Chapter 141
After a week, the Academy Martial Arts Tournament began.
The Martial Arts Tournament seems to be held to make sure that the Academy Cities in each country are fulfilling their purpose and training Talented children to defeat the Demon King’s army.
They can’t just say that everything will be okay just by building an Academy and appointing a Royal from another country as the Principal. Each country has its own checks and balances.
The tournament went on as the guests of honor from various countries cast a stern eye on the Academy. A person who appeared to be a guest from another country was recording something as he watched the students fight.
The number of participants in the tournament was narrowed down from about 100 to 16 at the recently held Preliminary Round.
The Preliminary Round was over and the Final Round started a little after 9:00 today. It’s a tournament format, so if you win four times, you win. After that, the winner can fight against Master Swordsman Doberg.
The arena was divided into two sections, with just over five thousand student spectators making up about two-thirds of it.
And there guests from various countries and the Crown Prince and Nobles of the Kingdom making up the remaining third. There were people dressed in clothes that showed their high status. And there were many Knights guarding them.
Naturally, guests and Royals only watched the Final Round.
(So that’s the Crown Prince. Maybe it’s a good thing I got to know his face early. Did he bring his Talented ten-year-old daughter with him?)
I summoned Eagle in the sky as I watched the game, and with [Eagle Eye], I was seeing the Crown Prince sitting in the center of the Royals and guests.
He was probably in his early forties. He was a handsome man with all-back hair like I’ve seen in foreign dramas in my previous life. He looked like an actor who would be more suited to play a villain.
I don’t know if he’s a subordinate or a Minister, but he was watching the matches while listening to a Noble of a certain status.
(Looks like the match is almost over. Kurena’s opponent is pretty persistent.)
Right now, Kurena was in the final against a big, muscular, two-handed sword-using student.
“Kurena’s grown up a lot, hasn’t she? She’s only a first year student, but she’s pushing back third years.”
A hawk-eyed man beside me spoke to me.
“Yes, Viscount Granvelle.”
Last week, Kurena decided to participate in the Academy Martial Arts Tournament, and when I told him about it using the F-rank Bird Poppo, he said, “I’m on my way too.”
He had plans to come to the Academy City in the future, but he must have been worried because the Crown Prince was coming too. The Crown Prince was the one who ordered the kidnapping of his beloved daughter after all.
He came to the Academy City with the Knight Commander in tow.
I was watching the tournament with Cecile from the side where the Royals and Nobles were sitting. Naturally, we had obtained permission from the Academy. Kiel and Dogora were also there, but they were more quiet than usual because the Viscount was present.
“Oh! What a surprise! Kurena, a first year student, has defeated Triverga for the win.”
The voice of a speaker that seemed to be using a magic tool echoed throughout the arena.
Kurena’s opponent, who was called Triverga, threw down his weapon and looked up to the sky. Kurena defeated her opponent to win the tournament.
The students and Nobles groaned as a first-year student defeated the third-year candidates to win the tournament.
This is a world where the statuses and growth rate of a person depends on his/her Talent. The second and third year students here know this from their own experiences. The Nobles know it too.
But how can there be such a difference? They were probably upset to find this big of a difference.
“Then, after a short break, Master Swordsman Doberg will fight against our winner Kurena.”
The two contestants bowed and left the arena. The crowd applauded the two for their good fight.
(Hmmm… As for the weapons, Kurena used a Heliocane one, and her opponent used Mithril. That said, her opponent was using a lot of skills.)
I was analyzing Kurena’s victory.
This tournament allowed the use of skills, but since Kurena had recently acquired a Greatsword made of Heliocane, she decided not to use it out of concern for her opponent’s safety.
The increase in [Attack] with better weapons is quite large.
(Without taking weapons into account, Kurena’s strength will probably be like:)
“I won! Allen!”
“Oh! Congratulations, Kurena.”
Kurena came straight back to us like a child who has just finished an event at a field day.
The Viscount and us congratulated Kurena on her victory.
The Crown Prince was looking at us.
