Chapter 70

“The round of 16 was too boring.”

“Tell me about it.”

I couldn’t help but overhear the students passing by whispering to each other.

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like I was the main character of that boring round of 16.

Unlike the round of 32 where I struggled, in the round of 16, I won by overwhelming them with magic, so I can’t blame them for feeling that way.

It was good for me to win comfortably, but from a spectator’s point of view, it probably wasn’t very entertaining, maybe?

But I wasn’t at leisure to care about such things one by one, so even if they complained, I had no intention of changing. I’m in a tight spot myself right now.

As I was walking leisurely, Lerwon approached from a distance.

“Lerwon-sunbae!”

At the sight of a welcome face, I quickly ran to my senior’s side.

“The academy is buzzing with stories about you.”

“You’re too kind.”

Still, I didn’t dislike receiving compliments, so the corners of my mouth twitched.

“I heard the 3rd years only have the finals and a special match left.”

“The Flowering Festival is a festival centered around the 1st years.”

The preliminary rounds, the finals, and the special matches were all last for the 1st years.

“I should go see your match sometime.”

“You don’t have to come.”

Lerwon’s attitude was overflowing with confidence. It was as if he was so sure of his victory that there wouldn’t be any upsets, so there was no need for me to come.

“Weren’t you eliminated in the preliminaries in your 1st and 2nd years?”

“It’s my mother’s principle that there’s no need to reveal the cards you have. The Flowering Festival has a lot of eyes on it, you know?”

Lerwon smiled leisurely.

At some point, a dagger was in his hand, moving up and down.

The dagger, its blade shining sharply in the sunlight, was so menacing that it looked like it could cut Lerwon’s hand at any moment. But Lerwon didn’t even blink an eye and performed tricks with the sword.

I stared at him blankly with my mouth open, then asked.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It is dangerous. I cut my hand several times at first. Sometimes the blade went in so deep that I could clearly see the bone.”

“For that to be the case—”

Lerwon’s hand was so clean that you would believe it if you were told it belonged to a scholar.

When I held it once, it was soft and supple like Beatrice’s hand.

“I’ve removed all the scars and calluses.”

Lerwon raised the corners of his mouth and showed me his pure white palm.

Grasping an opponent’s skill just by holding their hand is a famous cliché.

It’s said that for someone who handles a sword, you can tell how long they’ve held a sword, and even their sword-wielding habits, just by the calluses on their hands.

But who in the world could dare to guess just by looking at this hand now?

“You haven’t forgotten what kind of person my adoptive mother is, right?”

Of course, of course. If she doesn’t have a scar removal medicine, she’s the type of person who would squeeze people to invent one.

Lerwon then continued his explanation with a playful smile.

“If you immediately tear off the callus with a knife when it forms and apply a potion to the wound, you won’t get calluses.”

I don’t think that’s something to explain with a nonchalant smile.

When I looked at Lerwon with a fed-up expression, he burst out laughing as if it were really funny, oblivious to my feelings.

Does he really think this kind of conversation is funny? Thanks to him, I arrived at the audience seats without getting bored, but….

“It’s a process that everyone who belongs to Golden goes through.”

“I understand very~ well about Iris’s madness without you explaining further.”

As I opened the door to the audience seats, a blast of hot air rushed in.

“Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!!”

Lucian’s round of 16 match had just begun.

* * *

The one who faced Lucian in the round of 16 was Liber.

Liber, facing Lucian, his nervousness clearly visible, gripped his sword and took a deep breath several times.

His opponent was the owner of the Holy Sword. But, he didn’t have the Holy Sword with him now. Liber surely had a chance of winning.

While Liber was catching his breath, a loud sound announcing the start of the match rang out.

And in the blink of an eye, Lucian was upon him.

“Ugh!”

Liber hurriedly blocked Lucian’s sword, which was aimed straight at him.

Gagagagak—

The sound of sword clashing against sword rang out clearly.

‘What kind of grip strength is that…!!’

I can’t win with strength!

Liber quickly raised his sword, knocked Lucian’s sword away, and took a few steps back.

But, Lucian closed in quickly, as if he had expected it all.

“Heup!”

Liber, who had parried the strongly clashing sword once more, took a light breath at the end.

They had only clashed for a moment, but his fingertips were tingling from how strong he was.

But, it won’t be impossible to face him.

Liber’s eyes shone brightly as he rushed towards Lucian.

“Keuk!”

The sound of metal filled the space as the two swords collided.

As Liber’s first attack was parried short and sharp, Lucian’s sword quickly counterattacked.

Every time the blades met, the metallic impact rang out, clang clang.

As Lucian’s sword cut through the air and struck down with powerful force, the sword twisted and a scraping sound was heard for a moment.

Now!

Liber’s sword tip, aiming for a momentary opening, sharply targeted Lucian’s vital point.

As Liber’s blade quickly approached his neck, Lucian tilted his sword to defend and took a step back. But he was a little too late and got a scratch.

“Hm.”

Lucian wiped the bloody wound with his finger.

