Chapter 34

A binary choice.
It refers to a situation where one must choose between only two options.
This simple situation often plunges people into the deepest dilemma.

The moment of choice.
One weighs gains and losses, balances emotions, and tries to arrive at the best choice.

The binary choices that came at every moment were tormenting Serpens again today.

“Umm…….”

Serpens twisted his face in various ways.
In front of him, Lucas was eating bread expressionlessly.
The pain born from that was what kept ruining the boy’s face.

‘It would be better not to eat?’

There was only one hour left until the scheduled sparring match.
Lucas had advised him to keep his stomach empty before the match.
Something about his body moving more lightly that way.

‘But…… I’m hungry.’

The problem was that he had only heard those words after morning training ended.
He usually had a simple breakfast.
Because if he ate until he was full, he might throw up during stamina training.
That was why he had always soothed his hunger at this time……

“Wouldn’t it be fine if I only ate enough to take the edge off my hunger?”
“…….”
“Being hungry might actually be worse……?”
“You may eat if you intend to vomit during the sparring match.”
“Ugh.”

Fine, I’ll hold back.
Serpens nodded.
He knew well that his body felt light when he was hungry.
He did not know what disaster being full right now might bring, so he shouldn’t do something that would draw needless looks.

‘Right, suffering a little now is better than regretting it later…….’

Serpens dragged his hungry body around Lucas in circles.
Making strange sounds and needling him for no reason.
It was meaningless behavior.

After Lucas finished his meal, the two headed to the scheduled sparring location.
There was still time before it began, but they intended to move before people gathered.

“Will I be all right stamina-wise?”

Serpens asked.
What the boy had to do was not a simple sparring match.
His opponents were realistically difficult for him, and three such opponents were waiting.

“You will not be all right.”
“Then what should I do?”
“You have no choice but to fight efficiently.”

No clever plan came to Serpens’s mind.
Could he fight in a way that could be considered efficient?
Even if he poured in everything he had, he was not sure he could defeat even one……

“Do you think you will lose?”

Lucas, who was walking ahead, asked.
The boy thought for a moment, then answered.
A faint smile accompanied that answer.

“I’ll beat the first one.”
“……I see.”

Serpens glanced at Lucas’s face.
Had he seen wrong?
He felt as if he had seen an expression slightly different from usual.
It had almost felt refreshing-

“Serpens.”
“Yes?”
“Conceit brings disaster.”
“Ah…… yes.”

Refreshing, my ass.
Then again, was Lucas not far removed from anything refreshing?

A fierce wind blew.
It was a stubborn wind, as if denying that winter did not have much left.

The two entered the sparring location.
It was the Academy’s indoor training ground.
It was called a training ground, but it looked closer to an arena.
Audience seats surrounded the empty space.
Even though there was still time before the match began, quite a few people had already taken their seats.

“Are you Lord Lucas and Serpens?”

A person who looked like a guard asked.
After a simple confirmation, the guard led the two somewhere.

The place they arrived at was a section of the audience seats separated by snow-white walls.
From the view and splendid decorations, it was clear that this was seating for special guests.

There was Frost, the Academy’s principal.
And two of Serpens’s opponents had arrived first.

‘Those two are my opponents…….’

Serpens’s eyes turned toward the students who were talking.

A boy with dark blue hair who wore a faint smile.
A girl with faint violet hair and a dry expression.
When he saw the two looking relaxed, Serpens suddenly began to tremble.

“Huuup. Huu…….”

A breathing method to release tension.
It was a method he had learned on the street one day, but even now as he used it, he couldn’t tell whether it worked.

“You’re here.”

A cold woman’s voice.
Frost’s bright blue eyes looked up at Lucas.

Lucas gave a slight nod instead of answering.

At Frost’s words, Violet and Aiden turned their heads.
Eyes mixed with curiosity and wariness.
The two found their attention drawn more to Lucas than to Serpens, their opponent.

An old leather robe that reached his ankles.
An unkempt beard and ash-gray hair.
In contrast, a body that looked as if it had undergone harsh training and an astonishingly large greatsword slung over his back.
For some reason, he was a man who raised all kinds of questions.

“Violet? That person just accepted the principal’s greeting with a nod, right?”
“……It seems so.”

Judging from his appearance, he looked far removed from a high-ranking noble.
Even if he was a noble, there was no way the two of them would fail to recognize him.
Principal Frost was a high-ranking magician and the child of a viscount family.
There were only a handful of people in the empire who could treat her lightly.
And it was not easy not to know a figure of that level.

“Could he be a knight?”
“I don’t know. But we should see that as the most likely possibility.”

Violet looked at Lucas once more.
She could say with certainty that she had never seen him even in passing.
Among knights, those with exceptional skill were generally out on the battlefield.
Because that was a knight’s honor, and their duty.
That was why knights who served on the front lines, or knights at the squad-leader level, tended not to be very well known by face.

‘A greatsword……. A greatsword…….’

The clue she could use to infer was that greatsword.
A greatsword similar in size to an ordinary adult man. A skilled knight who used such a sword.
There was no way such a person would not be talked about.

One person came to mind in an instant.

‘……No way.’

Violet had thought of an answer.
But she could not be certain it was the answer.
The Sword Saint of the empire, whose life or death was unknown.
There was no way such a person would be in front of her eyes, and in such a shabby state at that.

“Who in the world is he……?”

And so, the answer sank into an even deeper maze.

Frost’s short clearing of her throat.

Hearing the sound, Violet was startled and turned her head sharply.

‘Oh no, I stared too hard.’