The Crown Prince was watching from a space set up high in the audience for the Royal Family as Kurena talked with us. I was keeping a watch on the Crown Prince via Eagle. The Crown Prince looked at Kurena and us for a moment, then changed his gaze.
After a short break, everyone was looking at the arena.
On the fighting platform stood two Master Swordsmen.
“Now, the match between today’s winner and Master Swordsman Doberg. I hope we can see his sword play this year, which has defeated the winner of the tournament every year!”
“Hmm, I only taught you how to use skills a few months ago and here we are.”
Doberg ignored the voice of the commentator and talked to Kurena. The referee has already signaled the start of the match.
“Yeah.”
“You’ve got good friends. Take good care of them.”
“Yes!”
After saying that, Doberg raised his jet-black Adamantite sword. Seeing this, Kurena also raised her Greatsword, which was made of Heliocane.
“I am a hunter of magical beasts, a slaughterer of magical beasts. I am the one who will kill the Demon King.”
“Huh?”
Doberg, his sword raised and ready, mumbled something. Kurena didn’t hear what he said but, but definitely mumbled something.
“Come, Master Swordsman Kurena. Go ahead and throw everything you have at me!”
“Yes!”
He opened his eyes and encouraged Kurena. As if in response to the shout, she increased her speed at once and plunged forward with her Greatsword raised.
She swung down the Heliocane Greatsword with all her might without hesitation. However, Doberg easily blocked it with his Greatsword.
“What is this? I told you to come with all your might. What happened to the skills I taught you?”
“Gahhh!”
Doberg kicked Kurena in the gut with his foot. She was blown away with a bounce. We were worried about Kurena, as we leaned forward and shouted her name.
As such, Kurena only looked at Doberg. He’s not someone she can look away from.
Kurena slowly stood up and grabbed her Greatsword. She was hit hard in the stomach, making it difficult for her to breathe. She gulped and tried to regain her breath.
“What’s going on? Are you done? I’m coming to you! Master Swordsman Kurena!”
Doberg took an offensive stance against Kurena for the first time. The impact of his stepe cracked the floor stone of the arena.
Kurena, who had still not regained her breathing, responded by activating her skills to fight back, but Doberg also activated his skills to negate them.
And less than ten minutes pass.
There, standing almost unharmed, was the Master Swordsman Doberg and Kurena, who was injured all over her body. The battle was too one-sided.
The first aid team hurriedly carried Kurena away, who was bleeding all over.
The commentator and all the spectators were speechless. Master Swordsman Doberg might not have gone this far in the previous years.
We hurried to the place where Kurena was.
Kurena was in the infirmary being treated with magic. I didn’t care about others seeing and used a [Leaf of Life] to fully heal Kurena.
The medical team, which had been working on healing her, left the infirmary in surprise.
“I lost…”
Kurena, who had made eye contact with me, muttered ruefully.
“Yeah, I know. But it’s good for you.”
“”Huh?””
I said it was good for Kurena, who was beaten to a pulp by the Master Swordsman Doberg. Everyone started to question what was so good about the battle.
The fight between Kurena and Doberg was too one-sided and completely out of her hands.
“Kurena.”
“Yeah.”
“Doberg was better than you in terms of power, skills, and weapons. It was your complete defeat.”
(Considering that Doberg didn’t even give it his all in that match, Kurena can still grow a lot.)
“Yeah? That’s right.”
All in all, Doberg was the stronger person and there was an overwhelming difference in power.
“Doesn’t that mean you can be at least that strong?”
“… I see, you’re right!”
Kurena seemed to understand once I said that much. If it’s not enough, make up for it. That’s what Kurena had always done.
It doesn’t matter if she loses after all.
“I should be able to take down Doberg at next year’s Academy Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Yes!”
Kurena said she would try to get revenge on the Master Swordsman Doberg at the Academy Martial Arts Tournament next October. There’s still a year to go, so there’s a lot of work to be done. Knowing the strength of Master Swordsman Doberg, and having a goal in mind, the Academy Martial Arts Tournament ended in this way.
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