From the very first duel of Luminor Academy’s Swordsmanship Department Entrance Exam…

Ethan was facing his opponent across from him in a rather tense state.

It was because he was about to face Caraham Jamuel August, the eldest son of the August Margrave family, as his first duel opponent.

 

“I look forward to our match, Young Master Ethan.”

“…Likewise, Young Master Caraham.”

 

Although they had never crossed swords directly, they had already encountered each other a couple of times before.

In their first meeting, Caraham, along with his sister, had been rude to both Ethan and Lilith.

Their second encounter was when they met again while receiving rewards for defending against the monster invasion of the Imperial Palace.

He had heard that during the invasion, Caraham had defended against the magical beasts attacking the horses and carriages near the stables at the southern gate.

Considering the number and strength of the magical beasts that had swarmed him then, it was highly likely that he wouldn’t be an easy opponent to defeat.

Of course, Ethan had also trained much more compared to that time; he was even winning a round here and there in mock duels against his father, who was a Sword Master, but still…

…for some reason, Ethan’s intuition was telling him something.

He felt a strong warning that he should absolutely not underestimate the opponent before him.

 

<Young master, you must never block Caraham’s sword with just one sword.>

<What are you saying all of a sudden, Maid?>

<The August-style of swordsmanship is too heavy to deflect with just one sword, like when you duel with the master. Fortunately, as he wields a greatsword, his speed isn’t that fast, so prioritize evasion as much as possible. And if there comes a moment when you absolutely must block, use both of your swords desperately to do so.>

<…I understand, maid. I’ll keep that in mind.>

 

Perhaps because he had received advice from his maid before the match, he couldn’t help but feel more tense.

Even when he blocked and deflected his father’s sword in mock duels, he often felt considerable fatigue in one arm, and now he had heard that his opponent wielded an even heavier sword.

Of course, he wondered how a mere maid knew about the strengths and weaknesses of the August-style swordsmanship, but he didn’t bother to ask about that.

Ethan, who had already benefited from her advice several times, had reached the point where he no longer doubted Lilith’s words.

As Ethan prepared to cross swords with the opponent before him and took his stance, the young master of the August family across from him began to speak calmly before the test.

 

“To face you, Young Master Ethan, from the start, I’m quite lucky.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’ve wanted to compete with you before, Young Master Ethan. I, too, though not as much as you, wielded a sword and contributed during the attack on the Imperial Palace. But, Young Master Ethan, I heard that you achieved even greater merits than I did, so I was curious about what level of swordsmanship skills you might possess.”

“…What does that have to do with you being lucky to face me as your first opponent?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

 

As Caraham reached for the huge greatsword on his back, preparing to draw it at any moment, a remark that sounded almost casual reached Ethan’s ears.

 

“If we face each other in the first duel, Young Master Ethan, at least you won’t be able to make excuses about losing due to accumulated fatigue.”

“……”

 

Ethan bit his lower lip hard at Caraham’s provocation once again.

It became another reason for Ethan’s desire not to lose in the duel that Lilith was watching for him to grow even stronger.

On the other hand, Caraham, not even realizing that his words were a provocation, was likewise finishing his preparations to draw and swing his sword.

In an atmosphere filled with intense tension, the entrance exam judge announced the preparation for the duel.

 

“Ready…”

“……”

“……”

“…Begin!”

 

As soon as the entrance exam judge declared the start, both of them sprang forward.

The two faced each other at the center of the training ground, slightly closer to Caraham’s side, and exchanged blows right there.

Caraham attempted a vertical slash as he drew the greatsword from his back with his first step.

His sword traced a vertical semicircle in the air, aiming to strike down on Ethan’s body, standing directly in front.

As Lilith had advised, instead of blocking the sword head-on, Ethan avoided the first strike with quick movements.

 

Crack!

“…!”

 

Ethan couldn’t help but be surprised by the power that shattered the stone floor where Caraham’s sword had struck after he dodged.

If he had tried to block it with one hand, his arm would have been crushed along with it.

Recalling Lilith’s advice in his mind once again, Ethan rushed at Caraham while he was raising his sword again.

Caraham, as if he had predicted Ethan’s reaction, ducked to avoid one attack and then rammed his left shoulder into Ethan’s chest.

 

Bam!

“Ugh…!”

 

Ethan’s body was thrown back by the body that was as stupid and hard as the sword he wielded.

As soon as Ethan’s posture crumbled, Caraham, who had regained his grip on his sword, was now the one rushing at Ethan.

 

‘As expected of a member of the August family, his entire body is a weapon.’

 

The thought suddenly crossed Ethan’s mind that it wasn’t for nothing that the August family had been defending the western border for generations.