Violet awkwardly straightened her clothes and quietly rose from her seat.
At that sight, Aiden beside her also stood up in a fluster.

“Greetings. I am Violet Lyond, and I will be sparring with your disciple this time.”
“I am Aiden Lawson.”

Lucas glanced at them and, just as he had earlier, merely gave a slight nod.
Lucas sat down.
The awkwardness and embarrassment were passed on to those still standing.

“Haha……. I am Serpens. I look forward to the match.”

Awkward formal speech.
Serpens himself knew that best.

“Ah……. Yes…….”

The uncomfortable first meeting rapidly came to an end.

Some time passed, and by the time it became difficult to find an empty seat in the audience.
Frost slowly rose from her seat.
It was the moment the clock’s second hand passed precisely over the hour.

“Now, everyone. The time has come.”

Frost moved toward the training ground.
At that sight, the three people except Lucas reacted.

The noisy training ground.
Frost looked around the audience seats.
Each time her feet moved toward the center, small frost crystals formed in the air.

The crystals stole people’s gazes with their sculpted beauty.
The noise diminished, and only sounds of admiration could be heard.

Naturally, all attention focused on Frost.

“Thank you for showing such great interest. I do not recall announcing the sparring match, but I can only find it curious that so many of you have gathered.”

She was clearly wearing a faint smile.
But a few people who had seen her before swallowed dryly.
Sometimes, a smile was more frightening than a frown.

“Well, since you have all gathered anyway, I hope you gain much insight.”

The center of the training ground.
Under Frost’s direction, the children took their positions while looking at each other.

‘Didn’t they say three?’

Serpens glanced around.
From what he had heard, the number of people he had to face was three.
But since earlier, he hadn’t seen anyone other than those two.

‘Is that good?’

If the number of people he had to face had decreased, that would be a good thing.
Serpens decided not to care too much.

“I will omit all preamble such as introductions of the participants and begin the sparring match immediately.”

Crack-!

A sharp sound like ice breaking.
The frost crystals floating in the air shattered and formed a thin barrier in midair.

Frost rose into the air together with Violet.
Unlike Violet, who was trying to keep her balance, Frost didn’t waver at all.
People let out exclamations of admiration once more at that sight.

The ones with their feet on the training ground were Serpens and Aiden.
After looking at each other for a moment, they naturally drew their swords.

“This is a sparring match with real swords. If I judge that victory or defeat has been decided, I will intervene and stop the match, so please do your best.”

Serpens’s heart thrashed.
The awkward greeting from a moment ago.
The boy had thought his tension had eased because of it.
But now that the match was about to begin……

‘I’m insanely nervous.’

He felt every nerve in his body stand on edge.

“Now then! The sparring match will begin!”

Frost gave the signal, and the cheers of the audience grew fierce.
At the same time, the two standing in the training ground moved.

Clang-!

A sharp scraping sound.

Aiden’s dark blue hair shook.
He thrust his sword forward.
It was a standard sword strike, fast but not excessive.

Serpens subtly twisted his body and dodged the attack.
He easily avoided the attacks that followed, even the linked combinations.

Kang!

Serpens’s sword struck Aiden’s sword away.
When the flow broke, Aiden stepped back to steady his breathing.

‘Now.’

Serpens did not miss it and closed the distance.
By habit, he examined his opponent’s shoulders and feet.
The position of his center of gravity and its ratio.
The twisted angle and the minute movements.
The decision the boy made was to attack from the side.

Kang!

At the attack that came from an unprepared angle, Aiden’s center of gravity shook.

“Huuup!”

Serpens cut off his breath and brought his sword down hard.
Aiden hurriedly took a defensive stance, but because of his shaken center of gravity, it wasn’t perfect.

Tukang!

A dull, rough sound rang out.
Serpens’s sword rotated as he poured out fast attacks.
Aiden’s defense shook even further.

‘With this……!’

Thinking to land an effective hit, Serpens raised his sword high.
His sword cut through the wind and headed toward the staggering Aiden.
But at that moment.

Thud-.

A heavy impact drove into Serpens’s abdomen.
At the unexpected attack, Serpens momentarily lost his balance and stepped back several steps.

“That startled me. You’re coming at me rougher than I thought.”

The source of the impact was Aiden’s kick.
Aiden lightly steadied his breathing and wiped the corner of his mouth with one hand.

“Still, impressive. To think you even thought to twist your body in the middle of that.”
“…….”

Serpens also wiped the corner of his mouth.

‘That attack just now…….’

He placed a hand on his throbbing abdomen.
It was only a little bothersome. It wouldn’t be a major hindrance to movement.

Serpens glanced at where Lucas was.
How had he judged that situation just now?
It had clearly been a situation where Serpens could have pressed further.
The problem was that he had tried to land an effective hit too hastily.
If his opponent had been more skilled, it was an opening that could have endangered his life.

“He is not…… disappointed, is he……?”

The boy gripped his sword tightly once more.
Enough idle thoughts.
He focused again on the opponent before him.

“You really are a guy born with talent. How old are you?”
“Thirteen.”
“Damn gifted bastards.”

Serpens’s eyebrow twitched.
Gifted bastard.
Did that apply to him?

“You must be anxious. Judging by how talkative you are.”
“Huh……?”

The many people gathered here might define it that way.
Serpens thought that could be the case.
Even in his own eyes, he thought his growth was fast.
But he did not think it was solely thanks to talent.

“Just grip your sword and come at me. Unlike you, I have more people I need to face.”

Before talent, there had been effort.
To casually label someone a gifted bastard without even knowing them well was rude to the person who had worked hard.