excel三国杀

Chapter 252: Father-In-Law (3)

It was easy to learn about the duel between Isaac and Gerald.

“What is this…?”

Unlike White, who was excited about the duel of the century, Merlin was extremely confused.

Why are Isaac and Gerald fighting?

Why was Kaya watching the duel with such a serious expression?

Whatever the reason, it was clear that this was not a good situation.

“The duel between Isaac and Duke Gerald Astrea has been arranged. Isaac’s goal is to gain the Duke’s approval. The Duke’s goal is to test Isaac. Any objections?”

To the judge’s question, Isaac removed his glasses and answered, “No,” Gerald Astrea nodded in agreement.

The idea that an Elemental King would duel for someone’s approval seemed contradictory.

But this duel was different. Kaya Astrea was at the center of it.

Isaac was willing to use the logic of power even in front of the Emperor if it helped in his journey to defeat the Evil God.

However, he had no intention of disregarding Kaya’s family by taking her away and bringing them humiliation. Therefore, he sought Gerald’s approval.

As a result, Gerald naturally held the upper hand as Kaya’s father and his potential father-in-law.

On the other hand, Gerald couldn’t easily let it go once he confirmed Isaac’s intentions.

If Isaac was involved with his daughter, it was only natural for Gerald to take a firm stance.

This was the man who was supposed to take care of his daughter.

The man who would be responsible for her life.

Even if the opponent was an Elemental King, Gerald was determined to firmly assess this man’s character.

“Well then, prepare… begin the duel!”

As the observer stepped back, the duel began.

Isaac released a chilling cold from his entire body. The raw chill exuding from Isaac, already at a high level, was so intense that it created a haze.

His opponent was the Sword Saint of the Empire. Crossing swords with him alone was considered an honor within the Empire. Gaining experience from facing him was undoubtedly a valuable opportunity.

He was determined to land a hit on his future father-in-law.

With that resolve, Isaac kicked off the ground.

Swoosh!

Straight and fast.

“Hmm?”

Gerald felt puzzled.

A wizard attempting close combat right from the start, especially against him.

His athleticism was excellent. Just by observing his movements, one would think he was an honor student from the Academy’s Knight Department.

However, Gerald’s experienced eyes detected something deeper.

Though agile, he was expending more energy than he needed to. It was this observation that made him feel Isaac’s movements were only at the level of an academy honor student.

Whoooosh!

In Isaac’s right hand, cold mana swirled into the shape of a ball. A pale blue magic circle followed.

It was the formula for the 5-star ice spell [Frost Explosion].

The faint chill flowing from Isaac’s body condensed into a heavy stream of ice mana.

Due to Isaac’s swift movements, many students couldn’t discern any difference, but Gerald noticed the peculiar flow of cold air gathering in Isaac’s right arm.

Is it to enhance the power of [Frost Explosion]?

There wasn’t much time to think. Isaac was closing in.

“You underestimated me.”

He had no intention of receiving the attack head-on.

Gerald had the advantage in speed.

Gerald sidestepped. He intended to test Isaac.

To Isaac, it seemed as if Gerald had vanished in the blink of an eye.

In reality, Gerald had deftly slipped out of his sight in an instant.

It was a movement as precise as teleportation.

At that moment, Isaac’s keen hearing caught a sharp sound.

It was behind him.

Slaaash!

A blade approached menacingly from behind his head. A horizontal slash.

The swordsman who had been in his sight a moment ago suddenly appeared behind him in a highly unconventional manner.

If Gerald had shown movements that could be logically explained, he wouldn’t have reached the status of a Sword Saint in the first place.

What are you going to do?

Gerald slipped behind Isaac to see how he would handle an attack from that position.

He wanted to see the reason behind Isaac’s attempt at close combat, which was uncharacteristic of a wizard.

In that instant.

The audience, watching the duel from the stands, could neither follow nor perceive what was happening.

A strange sense of pressure touched Gerald’s instincts.

This guy…?

Isaac clearly couldn’t keep up with Gerald’s movements.

Yet, Isaac’s right hand, filled with concentrated frost mana, was already positioned behind him.

Gerald couldn’t immediately identify the direction of Isaac’s right hand. It was maxed by the chill concentrated around his arm.

It was a deliberate tactic. Isaac had increased the flow of cold air to conceal the direction of his right hand.

Whoosh!

The concentrated ice mana exploded.

Kwaaaaaa!!!

A pale blue radiance pushed through the cold air.

A brilliant blast of ice, accompanied by a shockwave, engulfed Gerald.

Sasasak!!

Gerald’s reaction was swift. The sword he was wielding instantly changed its trajectory, and his slightly bent knees extended, generating a deft burst of energy.

Sharp rays of light.

In an instant, several sword strikes were unleashed, slicing and splitting the overwhelming ice blast.

Chunks of ice shattered and scattered in all directions.

Gerald, having moved back to create distance from Isaac, was now difficult to follow with the naked eye. He casually brushed the ice and mana residues off his shoulders, appearing remarkably composed.

