Chapter 62

▶A specific character has confirmed an incident that took place in the training hall!◀

▶Affinity values have changed to different numerical representations!◀

[Flora Bargrand]

[??? : 71%]

I chuckled while checking my status window.

By now, my pouch must be torn to shreds. Even if someone other than knights can’t identify whose it is, now, even Flora would be able to tell it’s mine. I purposely put something in there.

─Alright, gather up!

Meanwhile, morning jogging break time had ended.

Not wanting any trouble, I changed into my training clothes and wiped off some sweat as knights began gathering one by one.

Thinking something happened, they all started collecting items in bunches.

“Take one too, Carsein.”

“What is this for?”

“It’s a gift from Lady Claire for the knights. It’s support for us.”

Hmm, why does he sound so confident?

Very thorough preparation indeed.

While the empire’s culture might not be known, if he did this, then it’s impossible to accuse them of foul play because items were also distributed to other knights.

In the meantime, a senior knight clapped his hands twice to get everyone’s attention.

“Listen up! You all know what happened yesterday. It was quite disgraceful, right?”

Eyes shifted towards Bruce and me.

There’s no point in saying anything. Accusations of foul play aside, it’s a hot topic that a trainee knight lost to a squire.

“Due to this, we will change our schedule today and proceed with sparring! Since the first young lady doubts our knights’ abilities, we must show our best before the second young lady! Understand?”

─Yes!

Upon hearing sparring, some cowered while others, thinking it’s been a while since their last chance to test their skills, patted their juniors on the back.

And then there was…

“Special notice: Today’s swordplay sparring will include trainees. As you all know, during training periods, trainees don’t usually participate in sparring, but Lady Arina has given her permission.”

He must be thrilled to have this opportunity.

It’s no coincidence that swordplay sparring is happening today.

No matter how you look at it, Arina entering the training hall will give Carsein a chance to hold a sword.

Regardless, this match is exactly what I wanted.

“Oh, are you the senior? Oh man.”

“Brat. Are you going to carefully check how much I’ve practiced?”

The method is a random draw.

Those with the same characters will fight in order according to the list.

But…

“Huh? Your opponent is Bruce, Carsein.”

“How peculiar.”

“Just as you say.”

My opponent was already predetermined from the start.

-Ding!

▶Sparring with Bruce has been confirmed!◀

▶Rewards vary based on achievement levels!◀

▶Due to the penalty enhancement from the ‘Broken Wing Episode,’ losing will result in stronger penalties!◀

[If defeated by Bruce, a severe injury to the left arm will occur, resulting in automatic expulsion from the training hall.]

Originally, failing to meet the required achievement level in mini-games would only lead to minor injuries and a drop in recognition. Now, it results in actual injuries.

Even if it’s just a minor injury, being expelled from the training hall is inevitable when suffering an injury.

Well, Bruce has lost a lot recently.

This kind of stimulus won’t stop him from harboring hatred towards Carsein.

When I turned slightly, I saw the guy grinning.

‘Looks like he’s already celebrating victory.’

He must be imagining me stumbling and struggling after a miserable defeat, which might lead to further retaliation against me.

Sorry, but that won’t happen.

With a sword, I’ve held Carsein’s sword before, not just his.

“Alright, we’ve drawn all the lots. Now everyone make sure to…”

Mark stopped mid-sentence as he turned around and looked at the current match-up list.

“…”

“Mark, why are you suddenly like this?”

“Second-in-command, did you mess up the number of matches?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

Raising his voice again, Mark tried to act nonchalant and urged everyone to prepare for the sparring.

But inside, he must be quite flustered.

Mark’s gaze seemed to subtly glance at me, asking how such a thing could happen.

I mouthed a single word to Mark.

‘Remember?’

That I said Bruce would be my opponent.

Mark swallowed hard, trying to hide his panic.

From Mark’s perspective, this is an unbelievable story.

Even more so because he was already surprised by Radiel’s revelations, and now there’s manipulation of the match-ups within the knight order.

He might have rushed in to stop the sparring altogether or started investigating the incident in the training hall.

But Mark maintained his composure.

He understood that rushing into action would be unwise.

Radiel must have explained everything well.

‘This is enough for now.’

▶You’ve prevented a disturbance in the training hall. However, enemies still hold grudges. If not completely eradicated, intimacy levels with characters may decrease!◀

Without solid evidence, there’s no way to drive out these people.

