Chapter 61

Standing across from us, the members of the Beckle squad were all absolute units. Yoshioka and I are considered tall in this world, but among the opposition, there were muscle-bound soldiers nearly two meters tall. Making Fiene face someone like that felt borderline cruel—it was going to look like a one-sided slaughter.

“Gufufu. Let’s see just how well Lady Ansbach has trained her subordinates,” Beckle sneered.

She didn’t need to shout it quite that loudly. The “Sow Orc” clearly wanted to humiliate Clara in public. But if she loses after talking that big, she won’t have a leg to stand on. Then again, the fact that she’s participating herself means she must be incredibly confident.

“Emma, exactly how strong is Commander Beckle?” I asked.

“I heard she made it all the way to the qualifying finals in the last Exhibition Match. It seems she lost at the very end and didn’t make it to the main tournament, though.”

The Exhibition Match (is held every three years to determine the number-one martial artist in the Kingdom of Saxens. Warriors gather from all over the country for a tournament-style competition. You could call it the “S-1 Grand Prix.” It’s a pure test of martial skill where the use of magic is strictly forbidden.

The main tournament consists of 48 warriors who survived the qualifiers, battling it out in front of the King and high-ranking officials. Even commoners can watch, provided they pay for a ticket. It’s said to be the festival the residents of Dresden look forward to most.

“So, even if she didn’t make the top 48, she was in the top 96. That means she’s one of the top 100 strongest people in the country.”

“Strictly speaking, it’s a bit different,” Emma corrected.

Apparently, many soldiers can’t participate because they’re away at war, and others find it difficult to travel from the far reaches of the provinces. Saxens is a big country, after all. Still, if a commoner reaches the final four of that tournament, they are granted knighthood, and those already knighted are guaranteed a promotion. There have even been cases where past winners opened successful swordsmanship dojos. Since it’s one of the few ways to achieve a “rags-to-riches” rise in status, people apply in droves.

If she made it to the qualifying finals under those conditions, she must be reasonably capable.

Because of the high number of participants, the training grounds were divided into several sections for the matches. Cheering erupted from various parts of the venue as some bouts had already begun. It seemed our turn was finally up.

“Hans, even if it kills you, bring back a victory,” Emma said.

Jesus, Emma, try a little more “encouragement” and a little less “death threats.”

“If it gets dangerous, just surrender,” Yoshioka added.

Yoshioka, you’re on the complete opposite end of the spectrum…

Hans’s opponent was a man with a sturdy build. He looked like he had power, but Hans should have the edge in speed. Both were armed with spears—or rather, everyone was using spears. They all held wooden practice spears fitted with protective padding on the tips.

I’m the only one using a different weapon. To avoid anyone seeing me manifest mana to create it, I’d ducked into a toilet stall earlier to summon my staff.

The two fighters were called to the center and took their stances. Interestingly, Hans’s opponent took a Mukoumi stance—facing the enemy dead-on. It’s a stance that exposes a large part of your body to the enemy, but it offers superior linear mobility. It’s the standard stance for soldiers charging on a battlefield, but few use it in a one-on-one match. I suppose his plan is to overwhelm with raw power.

In contrast, Hans took the standard Hanmi (half-body) stance. This reduces the target area available to the opponent.

“Begin!”

At the signal, the enemy charged. Hans skillfully parried the strike and slipped into the man’s flank, unleashing a high-speed flurry of strikes. However, the opponent didn’t stop his charge; he simply ran past. It seemed his tactic was to deliver one heavy blow and disengage immediately. A heavy soldier throwing his entire body weight behind a strike is quite intimidating, but his rhythm was too predictable.

When the man attempted the same attack a second time, Hans timed a counter-thrust perfectly, catching the enemy right in the solar plexus. The laws of inertia are a terrifying thing. When a heavy person runs at full speed into a counter-strike, the entire impact is reflected back into them.

The Vanguard was carried off on a stretcher. Commander Beckle’s face was already turning a furious shade of beet-red.

It seems she intended to sweep our entire team with just her Vanguard.

However, the real surprise was Hans’s strength. He usually keeps a low profile, but it seems he’s been hiding some impressive skill. He even managed to win the next match—taking down two men in a row.

“That was amazing, Hans!”

“Huff… huff… Thank… you…”

Understandably, two consecutive matches had left him exhausted. I wish I could have let Yoshioka use his recovery magic on him, but that would be cheating. Matches should be fought fair and square.

“How about it? Do you want to swap out for the next match?” According to the rules, a winner has the option to tag in the next person.

“I’m okay! Please, let me do this!”

The usual timidness was gone, replaced by a flushed face and surging motivation. Perhaps, in the heat of a desperate match, his talent is blossoming at this very moment. This plain, unassuming boy might just be a knight in the making.

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes, sir!”

After the interval, a lean man stood before Hans. He had narrow eyes and a cold, cruel expression—a distinct, unsettling aura compared to the thugs we’d seen so far.

“That man is scary,” Fiene said, looking worried.

“That type has no hesitation when it comes to hurting people. I’m a little concerned for Hans…”

Unfortunately, Fiene’s intuition proved correct. Between his dwindling stamina and the fact that the opponent was simply more skilled, Hans was gradually backed into a corner.

The disgusting thing about this man was how he toyed with Hans like a cat with a mouse, slowly chipping away at his strength. He could have landed a decisive blow at any time, but he chose to deliver shallow stabs, racking up minor injuries. Finally, he ended it with a brutal triple-strike to Hans’s head, legs, and stomach. He didn’t need to go that far to secure the win.

“Yoshioka, take care of Hans. Fiene, go with him.”

Even with a helmet, that blow to the head was intense. I was worried about his ribs, too. Yoshioka’s recovery magic would be far more reliable than a military doctor’s treatment. Since he couldn’t use magic out in the open, they headed for the rest area to treat him in private.

As I stepped onto the field, the man who had just thrashed Hans gave me a mocking grin.

“Hey now, where did your Center and Vice-Captain go? We can’t have a match like this.”

“They aren’t necessary.”

The man’s smirk vanished. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I didn’t answer; I simply took my stance. I wasn’t trying to be cool—honestly, even with “6x Courage” active, his face was terrifying. He looked like a total battle junkie. If I were the ref, I’d have called a foul on that face alone.

“Begin!”

At the signal, I closed the distance with a swift, casual gait. I parried his testing thrust with a mid-level block and immediately struck the back of his knee. As he lost his balance and dropped to one knee, I delivered a roundhouse kick to his lowering head.

Staff Arts includes kicks and grappling, you know. Didn’t catch that memo?

The referee stopped the match the moment I pressed the tip of my staff against the man’s throat.

“Winner: Corporal Hinoharu!”

That’s one.

“That’s foul play! What kind of spear is that? And using kicks!?” The Sow Orc shrieked her protest.

“I am not a spearman; I am a staff user. Weapon choice was unrestricted, was it not?”

“Curse you! A peasant’s technique! You dare disgrace this exhibition!?”

A staff is, essentially, just a piece of wood, so anyone can get one. Because of that, staff arts have a history of developing among the common folk. Some Saxens nobles look down on it for that very reason.

Say whatever you like. I’ll show you exactly what this “peasant’s technique” can do.

(Though I’m too scared to say that out loud. I really wish I had 100x Courage right about now.)