While Cheon Ha-rang and Camilla were engaged in a petty nerve-wracking battle over their ages, the spectators in the arena were unexpectedly fired up for an impromptu event.
“Wait! Are you saying you can’t trust our Lord, the Empire’s mightiest Sword?!”
“Are you kidding me? Didn’t you just get wrecked? That’s a monster in a woman’s guise!”
Despite their injuries, the knights—some bandaged up and others looking surprisingly intact—waited eagerly for the upcoming duel, discussing like excited children.
“Good grief! This is frustrating!”
“Exactly my point!”
The topic of their heated debate? Who would win the duel. It might seem trivial, but to these knights, talk of strength lit up their eyes like boys recalling the thrill of adventure. One knight, appearing particularly exasperated, thumped his chest.
“Is that head of yours just for decoration? Isn’t she the Empire’s mightiest Sword?”
Whenever asked who the strongest in the Empire was, Camilla’s name always came up.
Yet, after taking a beating from Hwang, another knight shouted in rebuttal.
“That person is someone the great Camilla brought here against all odds!”
But who was this hidden genius named Cheon Ha-rang that even Camilla recognized, yet no one had heard of before?
Though their debate seemed intense, most were firmly on Camilla’s side, given their loyalty as knights.
As the atmosphere heated up, a knight with bandages on his ankles and elbows stepped forward.
“How about we wager on dinner?”
A bet on dinner, essentially gambling.
At that, the knights’ eyes shifted unanimously to one side.
“Are you treating our Lord like a racehorse for bets?!”
“No! When did I say that?!”
The knight who had raised the gamble shrank back at the reproach.
His argument was reasonable enough that he had nothing to counter with, merely mumbling under his breath.
“Still, isn’t our Lord lenient about such things? If the amount isn’t huge, wouldn’t it be okay?”
Some knights chimed in to support his opinion.
“…In that case, I bet 5 silver on our Lord.”
“Ugh! I’m unsure! I’ll put 3 silver on Cheon Ha-rang as the underdog!”
Soon, a small gambling pot was emerging among the knights watching the duel.
Unbeknownst to them, betting against Camilla would mean embarking on a grueling training regime.
*
In the arena, two tiny women glared at each other, huffing and puffing.
“Auntie? We’re not even married yet!”
“Is being unmarried at your age something to brag about?!”
Their argument put together definitely made it hard to believe their average age was 180 years.
Yet, even in the mud-slinging, they were more sincere than anyone else.
“Ha! What do you expect me to do when I don’t like anyone?”
“That’s just an excuse!”
Camilla said this while biting her lip.
But soon, one corner of her mouth began to twitch upward.
“At least I’m not trying to snag a guy who just hit puberty!”
Camilla’s brain-buster of a comeback.
“…What on earth are you talking about?”
But Cheon Ha-rang tilted her head, looking completely baffled at Camilla’s remarks.
Camilla let out a snicker and pointed at the nameless disciple, who was watching from the back with droopy eyes.
“That pervy knight! Elder’s disciple! You’re totally trying to set that old hag up, right?!”
“Wha… What?!”
Only then did Cheon Ha-rang seem to grasp what Camilla was saying, shaking like a leaf.
At Cheon Ha-rang’s reaction, Camilla felt victorious, smirking like she had clinched the win and pressed on even harder.
“What kind of crazy woman raises a guy she’s interested in?!”
“N-No! It’s not like that with Nameless and me!”
Cheon Ha-rang flailed her arms and head in denial.
“Mmm…?”
Camilla narrowed her eyes, observing Cheon Ha-rang, who was now dizzy from the sudden statement.
Cheon Ha-rang felt completely wronged.
‘Me raising him to eat him…?!’
The idea of a master raising a disciple for marriage? How absurd!
As if romantic relationships between a teacher and their student weren’t already taboo—akin to an incestuous relationship!
That’s a big no-no!