So, I need to create undeniable evidence.

“The next match! Carsein vs. Bruce!”

Not with my hand, but with theirs.

Smirking, Bruce walked onto the arena.

To avoid Mark noticing, he made a gesture of slitting his throat with his thumb behind his back.

Still full of confidence, he seemed to be belittling me even more.

“Prepare.”

Following the signal from the sparring instructor, Bruce took his stance.

His upper body leaned forward, centering his weight, making it easy to charge straight ahead at the start.

Holding his wooden sword with one hand rather than two suggests he plans to swing it wildly, aiming to grab control early.

This world is clearly different.

It’s far from the knowledge I possess.

But I understand this much:

Bruce is a typical bully.

Unlike those with real power, he’s all bluff and no substance.

Despite not being strong, he acts tough to save face under a stronger person.

He’s the type who picks on weaker opponents to assert dominance through brute force.

So, I can analyze this.

Bullies who look down on others and mock the weak are predictable.

They belittle, mock, and swagger.

But they rely solely on their own feeble strength, which looks pathetic to others.

-Ting!

The metallic sound of coins clinking rang out.

As the coin bounced and landed on the ground outside the arena, the sparring began.

“Hyaaaaah!!!”

Bruce charged with a roar, eyes wide open.

He must be certain that I won’t be able to parry his sword.

How long has it been since Carsein held a sword? Months, no, years.

What about Carsein’s slight build? He can barely keep up with morning jogs.

Carsein’s sword? He’s never seen it. To Bruce, Carsein seems like a typical weakling.

Thus, I can handle him.

-Bam!

“!!!”

“What…?!”

Bruce’s eyes widened.

Even the guys expecting me to go flying away raised their lips in a smirk, but their expressions froze instantly.

These kinds of guys are predictable.

When their opponent looks weaker, they think they can win easily.

That’s just pretense.

An empty can rattling in the wind.

***

‘…How could such a thing happen?’

Mark had thought of Carsein’s words yesterday as just a casual remark.

Offering his arm meant he was prepared for consequences.

But now, he was shaken by the truth.

An old letter and Radiel’s advice.

Shaken by the impact, Mark could only regain his composure after some time before re-entering the training hall.

It’s impossible to act normal after hearing this.

Though he doesn’t want to believe it, he wishes it were just a lie.

“Huh? Your opponent is Bruce, Carsein.”

“How peculiar.”

“Isn’t it?”

Yesterday, Carsein had confidently stated that his opponent would be Bruce tomorrow.

Mark denied it.

How could someone predict the outcome of a random draw?

While respecting his determination, this was too unbelievable.

Yet, this impossible scenario played out before his eyes.

Carsein had accurately named his opponent as if he had foreseen it.

Even more shocking, he knew this the day before.

After learning the opponent yesterday, he double-checked.

The usual random draws used for sparring selections were ordinary, blank ones.

‘…But someone prepared them.’

Theo Lamstair.

The probationary knight who framed Carsein, as pointed out by Radiel.

Mark clenched his fists.

“Captain, we should stop this now.”

Bruce and Carsein’s match was likely rigged too.

In such an unfair setup, anything could happen.

“We don’t know what those bastards might do to the young master. We should stop the sparring and resume sword training instead.”

“…But Mark, we haven’t received such orders.”

“Then did the young master approve this match? Someone who trained for months versus someone who trained for just five days, what could possibly happen?”

It’s a fifty-fifty chance whether they’d win once in a hundred battles.

Radiel understands this difference too.

But…

“No. The young master didn’t accept this match lightly.”

“Captain…?”

“Look at the young master. He’s holding the sword correctly.”

Carsein had said he was confident this time.

He promised it would be different.

“This might be part of the young master’s plan. Maybe…”

“He knew Bruce would attack and prepared accordingly?”

“Yeah.”

Radiel nodded in agreement.

Her words made sense.

Accepting the match despite knowing the outcome means he was prepared to win, not just accept defeat.

And that’s exactly what happened.

“Hey, does the young master’s sword stance look unusual? Have you ever seen anything like this?”

“…No, I haven’t.”

He must have prepared something.

There was no sign of anticipating a future defeat by Bruce.

“Both of you, get ready.”

One of the knights signaled the start of the sparring.