“What did I just see…?”

“Was it always possible to cut through [Frost Explosion]...?”

The students in the audience couldn’t fully grasp what had just happened due to the speed of the exchange.

One thing was certain. Gerald had demonstrated an incredible skill by neutralizing [Frost Explosion] with his sword despite it being made of wood.

The practice sword Gerald had picked up was designed to be difficult to cut through objects. Its blade was thick and not sharp. Essentially, it was more like a blunt instrument.

However, any tool in Gerald’s hands could transform into a deadly weapon.

Isaac turned to face Gerald, his murky red eyes locking onto him directly.

Impressive.

Gerald was genuinely impressed.

When dueling, one could often infer the opponent’s next move from their gaze and actions.

Moments ago, Isaac couldn’t keep up with Gerald’s movements. Gerald had confirmed that.

But at the moment Gerald vanished, Isaac had already directed his frost mana-infused right hand behind him.

In other words, Isaac hadn’t read Gerald’s movements.

He predicted my movements…

Gerald realized that Isaac wasn’t merely relying on magic for close combat.

“Was that foresight a skill of an archwizard or something?”

“...No, it was just a hunch.”

Isaac was deliberately avoiding reading Gerald’s psychology.

His future opponents wouldn’t easily reveal their intentions. Relying on [Psychological Insight] in battle needed to be avoided.

This allowed Isaac’s enhanced combat senses to shine through. He only had to focus on his five senses.

Gerald felt a tingling sensation in his chest.

“Are you displeased?”

“Quite the opposite, I respect it. Each person has a combat style that suits them. However, I do have a question.”

Gerald composed himself.

“I know you enrolled in the academy to protect it from demons. But why are you still here? With your skills, isn’t seeking further education at the academy a waste of your time?”

“Learning never ends. I’m still learning a lot here.”

“Is that a trick?”

“Think what you will. I’m simply stating what I see and feel.”

Isaac took out Zhonya’s Staff from his magic pouch.

Gerald’s eyes widened for a moment before calming down.

Zhonya’s Staff was a magic weapon owned by the Astrea Duchy.

Since it had been passed down to Kaya, it wasn’t surprising that she would give it to the man she loved.

“Besides that, I’m staying here to protect the academy from potential threats. There’s still an unknown threat I’m wary of. I plan to stay here until I fulfill my role.”

The young man before him was an archwizard. His intentions were beyond human comprehension.

Isaac had resolved numerous bizarre incidents and prevented many casualties as if he had foreseen the future. If such a man remained at the academy, there had to be a good reason.

The Imperial Court had come to the same conclusion.

He suddenly thought of something.

Gerald Astrea, being one of the Empire’s greatest powers, was privy to all the threats that the Empire deemed significant.

One of these threats was the prophesied return of the Evil God Nephid, as foreseen by Isaac.

Isaac had revealed his plan to the Empire to hunt down the Evil God. He claimed he could foresee the time of its resurrection.

This was closely related to why Isaac remained at the academy.

“You speak as if you were a messenger of the gods.”

Gerald composed himself again.

“I acknowledge your abilities. Even so, isn’t your attitude excessively arrogant, Isaac?”

“...Is that so?”

Boooooo!

Isaac emitted a dense chill and used the 2-star ice spell, [Snow Pellets].

When he was weak, he had to use water magic scrolls to create a fog for deception.

But not now. As mentioned before, Isaac’s mana density was very dense, so it was now possible for him to release a very thick mist if he wanted to.

The chill billowed out like steam, filling the arena.

The [Snow Pellets] that clattered onto the floor distracted Gerald.

It was a tactic Isaac had frequently used.

“Such a petty trick.”

Gerald was prepared to take the attack.

Whoosh!

Rumbleee!

Pillars of rock extended from the ground, aiming at Gerald, but he deftly dodged the magic.

The thick mist obstructed his vision. His opponent was a wizard bombarding him with magic.

The constant pattering of the [Snow Pellets] created a noisy environment, and the 4-star rock spell [Rock Avalanche] attack forced the opponent to focus on sensing the mana.

This tactic exploited such distractions.

Swish!

A silver trajectory cut through his blind spot.

Clang!

Without even glancing, Gerald blocked Isaac’s strike with his practice sword.

Isaac was wielding a dagger.

He braced the dagger with Zhonya’s Staff to apply more force.

He’s not like an archwizard.

He did not expect him to attack with a dagger. It felt off to consider him a Magic Knight. He was something of an anomaly.

Gerald met Isaac’s cold gaze.

The key to his strategy was to deliver physical attacks based on his superior physical abilities.

If Gerald dispelled the chill from the beginning, he could have broken the strategy, but it was likely that Isaac had prepared for that.

Moreover, for anyone with a lower mana density than Isaac, it would be difficult to dispel the chill of such high-density mana.

What an interesting fellow.

Even after exchanging only two moves, Gerald felt a refreshing impression.

The supposed Elemental King used the tactics of the weak. He didn’t indulge in or blindly trust his power but cautiously cornered his opponent.