So, unless a sword was drawn against her throat, she would never date her disciple, Nameless.
‘Wait, I’ll just say this…’
With a clear mind, Hwang was ready to counter Camilla, but then she said,
“Well then…”
Camilla licking her lips sent chills down Hwang’s spine.
Stepping back cautiously, Hwang aimed her wooden sword at Camilla.
“W-What now?!”
She looked like a tiny cat hissing.
Camilla grinned wickedly, advancing towards the retreating Hwang.
“You mean you’re not going to interfere with that old hag, right?”
And then she pointed at Nameless again, like before.
“…Right.”
Despite the chill racing down her spine for reasons unknown, Hwang nodded; she had to agree.
“Well then…”
Camilla’s smile deepened.
“He’s now an adult, so he has to marry, right? So…”
With her face up close, Camilla leaned into Hwang’s ear.
“Can I take that pervy knight?”
“…”
I couldn’t even confirm or deny her statement; I couldn’t even push the answer aside.
Suddenly, I recalled Nameless casually saying that his ideal type was a woman about two shins shorter than him.
It felt suspiciously detailed as if it was aimed at someone.
I bit my lip.
At Camilla’s provocative words, mixed with Nameless’s sudden memory, my heart grew cold.
It felt disgusting, painful.
I didn’t even know why, which was maddening beyond belief.
I wanted nothing more than to immediately reject Camilla’s words.
“…”
And so, I would reject her. In my own way.
With the best refusal I could muster as a master.
I aimed my wooden sword at Camilla’s direction, sporting a serious face.
“…If you want Nameless, you’ll have to defeat me first.”
It felt like something an overprotective father saying to send off his daughter with a suitor.
“Pfft, what’s that supposed to mean?”
In response to my serious declaration, Camilla grinned playfully and moved to pull out a sword from the ground.
“All that means is you don’t want that pervy knight to ever marry, right?”
“…Who knows.”
The duel had begun.
*
Before the duel started, I was feeling all tangled up from Camilla’s words, but now that it was underway, I found myself surprisingly calm.
…Not sure why, though.
I deduced it was because I, a coward, had confidently refused something against my will for the first time.
Yes, that must be it.
There’s hardly any other reason.
Now that we were adequately distanced, I narrowed my eyes at the boy.
The intensity I felt was overwhelming.
Knowing I had no guarantee of winning against Camilla, conceding anything would almost feel arrogant.
“…”
For now, I would give her the first move.
Holding my sword in one hand, I spread my legs.
I take a deep breath.
The energy in the air flows into my body, purifying within my lungs before moving into my lower dantian.
I exhale.
I expel all the waste left after purification, maximizing the density of my energy.
Simultaneously, energy begins flowing from my lower dantian, circulating throughout my entire body.
I felt lighter, yet my movements were heavy; my senses sharpened, and thick, dark ripples danced around me.
With a smirk on my face, I provocatively flicked my non-sword hand.
“Come.”
At my words, Camilla’s indicated smile widened.
Shouldering her great sword with one hand, she bent her body and touched the ground with the other.
She looked almost feline, baring her teeth as a predator prepares to pounce.
“Aren’t you worried, Grandma? Do be careful not to break that wooden sword, now!”
Soon, an enormous blue wolf materialized above her.
Coiling as if to spring, its leg muscles pulsing.
And then…
-BOOM!!!
The sound of the earth being shattered was almost unbelievable.
Camilla lunged forward like a bolt of lightning.
The distance shrank instantly.
Camilla’s slender arm wielded the massive sword.
…Not just a sword.
The wooden sword thrust forward to meet it.
The great sword collided with the wooden one.
-CREEEAAAK!
The arena echoed with the dissonant sound of clashing swords.
“Thanks for worrying.”
“Bah.”
The giant great sword pressing down on me didn’t break my worn-out wooden sword.
My smile deepened.
In that brief moment, I had gauged Camilla’s power level.