Taking their stances, both prepared themselves.

The coin was tossed to signal the start.

And then—

-Bam!

Carsein blocked Bruce’s attack flawlessly.

“His posture… hasn’t faltered?”

“Indeed…!”

No more doubt remained.

Seeing Carsein block his attacks, Bruce became desperate.

Unable to control his emotions, he swung his sword recklessly.

Everything fell apart.

Uncontrolled emotions were evident in each strike.

Though physically superior, his eyes were focused on Carsein’s face, not his sword.

Full of anger and unsteady, his stance was already broken.

Breathing erratically, he wasted energy attacking without adjusting his pace, leaving him exhausted.

But what about the young master?

He remained calm.

As steady as his grip on reason, Carsein’s movements were sharp.

Despite being physically inferior, his eyes never left the sword path.

Maintaining a single-minded approach, his breathing and body movements synchronized smoothly.

Adapting to the opponent’s rhythm, he efficiently defended with minimal movement.

Under opposite conditions, the two showed contrasting approaches.

“Mark, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a match… Do you think…?”

“Yes, the young master is in a favorable position. Despite all odds, how?”

Considering physical condition, experience, and training period, Bruce seemed to have the advantage.

However, once the match began, it appeared Carsein was in the lead.

They could foresee the end of this battle.

Bruce’s sword failed to hit Carsein repeatedly.

During this, his stamina drained, slowing his strikes and weakening his attacks.

Carsein didn’t miss this opening.

-Pak!

“Ugh…?!”

***

-Bam! Thud!

After blocking Bruce’s initial attack, his wooden sword came swinging back fiercely.

Though different from modern swords, the sword carried its weight.

Even the counterattack felt dishonorable, as Bruce’s rage was palpable.

Swinging blindly in anger, his sword was truly pitiful.

It seemed like he hadn’t learned anything.

Like a wild swing, his attacks revealed fleeting openings.

In haste, I pushed my right hand with force, drawing an awkward diagonal line.

I seized this momentary opening and struck Bruce’s abdomen with the handle of my sword.

“Ugh…?!”

Clutching his stomach, Bruce staggered back several steps.

Coughing, he glared at me as if to kill.

Even after the counterattack, he stepped forward and struck again, teeth gritted.

“Damn it…! Ahhh!!!”

With bloodshot eyes and a scream, he lunged again.

His concentration scattered, his sword moved only by emotion, no longer effective.

It was obvious where each strike would land.

“Ouch!”

A hit to the side.

“Ouch! Ouch!”

Hits to the thigh and shoulder.

And then—

-Thud!

A hit to the wrist holding the sword.

This was the finish.

-Klack.

Bruce’s wooden sword dropped.

This was a sparring match with wooden swords.

Dropping the sword meant defeat.

But Bruce refused to concede.

No, it went beyond that.

“Die, you bastard!!!”

With murderous intent, he aimed to strike with his sword, infused with mana.

“Bruce!”

“That bastard!”

Formal knights rushed to restrain Bruce.

Though a small amount, mana was infused in his sword. If his opponent could handle mana, it might work, but an ordinary person would suffer greatly.

But they didn’t need to intervene.

-Snap!

With a clean impact, something flew through the air.

Moments later, the wooden sword landed far from the arena, and its owner—

“Guh…!”

-Flop.

Collapsed face-first, gasping for breath.

“Huh. Even though Bruce is a worthless guy, he used a sword imbued with mana…”

“It’s impressive. He managed to knock the sword out of Bruce’s hand by lowering his stance precisely.”

“It’s not just luck. Dropping the sword instead of using a mana-infused one shows remarkable calmness and precision.”

“…And it was a wooden sword. He completely overcame such a significant gap.”

Applause echoed from the audience.

Most praised the skill, almost emptying the gray box.

‘Got one done.’

Soon, the referee knights and formal knights approached to punish Bruce and dragged him away.

Everyone’s gaze changed.

Like the vanished gray box, their suspicious eyes now filled with praise and applause.

During this, I had to turn slightly to observe the reaction.

Only one person.

His expression wouldn’t be good.

▶This character holds hostility towards you!◀

▶Be careful! Actions could trigger a dead flag!◀

‘Of course.’

Probably the one who ordered Bruce to expel me from the training hall.

Theo Lamstair.

‘Don’t worry. Next time, it’ll be your turn.’