Gerald found the peculiar contradiction rather enjoyable.

Unfortunately, such shallow tricks wouldn’t work on Gerald. He was adept at sensing presences and didn’t rely solely on mana detection.

He could have blocked Isaac’s attack even with his eyes closed.

It was a good tactic… for anyone but him, of course.

“So what if I’m arrogant?”

The dagger and practice sword continued their struggle for dominance.

“I’m just trying to protect what I love while trying to live my life. Archwizard… what a joke. Strip away the titles, and I’m just a man. Struggling to stay alive, fortunate enough to have some luck on my side, but still just an ordinary man.”

Those words carried weight. Gerald found them intriguing.

Despite his young age, Isaac was a figure whose presence was widely known around the world. What trials he had gone through to achieve what he had done were beyond anyone’s knowledge.”

But the words Isaac just spoke were laden with the struggles he faced learning the ways of the weak.

Gerald’s curiosity about Isaac grew.

Swordsmen understand each other by crossing blades. Although his opponent was an archwizard, the fact that he wielded a blade changed everything.

Ssssss!

A chill flowed quickly and intensely from Isaac’s hand.

The condensed chill exploded, attempting to engulf Gerald like a wild beast.

Whoosh!

Clang!

He wasn’t just going to take it quietly.

Gerald deflected Isaac’s dagger with a sideways swipe and launched a graceful counterattack.

Isaac wasn’t caught off guard. He swung his dagger once more, clashing blades with Gerald.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Isaac retreated while deflecting Gerald’s sword, counterattacking with ice and rock magic.

He repeatedly condensed ice mana at the tip of his dagger to create explosions, a technique difficult for mere students to imitate, showcasing his incredible mana mastery and computational ability.

Even while swinging his practice sword, Gerald had to dodge Isaac’s magic as much as possible to minimize damage to the blade.

Not clashing blades was an option, but Gerald chose not to. He had grown interested in Isaac.

“Did you just say that an archwizard is a joke?”

Gerald’s response was swift. While mercilessly driving Isaac back with continuous strikes, he dodged or deflected elemental magic without showing any openings.

Sparks flew and the dagger shuddered as the blade cut through the chill.

Whenever Isaac retreated and blocked with his blade, Gerald’s sword pursued relentlessly like a magnet.

Kwagagang!!

Sureung!!

“Did you say you are just an ordinary man when stripped of your titles?”

Gerald instinctively identified and cut through the tiny gaps in the elemental magic Isaac cast.

As the saying goes, a master did not blame his tools. Gerald proved this with a practice sword. He had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, known as the Sword Saint.

The sound of air being sliced and explosions constantly assaulted the ears of the two men. Sparks flew intermittently as their swords clashed, cutting through the chill.

“Did you dismiss your uniqueness as mere luck?”

Gerald’s strikes were extremely experienced and even beautiful in their efficiency.

Isaac found that mere defensive magic was insufficient, so he had to use Zhonya’s Staff not only to cast spells but also to block attacks.

Each clash sent a biting chill surging through the air, gradually clearing Gerald’s field of vision.

“Many struggle to survive, working until their skin peels off, but only a few achieve greatness!”

Boooom!!

A powerful strike sent Isaac flying with his dagger. Isaac caught the blow with Zhonya’s Staff, supporting his hand holding the dagger.

Boooong!!

The air pressure from Gerald’s strike cleared away the remaining chill. Gerald had swung his sword with deliberate force.

Isaac landed in the dueling ground, raising up an ice wall behind him to support his back.

Isaac, leaning on Zhonya’s Staff, still showed no signs of being overexerted.

And then.

Crack.

Crackle!

Gerald’s sword shattered.

Each clash had incrementally damaged the blade with Isaac’s precise mana explosions.

Gerald didn’t even look down at his sword because he had expected this. Despite minimizing the damage from Isaac’s chill, the practice sword had its limits.

The students, faculty, White, and Merlin in the audience were all visibly shocked.

“That’s not luck. It’s a result of your efforts. If you are to be the man to take my daughter, throw away that kind of attitude.”

Gerald didn’t know about status windows or systems, or Isaac’s circumstances.

But objectively, Isaac had achieved tremendous feats and was now in a position to take charge of Düpfendorf.

Despite this, Isaac was still not accustomed to his position, and his unspoken thoughts had slipped out.

Thus, Gerald had pointed this out as a prospective father-in-law.

Don’t diminish your achievements as luck.

Understand exactly where you stand.

An Elemental King, the Lord of Düpfendorf, and the man who would take care of his daughter…

…Aren’t there other things to be humble about?

“...I will keep that in mind.”

Understanding Gerald’s intention, Isaac replied in a subdued voice.

Gerald took a deep breath and spoke.

“...It’s my loss.”

As soon as Gerald uttered those words, a slow applause slowly began to ripple through the audience.

Soon, everyone in the audience was cheering and applauding.

“Merlin?”

White, happily clapping, looked at Merlin with a puzzled expression.

Because Merlin’s face had gone pale.

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