True to the Augusts, who had been strengthening their bodies using mana since childhood, even that brief collision was enough for Ethan to feel the solid muscles throughout Caraham’s body.

With such a robust physique, it must be possible for him to fight with that slow and heavy greatsword.

However, Ethan was also the heir of the Blackwood family, who had learned the family’s mana swordsmanship from his father.

When it came to the technique of strengthening the body with mana to wield a sword, he was not lacking, either.

It might be impossible to fully defend against that greatsword with his own sword and strength, but at least it seemed possible to guide it to strike elsewhere.

In the second exchange, as soon as Ethan avoided Caraham’s sword, he thrust both swords in his hands simultaneously towards Caraham’s neck.

 

“…!!”

 

Caraham, who was about to swing his sword down to the floor again, hurriedly changed its trajectory when he saw the sudden attack aiming for his vital point.

Fortunately, his greatsword, which changed direction just in time, succeeded in deflecting Ethan’s swords before receiving a fatal wound.

The twin swords in the Blackwood young master’s hands were inevitably blocked in the contest of strength.

 

Clang!

 

With the small shockwave of mana that burst as the three swords collided simultaneously, the two were forced to create distance between them.

Separated by about five steps, Ethan and Caraham both breathed heavily.

Even though they had barely exchanged two blows, sweat was pouring from their bodies as if by the bucketful.

 

“Haa, haa…”

“Huu, huu…”

“You’re, you’re quite skilled, Young Master Ethan…”

“…Huu, you too.”

 

As soon as they finished their brief rest and conversation, the two men’s figures rushed towards each other again.

After that, Ethan and Caraham’s duel continued for twenty more exchanges.

Caraham stubbornly swung his slow but unstoppable greatsword at Ethan, one attack after another.

Ethan avoided Caraham’s sword with quick movements and the agility of his two swords, attempting attacks, or when he couldn’t avoid, he blocked with both swords and created space.

Unlike the previous applicants’ duels that were decided in just 3 minutes, their duel was still not over even after nearly 15 minutes had passed.

For both Ethan and Caraham, fatigue from consuming mana while wildly swinging their swords was gradually overtaking their bodies.

 

‘The next exchange will probably be the last.’

 

Ethan could intuitively sense that if the duel dragged on any longer, he would undoubtedly be the first to collapse from exhaustion.

He wasn’t sure about the level of Caraham’s stamina, but it would be arrogant to hope that that stubborn-looking man would collapse before him.

So, he had to make his move to decide the match.

In the final showdown, he would create an opening and thrust in a decisive blow.

 

Whoosh!

‘Here it comes…!’

 

Once again, a slow and heavy blow came flying towards him.

Ethan, who had accelerated his body by squeezing out the last of his mana, avoided Caraham’s sword one more time.

The swords in both of his hands aimed for Caraham’s nape once again.

 

“…!”

 

Caraham, remembering Ethan’s attempt at the same attack as in the second exchange, tried to block Ethan’s swords by twisting his descending sword just as he had done then.

However, the last thing Caraham saw before his sword clashed was that Ethan had only one sword, held in his left hand.

 

Clang!

“…!!”

 

Moreover, as if Ethan hadn’t even really intended to compete properly, he let go of the sword in his left hand far too easily.

Startled by this nonchalant reaction, Caraham desperately searched for Ethan’s other hand.

But by the time the other sword entered Caraham’s vision, he could only realize that he was already too late.

The sword in Ethan’s right hand was already at the moment just before plunging into Caraham’s heart.

 

“…Stop! That’s enough!!”

“Uck…!”

“…Haaa.”

 

Caraham tensed up, thinking a sword was about to pierce his chest, while Ethan barely managed to stop his sword just before thrusting upon hearing the judge’s declaration.

With only the tip of the sharp sword bearing the Blackwood crest lightly cutting the center of Caraham’s upper garment, the judge’s announcement of the result of the duel followed.

 

“Winner, Ethan Richard Blackwood!”

“Ha, haha…”

Thud.

“……”

 

As soon as the judge’s announcement ended, Caraham dropped the sword he was holding and slumped to the floor.

Ethan silently watched Caraham’s figure as he sheathed the sword in his hand.

 

“Well done, Young Master Caraham.”

“…I learned a lot.”

 

After exchanging brief greetings, Ethan retrieved the other sword that had been sent flying by Caraham’s sword and sheathed it in the opposite scabbard.

As much as he wanted to sit down on the floor like that and rest, Ethan had a reason why he couldn’t do so.

 

“Well done, Young Master Ethan. It was truly an excellent duel.”

“…Thank you. Thanks for watching the duel, Maid.”

 

After all, the desire to show off a little more in front of the woman one likes is a common desire of men all over the world.