable of something.
This feeling of my heart sinking is truly a feeling I haven’t felt in a long time.
It hurts. It hurts so much.
I thought I had become accustomed to watching my big brother shine, but no, it seems not.
“I can’t win against her for my entire life.”
“That’s not true.”
A weak, hopeless statement slipped from my lips without thought.
It was answered by Frey, who continued to observe Lucy and Karl’s duel closely.
“Lucy is certainly strong, but she’s not invincible.”
“Are you saying that after watching this?”
“If she can imbue her aura with color, it is definitely possible.”
Is this girl teasing me again?
It’s already miraculous that a first-year student at the academy can use aura; now, you’re talking about coloring it?
Given that my little brother is praised for his talent while ignoring all the countless mistakes he’s made, isn’t this ridiculous?
Trying to say enough was enough, Arthur turned away, but the moment he glanced at Frey, he swallowed his words. The excitement was clear in her eyes as she watched the duel.
“…Are you being serious?”
“Why can’t he do it if the second prince did? That guy is worse with a sword than me and a hundred times more daft than the third prince.”
Ah.
That’s right.
With the comet that is Lucy Allen appearing, everything seemed to fade away, but Frey too was a more than sufficient monster.
Wasn’t it just a year ago that he stood in Lucy Allen’s place?
While Arthur was dumbfounded and laughing weakly, Frey slowly continued speaking.
“Third prince, are you unsure? Are you worse than the second prince?”
Arthur gritted his teeth at the question of whether he was better than the second prince.
Was that a taunt made with knowledge?
No. That wouldn’t make sense. How could this brat, who only knows about swords, know anything about the space between me and my older brother?
“There’s no way that’s true.”
However, the fact that it was a careless slip still held true; it didn’t change the fact that it was enraging.
“I’m more capable than that foolish brother.”
“Really?”
“I’ll show you.”
He had already caught a grasp of aura through the relentless training.
It wasn’t at the level of mastery yet, but it wouldn’t take long before he could apply it in real combat.
“I’ll color it before you do.”
If that’s the case, the next step won’t be anything special. I’ll surpass anyone.
My little brother. You. I’ll put you all beneath me.
“Third prince? Before me?”
“Of course I’ll be faster than that dumb beast you are.”
“But the third prince is just a loser against me.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but you seem to cling to past glories.”
“Wanna fight?”
“Bring it on.”
As Arthur responded to Frey’s provocation childishly, he turned his attention back to the increasingly heated duel between Lucy and Karl.
He wanted to absorb every ounce of how the Allen knights handle their aura.
*
At some point, Karl stopped using tricks.
Instead of trying to pierce my defenses with crafty moves, he aimed solely to shatter my shield with raw power, reminiscent of when he fought against Possell.
Was the last bit mere play and this his true intent?
With each overwhelming strike aimed at shattering my shield by digging into my divine power, I couldn’t help but let laughter slip out.
This is fun.
I’m getting stronger.
Being able to engage in such a fight.
My shield is absorbing the sword strikes.
And the way Karl’s brow is furrowing more and more!
“The teeth of a defeated dog♡… are so dull?!♡…”
“You don’t sound very relaxed considering your words!”
“Just… you must think that way!♡…”
While it becomes increasingly difficult to hold off Karl’s strikes, I’m still not done.
I haven’t yet seen his true colors.
So I can’t pause here.
“Even a collar is wasted on a♡… castrated loser!♡”
Show me your full strength so I can use mine properly!
You clueless shoddy pervert knight!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.