Chapter 69

“…What? What did you say?”

Professor Andres wore a bewildered expression. It was certainly unlike him, and the same could be said for Chancellor Damian standing before him.

Professor Andres first turned off the microphone he held. He felt that the story he was about to share would likely cause trouble if the students overheard it.

“Chancellor Damian, what do you mean by that?”

When Professor Andres asked, Chancellor Damian rubbed the back of his neck and opened his mouth with a look of discomfort.

“Uhh… I just heard about it too. I had heard occasionally that Your Excellency cherished your daughter very much, but I didn’t expect you to come here so unexpectedly…”

“No, but even so…”

Professor Andres was astounded. To suddenly visit Bruytni, where the sparring was taking place, just to watch his daughter’s sparring match seemed outrageous.

“No matter how much of an Adelhaid Duke you are, showing up like this without any notice is unacceptable.”

“…I said I wouldn’t cause a big stir and would only quietly watch and leave. I made that promise with him, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

“Professor Andres.”

Professor Andres shut his mouth firmly. As they exchanged glances, a tense atmosphere flowed between him and Chancellor Damian.

The one who interrupted them was none other than Professor Underwood.

“Come on now, Professor Andres. Don’t think too negatively. The Duke Adelheid wants to see his daughter shine; what can we do about that?”

“……”

Indeed, in terms of social status, Professor Andres was not easily outdone, but when faced with a war hero and a duke, the situation changed.

Professor Andres wasn’t simply uncomfortable because of that fact. He was worried that Duke Adelheid might exert influence over the sparring and also feared that the students, realizing the duke’s visit, might become flustered and fail to perform at their best.

“…Will he really just quietly watch and leave?”

“He mentioned that he would only observe while passing through for work. He will probably arrive around tomorrow.”

“Sigh…”

It was a mix of frustration and arrogance to act like a doting father.

The finals of the sparring were to take place tomorrow, and he wanted to watch his daughter’s match then.

This also meant he firmly believed that his eldest daughter, Laura von Adelheit, would win the current match.

The remarks staged between arrogance and confidence would leave even Professor Andres in awe.

After a moment of chewing on his lips, it didn’t take long for Professor Andres to reluctantly accept the reality.

“…Understood. For now, we will continue with the sparring.”

“Right. It seems he doesn’t want the word about his arrival to get out, so we should proceed as usual.”

Professor Andres took hold of the microphone. His face, which had been stiff for a moment, resumed a lively expression as it appeared on the monitor.

“Ha ha ha! Our Chancellor Damian mentioned that since the first-year students have been stepping forward before, today, the seniors should display their superiority first!”

“Hey, Professor Andres. When did I ever say such a thing…”

With a baffled expression from Chancellor Damian, Professor Underwood whispered to Professor Armstrong.

“Muscle fool. What do you think?”

“Don’t call me that. More importantly, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the Adelheid student, Laura von Adelheit. Do you think she can win this sparring?”

“What about it…”

Professor Armstrong shook his head with a weary expression before quietly muttering.

“Hmmm. That’s something we’ll have to see, but…”

“See?”

“…If she is the daughter of Adelheid, she should undoubtedly win, right?”

“Hmmm…”

The two professors stopped mingling and looked down at the practice field beyond the window.

The second-year students’ sparring was just about to begin.

“…Unless there are any variables.”

Only Professor Underwood heard the following murmurs from Professor Armstrong.

* * * * *

“I don’t like this…”

Joey, holding a rapier and a shield, frowned as she glared at the man before her.

Daniel, standing opposite her, also wore an intensely serious expression, yet a hint of mischief flickered within.

Joey gripped her shield even tighter. It was certain that this would be a difficult match.

Daniel, standing across from her, was deep in thought as well.

‘Ah… can’t you just come out first…?’

She sensed Joey’s cautious demeanor and felt impatient. If she got closer, he intended to launch an attack targeting the gaps created by her shield’s movement.

However, Joey was calmer and cleverer than Daniel expected. She held the shield firmly and didn’t hastily move, having somewhat grasped Daniel’s magic.

‘In that case…’

Ultimately, he had no choice but to make the first move. If his first attack failed, it would be like allowing her to close the distance, something Daniel secretly didn’t want to do.

‘There’s a time limit.’

The two had a total of ten minutes. They had to decide the outcome quickly.

Moreover, with that shield in existence, it would be difficult to finish things. Daniel made his decision quickly.

He picked up the thickest piece of charcoal among those on his fingers, dropping the others to the ground.

The scattered charcoal pieces bizarrely fell in a straight line.

Seeing this, Daniel smiled in satisfaction and rubbed the charcoal he held with his thumb. The black soot smeared on his thumb pointed precisely at Joey.