Liber, aiming for that opening, rushed in without hesitation. Although he might be inferior in strength, he surpassed Lucian in speed.

Carelessness is not allowed in the tension transmitted through the lightning-fast movements.

Their swords clashed between short breaths.

As their swords crossed, Liber immediately took a step forward and swung his sword. The blade cut through the slightly trembling air.

The sword, falling like a torrent, seemed ready to swallow Lucian at any moment.

I can’t dodge.

Then I’ll just have to catch it.

His green eyes shone clearly as he reached out and grabbed the sharp sword without hesitation.

Blood splattered before his eyes as the sword cut into his flesh.

Liber was momentarily flustered by the bright red blood.

And, in a tense fight, a moment’s hesitation naturally leads to defeat.

“Ah!”

If Liber had wanted to win, he should have applied force as it was when Lucian caught his sword.

Lucian, sensing victory, raised the corners of his mouth.

Liber tried to belatedly pull out the sword that was firmly held in Lucian’s hand, but Lucian was faster.

Lucian instantly snatched Liber’s sword and sent it flying far out of bounds.

“Heop!”

A surprised gasp escaped Liber’s mouth.

In the end, Liber raised both hands. It was a clear sign of surrender.

“I surrender.”

With his sword taken and lost, the way to win was distant.

[The winner of the fierce round of 16 is finally decided! That winner is Lucian!! Our hero advances to the quarterfinals!!!]

It was Lucian’s victory.

* * *

The quarterfinals of the Flowering Festival were scheduled to be held in the afternoon.

Ahead of the quarterfinals, we all decided to have a light lunch together.

“Is your hand wound okay?”

“Professor Artemia treated it meticulously.”

Lucian smiled bashfully, as if to say not to worry.

I wonder if he knows that his smile makes him look even more ominous.

When I looked at him with suspicious eyes, Lucian spoke even more firmly.

“It wasn’t a really bad injury, and the professor said it wasn’t at a level to worry about.”

Muttering that, Lucian fidgeted with his palm for no reason.

Lucian’s palm was wrapped in a bandage, so it wasn’t a very convincing statement.

If Professor Artemia had been here, she might have told him to stop talking nonsense and rest!

But since Lucian, the injured person, was eating just fine with his bandaged hand without any problem, it seemed to be okay.

As I looked at him with suspicious eyes, at some point, Zephyros covered my eyes with his palm.

“It’s good to be suspicious, but you have to eat.”

“That’s true.”

I lost. To me, a Korean, food was a very important matter.

Besides, everyone here was ahead of the quarterfinals, so we had to eat well.

“You two are meeting in the finals, right?”

“Why do you think so?”

Because that’s how it was in the original story.

By facing Zephyros in the finals, it hinted at the rival relationship between the two that would continue.

It changed because I intervened, but surely the main story of an important event couldn’t have changed—

“If we advance from the quarterfinals like this, we’ll meet in the semifinals.”

It changed?

Surprised, I dropped a piece of steak.

My precious meat!

“It’s a pity. If the bracket had been better, we could have met in the finals.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Meat fell from my mouth once more, dribbling down.

“It would have been really fun if you two had made it to the finals.”

It was a pity that one of them would be eliminated.

The scene of Lucian and Zephyros’s duel was also considered one of the most interesting stories among users.

Although it had become a digital nursing home at some point after being stagnant for 10 years….

“I’m glad I get to face Zephyros quickly.”

Lucian said something sweet-potato-like for the first time in a while. As expected of the protagonist I know.

“What’s your opinion, Zephyros?”

“I want to face him as late as possible, seriously.”

“Why?”

“Wouldn’t anyone?”

Lucian is the most likely candidate for victory, after all. Besides, Zephyros was also the person who knew Lucian’s skills the best at present.

“Did I make a mistake or something?”

This is why it’s hard to hate him. That whimpering look like an abandoned puppy.

It was obvious that Zephyros was barely swallowing a sigh.

“How did I ever become friends with a guy like this.”

“That’s not very nice to the guy who’s listening.”

“I’m saying it to be not nice.”

I giggled at Zephyros’s grumbling, and a question mark appeared above the head of the clueless Lucian.

“Did I really do something wrong?”

“Zephyros is just throwing a tantrum.”

“Don’t call it a tantrum, do you want to die?”

“Sorry, but I want to live.”

Lucian tilted his head.

Looking at a guy like this, who could dare to guess that he was the guy who had thrown his sword with such power just a moment ago.

“It’s Zephyros’s own way of complimenting you.”

There’s no way that saying he wants to fight as late as possible could be an insult. Rather, for Zephyros, it would have been the highest form of praise.

“I don’t know who will win, but fighting anyway. I’ll take your side whether you win or lose.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“It’s Theo’s own way of cheering, I guess.”

It wasn’t really cheering… well, if he took it as cheering, then that’s fine.

It’s a bit much to break this heartwarming atmosphere.

I just silently shoveled steak into my mouth.

…The steak in this world is really good.

—————–

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