Doing two things at once was, as expected, not an easy task.
I had practiced, but fighting an opponent as skilled as this while trying to focus on both magic and swordsmanship left me floundering, unsure whether to focus on either.
Still, it wasn’t a total failure.
After all, I did manage to make this guy wield his sword with both hands.
“…Hmph.”
The moment Royce St. Claire gripped his sword with both hands, his eyes lit up with a newfound intensity. Before, he had been carefully reading my movements. Now, his gaze burned with determination.
“Yeah, this is more like it.”
If he’s going to fight with such fire, I might as well give him a taste of my true abilities.
Looking at Royce, his two-handed grip and fiery determination reminded me of the past. Back when I faced him as the leader of the Black Shadow Guild.
It was before the guild became as well-known as it is now—before anyone in the O’Neil Kingdom had even heard of us. I was right on the verge of raiding the Dragon Heart, and at that time, very few people knew who we were. This gave us the freedom to take on public commissions without much fuss—a luxury we wouldn’t have later.
We were in the midst of one such job—exterminating monsters that were running rampant across the northern continent. The rewards were generous, so why wouldn’t we take the job? That’s where I met Royce St. Claire.
By chance, we found ourselves on the same battlefield, surrounded by mercenaries and soldiers from various nations. Though our small team of Erika and myself operated somewhat autonomously, we still coordinated in meetings.
Back then, Royce had already expressed his dissatisfaction with my dual use of sword and magic, always pestering me for spars whenever he had the chance. It was clear from the beginning he was a bit of a stuffy traditionalist.
Whoom!
When Royce made the first move, swinging his sword confidently, I met him with equal vigor.
Ting!
His strikes were filled with strength and vitality, clearly showing a change from his earlier, methodical approach. I could still sense he wasn’t going all out, but then again, neither was I.
Clang! Clang!
But as Royce swung with earnest, I found it harder and harder to focus on my magic. While my sword felt as natural as an extension of my body, the magic I recently acquired was still wobbly, barely more than baby steps.
It’s easy to summon a breeze without much thought now, but I was still far from comfortable using it mid-combat. Keeping my focus while blocking the impenetrable strikes of the “steel-walled knight” was no easy feat.
“Fine then, magic can wait.”
I have just as much pride in a good fight as Royce does, especially in one-on-one combat. I wanted to put everything I had into this.
Withdrawing the mana I had been carelessly distributing around the area, I refocused fully on the sword in front of me. There’s no point in showing off my versatility if it means a humiliating defeat.
And since I’ve already introduced myself as a wizard to Royce—and Elaine and Emily have seen me use teleportation magic before—it should be fine to throw in a trick or two.
“I’ve grown stronger since we last dueled.”
Our last encounter in the north had clearly been a decisive loss on my part. Even though we never finished the duel thanks to an unexpected monster attack, it was clear who was winning.
Now it was time for a proper rematch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fully focused on the sword, I ignored the rest. As expected, Royce held his ground like an impenetrable fortress. Any openings I noticed when he was fighting one-handed had vanished the moment he gripped the sword properly. It was just like fighting a steel wall.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Then I decided to incorporate teleportation into the mix, finding creative ways to confuse him—not by teleporting right behind him, because a seasoned warrior like him would see through that immediately, but instead by subtly altering the angles of my attacks.
A strike that should have come down at 45 degrees would instead veer slightly to arrive from 35 degrees, throwing off his calculations. This approach kept Royce off-balance and complicated his block attempts.
But even so, Royce St. Claire is no ordinary fighter. With his instincts and experience, he managed to deflect my every strike. The moment our swords clashed, his wrist would twist ever so slightly, redirecting the force and creating opportunities for counterattacks.
Before long, the intensity of the battle had me putting more and more effort into each strike. Our moves became more powerful, our guards tighter. Seeing the white mana swirling around Royce’s sword, I knew we had gone too far.
Boom!
Royce executed one of his signature techniques, spinning around for a powerful rush. The sight brought a thought to mind—perhaps it wasn’t wise to hold back so much.
Clang!
Our swords collided with a deafening metallic ring. The shockwave sent my hair flying, barely obscuring my vision. Through the haze, I saw Royce charging forward undeterred.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal ringing out was relentless, almost transcending the realm of training swords and crossing into that of real combat. Despite the fact that these were wooden practice weapons, the intensity made it clear that a solid hit would leave a lasting mark—perhaps even a fatal one.
“Who… ARE YOU?”
“Indeed, you are formidable.”
Even in the heat of battle, Royce found the time to reply to my genuine compliment, though his expression betrayed shock. But before the next exchange could happen:
“Both of you, stop this immediately!”
“Whaaat!”
Our battle was interrupted by Elaine, who had shouted loudly enough to make us both hesitate mid-swing. Looking over, Royce and I saw her standing nearby, anxious eyes fixated on us.
“How dare you interrupt a duel, Elaine!”
“…I apologize, but both of you seem to have gone too far.”
Royce paused, glancing down at his sword. The once humble wooden weapon now glimmered with mana, proof of how intense the bout had been. Realizing this, he withdrew the energy and lowered his weapon. I’d done the same some time ago.
“Hmm. Shall we call it a draw then?”
Royce simply swung his sword, saying nothing. Internally, I wasn’t ready to stop yet—this level of excitement was rare—but continuing would probably be a mistake. I was, after all, here as a student of the Academy.
Besides, Addy had warned me before coming here to keep a low profile, hadn’t she?
“Ugh. Actually, my arm hurts too much. I might’ve lost my grip during the last attack.”
Even though I exaggerated with trembling hands, Royce didn’t seem to buy it, his serious gaze unwavering.
“Everyone, leave the training grounds.”
“What? Father…”
“Out, now!”
“…”
Seeing Elaine and Emily leave without further complaint, I turned to Royce. The atmosphere had shifted drastically, and he seemed far more serious now.
“So, you’re not just a 1st year Academy student. Who sent you here?”
“Preposterous…”
There was no hint of playfulness or humor in his tone. Of course, humor isn’t really Royce’s thing. The fact that this was said in deadly earnest was clear.
“Ohh no. Did I overdo it?”
“Really, do you think it’s common for a 1st year student to hold their own against me? Don’t play coy.”
“…”
“cr*p.”
The moment of regret was palpable. This whole situation had spiraled out of control.
“You can keep quiet all you want, but I don’t care how. Just tell me your reason for infiltrating the Academy.”
As Royce’s sword flared brilliantly with mana once more, I wondered how I had let things escalate to this point. All I came here for was to complete a simple quest, after all.
“Clearly, we’ve misunderstood each other.”
And with Royce’s blade pointed directly at me, the next step was uncertain.
