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Chapter 68: VS Knight’s Grandmaster

“You got this, Grandmaster!”

“I’m rooting for you, Duke Fall!”

There are people cheering all around me. The location is the Knight’s training arena. In the center of that arena, I’m holding a training sword in one hand, and just in front of me, the Knight’s Grandmaster, Viscount Grieze, is holding one as well.

While listening to the cheers surrounding us, I spoke to the person who got me into this mess with reproachful eyes.

“I never heard anything about an audience, Serena-sama?”

“Oh? Isn’t it fine?”

Serena-sama answered my protest with a carefree smile.

“As the wife of the next Prime Minister, I want to see the best combat potential this country has to offer.”

“Even though you say that, was there really a need to force this old soul?”

“Don’t you want to move your body every once in a while?”

We were having such a conversation, but, well, to put it simply, during my audience with His Majesty the King, I accidentally let slip my promise with the Knight’s Grandmaster. After Serena-sama somehow got word of it, she spread rumors which caused us to end up in this situation. Viscount Grieze being Viscount Grieze, he was more than willing to oblige, and so I ended up here facing him in mock combat.

“A- Ah… Best of luck, Duke Fall!”

“… Thank you, Celeu-sama.”

Moreover, Celeu-sama showed up with Serena-sama like it was natural. However, as Their Majesties the King and Queen are busy as always, having both the Second Princess and Second Prince watching is quite eye-catching.

Well, there’s no pressing need to win, so I can be a bit carefree, but… when I think about Serena-sama or Celeu-sama talking about this to Laurier or Sasha, I can’t help but tense up.

Although I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold out against an active Knight’s Grandmaster… I decided to give it my all to win. That said, I’d feel better if we were using wooden swords instead…

“Well then, get ready!”

As I was thinking about things like that, the refereeing Knight called out to Viscount Grieze and I. On his mark, we held out swords at the ready and trained our gazes upon one-another. After staring at each other for a second that felt like an eternity, the referee gave the signal to begin.

“Start!”

“Hmph!”

Viscount Grieze flew at me as the words left the referee’s lips. He thrust his sword towards me at an unbelievable speed. Countering it, I held my sword low and moved to rush Viscount Grieze. However, as if he could read my movement, he avoided my attack with careful footwork.

“Kuh-…!”

After he avoided it, I tried to draw away and wait for an opening, but Viscount Grieze pursued me relentlessly. Right, left, right, left, high, low, high, high, low, he attacked without pause. While I somehow managed to dodge, my body was gradually remembering how to fight.

I see… it seems my abilities have grown quite dull.

“Haa-!”

He sent a decisive slash from above towards me. I can’t avoid it, so I confronted it head-on.

“What…?”

Thinking that would have decided the battle, Viscount Grieze stared at me amazed. I unconsciously smiled and said,

“Sorry, I had a slow start. I’ll be fighting seriously from here on out…!”

Shhhng! Deflecting his sword, I sharpened my gaze with killing intent and pressed the attack. To that, Viscount Grieze responded with a smile.

“Excellent! Just as I’d expect from the Sword Demon!”

Shhhng Shhhng Shhhng! The sound of metal colliding echoed throughout the arena, interspaced by the sound of wind as we furiously swung our swords at each other. The audience was staring in wonder at the scene, but I paid no mind to them anymore as I seriously fought Viscount Grieze.

I never expected I would have Battle Otaku tendencies…

We must have exchanged tens, no, hundreds of blows. Sometimes we dodged each-other’s attacks, and sometimes we used things other than our sword as if it were a real life-or-death battle. We saw nothing but each-other during this fight. While thinking how I’d never show this sight to Sasha, Laurier, Mint or Basil, I remained locked sword-to-sword against Viscount Grieze, who with a smile, spoke.

“Excellent, Sword Demon! You haven’t grown any weaker in retirement!”

“I’m happy to have earned your praise, Grandmaster Grieze.”

Shhhhhhhng! The swords groaned as they pressed against each-other, as if to complain about the stress Viscount Grieze and I are putting on them. They’re just cheap training swords, so it can’t be helped, but without minding it, we continued trading blows.

We clashed again and again and again… but, soon enough, our swords reached their limits. After countless slashes, with a piercing screech, the two blades broke along their cutting edge.

Bakinnn! With that sharp sound, we both stopped with our broken blades pressed against each-other’s throats.

“It seems… we’ll have to call it here, huh?”

“It seems so.”

Both of us exhaled and lowered our blades. With that, the referee, who had been engrossed in the fight, hurriedly declared an end to the match.

“T- That’s it! It’s a draw!”

The crowd went wild at those words. Although it’s too late for regrets now, I sighed while reflecting on how I overdid it.