It was reminiscent of an artist gauging the subject of their painting with a pencil.

Daniel murmured.

“Ancient tree. Guardian of the verdant forest. Here, turn life into sacrifice. The mountain spirit has grown angry.”

Perhaps sensing the ominous energy, Joey showed signs of moving. Daniel spoke in a low voice.

“Kill.”

– Crack!

One of the three charcoal pieces laid flat on the ground shattered with a distinct sound. At the same time, a black line appeared on Daniel’s right arm.

‘Is this sacrifice for the right arm?’

He had three chances to unleash “Kill.” If he failed to hit even once within those three opportunities, he wouldn’t be able to move his right arm for a while.

So, a mass of black energy coalesced and flew toward Joey.

“…Dammit!”

Joey quickly dodged, barely avoiding the attack. Daniel clicked his tongue without realizing it.

Now that she had moved, Joey was certain to attempt to close the distance. He would launch an attack through the openings created by her movement.

“Kill.”

– Crack!

Another piece of charcoal in front of Daniel shattered, and the second “Kill” shot toward Joey.

Joey calmly raised her shield. In that situation, she judged that if she continued sprinting at full force and tried to step back or roll away, it would be difficult to avoid the subsequent third attack.

However, that judgment didn’t prove to be very wise.

– Boom!

“Uck…?!”

The reverberating impact coursed through her entire body from her left arm. The strength of the “Kill” attack was much greater than expected, causing Joey to exhale sharply.

The shield she held in her left hand was indented in the center as if something massive had slammed into it. Her wrist felt strained as well.

Still, Joey gripped the shield more firmly. Although the center might have been slightly dented, it hadn’t been pierced. She could endure a few more attacks.

It was more important to have the chance to block the danger than to abandon the shield and evade with her bare body.

Seeing her determination, Daniel smirked and aimed the charcoal once more.

“Kill.”

– Crack—!

The last remaining piece of charcoal fulfilled its purpose and lost its form. The piece of charcoal in Daniel’s hand shattered as well.

The final “Kill” flew towards Joey.

– Boom!

“Kwack…!”

Joey opened her tightly shut eyes. The shield, now visibly dented, came into her view.

She had endured until the last attack. Realizing that, she grinned ferociously and glared at Daniel.

“Now… is it my turn?”

“Er, um…?”

To achieve maximum speed, Joey flung the painfully throbbing shield far away. Her left arm, exposed to the wind, screamed in pain.

However, Joey’s expression didn’t change at all. She reached a state of ecstatic concentration, filled with extreme excitement and focus, just before her decisive strike.

Joey, having thrown away the shield, bent her knees and lowered her stance. It took only 2 seconds to complete all those movements.

Finally, she surged toward the visibly flustered Daniel like the wind.

– Whoosh—!!

The sound of slicing the air mercilessly struck her ears. Having rapidly reached the attack range, Joey took a short deep breath and held her breath for a moment.

Gripping the rapier firmly, she lunged forward, extending her right foot, and with all her strength, she lunged her right hand holding the rapier…

‘…I won.’

Joey sensed in her gut that she had won this match. She was determined to land a hit on Daniel and wipe that smug grin off his face.

Yes. She definitely thought so.

“Form.”

“…Huh?”

– Crash—!

Before a huge wooden puppet appeared before her.

“Gyaaah!”

Joey let out an involuntary shriek and looked up at the towering shadow above her.

The puppet resembled two twisted trees entangled together. Twisted wood formed its limbs, and a hollow in the center of its log served as the face and eyes.

Yet, it was not alive. Just a puppet moving on its own. Joey spotted Daniel’s right hand hidden behind the wooden figure.

In that instant, time seemed to slow down for Joey. Her eyes rolled slowly.

In Daniel’s hand was a blood-stained wooden statue. The ink bottle he held in his left hand was already open, revealing the blood swirling within.

“What the hell…!”

“Break.”

In the blink of an eye, the huge wooden puppet’s fist approached her. She couldn’t avoid it because she was still lunging with the rapier.

In that fleeting moment, a multitude of thoughts flooded Joey’s mind.

If only she hadn’t discarded the shield, she could have blocked this one attack somehow.

Had she not discarded the shield, it might have come at a slower pace, and she could have sensed its approach.

If she hadn’t discarded the shield…

‘…No way.’

Joey, unable to believe what she was seeing, gradually turned her gaze to Daniel’s face.

He was smiling. As if the long-awaited prey had finally been caught.

‘The “Kill” I fired earlier was to make me drop the shield—.’

Joey’s thoughts never reached their conclusion.

– Crash—!

The heavy wooden fist rushed toward her body.