Tale of the Fake Hero - Chapter 220



Only Noblemtl

Season 3: Episode 28

Before the final, a match for 3rd and 4th place was held. The opponents were Balkan Belchester and Olier Vladipayre.

“Are you the next generation candidate for the successor to Belchester and the Great Flame Dragon Sword?”

“This 3rd and 4th place match is incredibly exciting!”

Even thinking about it now, I feel sorry for those two, but at the time, I couldn’t concentrate on that match at all.

‘As expected… … No matter how much I think about it, the answer just doesn’t come to me.’

For the opponents I’ve fought so far, I could vaguely imagine how I should deal with them.

But this time… … .

I can’t imagine how to deal with Sharon, even after watching her first two matches.

‘I still don’t understand what happened in the first match, and even after hearing Floret’s explanation for the second match… … .’

They say that the extreme swordsmanship attacks the weak points of the five senses, but how do you react to that? How do you know that the weak points of your five senses have been exposed?

– If you can let out the sensations inside your body, you might see the answer.

The Master, as usual, only gave vague hints. He said that reaching enlightenment was something that one had to figure out for oneself.

“Hey, this match is going to be a total flop?”

“Brain Spirit Sword and Blood Flower Dragon Sword, both swordsmanship that focuses on striking each other! How could it not be fun!”

“But still, I think it’s Belchester who feels the maturity that comes with age! He easily overpowers me!”

Olier tried very hard, but it seemed difficult to overcome the two-year age difference.

If Balkan had been late to the competition at the age of fifteen because he had no talent, then that would be understandable, but Balkan was the one competing now because he was aiming for a perfect victory.

Balkan gradually and skillfully took control of the game by destroying all of Olier’s moves.

“… … Belchester should have advanced to the finals.”

“… … That’s right. The one that received the most, no, an overwhelmingly large number of bets was Balkan Belchester.”

“… … If it was that Vulcan, he would have known how to defeat the successor of the Extreme Sword Technique.”

The moment I heard that murmur, my eyes opened wide.

Yeah, if it’s the Balkans… … !

In the previous match, Balkan immediately changed his approach when his technique was countered.

As I said before, it was a match that Balkan might have lost if he hadn’t suddenly lost his fighting spirit.

“3rd/4th place match, winner is Balkan Belchester!”

In that realization, it was inevitable that I would meet Balkan, who was returning to the waiting room.

Well, I went to see him.

Kanniya had been waiting there first, and she seemed very happy to see me again.

Opel Belchester was unable to control his anger and went back first, telling everyone to be at ease.

“Sister, I had a lot to talk about earlier! The match was really great!”

“Miss, this side is… … .”

“Stay still.”

The Belchester family’s attendants could not treat Camilla carelessly in front of Kanniya’s power.

“… …Why are you here?”

Balkan also seemed very annoyed by the fact that the person who handed him the towel was neither a member of the family nor his younger sister.

I did get a towel though.

It must have been incredibly hot, having just come from a bloody battle with the Blood Dragon Sword. His clothes were also burnt, torn, and scorched here and there.

“I told you not to come near me.”

“What’s wrong? We just shed sweat and tears together. Oppa. Congratulations on third place.”

“Avoid making statements that could be misunderstood by others. You have no business here. Just get out of here.”

As expected, still… … .

As the teacher said, will I be able to tell a proper story only after I become an adult?

But there was something I absolutely had to ask now.

“If you had made it to the finals, how would you have dealt with Sharon?”

Balkan’s eyes, which had been so resolute that they didn’t even spare her a glance, briefly sparkled. Kanniya gently grabbed the hem of Balkan’s clothes.

“Brother, just tell me.”

“… … .”

“Well, that’s fine. If you don’t want to tell me.”

Okay, okay… … .

Just being able to come here and greet these two like this… … makes me satisfied.

It was at that moment that I was leaving the waiting room of the Balkan, swallowing a smile that I could never show on the outside.

“It was before His Excellency Brain Xiang took office as the head of the heresy investigation agency, the Golden Children.”

“huh?”

“His Majesty Brain Hyang can read minds, but the previous interrogators didn’t have that ability. So they had to extract the mind through interrogation. I heard there was even a heretic interrogation process where they would completely peel off the opponent’s skin. The skin is like a first breakwater. It prevents the sensory organs from being exposed to too much stimulation. They say that when that happens, the flames become more sensitive and painful.”

“Brother, what is that? Instead of giving me that horrible history lesson, teach me how to win.”

“If you still don’t know even after I’ve told you this much, then it’s better for you to lose. This is the end of the cost of handing over the towel. Just disappear.”

“No, brother!”

Kanniya tried to make a fuss to defend Camilla, but there was no need.

I feel like lightning has struck my head… … .

When I got a clue to solving a difficult problem, I felt a ecstatic and dizzying sensation in my mind.

“No, no. It’s okay, Kanniya. That’s enough. Yes, that’s what the Master said… …!”

Jigeomje (Earth Sword Festival), A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (12)

“Thank you for waiting. Now, the 1599th Prosecutor’s Examination Finals will begin!”

The finals began as dusk turned red in the square.

What should I talk about?

I think it would be too cliche to mention the tension that ran deep into your bones or the cheers that were so loud they were deafening.

“Kami, are you ready?”

In the past, even if I had been given the right to stand on a stage like this, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do so.

I felt myself changing.

I now know that what my master taught me for three years wasn’t swordsmanship. He taught me how to respect and love myself.

“What do you think of me? Of course, a genius like Baldo is prepared.”

“Okay, enjoy yourself.”

“Oh, and if you beat Sharon and win the Prosecutor’s Contest… … there’s something I really want to tell you.”

Originally, there was something I wanted to confess from the moment we first met. Master.

I wanted to do it, but I couldn’t.

I feel that calling me master will not make you happy, but rather will bring insult to the world.

‘Back then, there was nothing.’

Because I had no talent, no aptitude, no achievements, and no background, I was just poor and needy.

However, if I win this contest… …then I vowed to myself that I would proudly shout it out loud.

Master, he said.

“Okay, I’ll be back.”

Later, when I remember the day of the Prosecutor’s Office, there are a few things that come to mind first, and one of them is the excitement of the moment I entered.

“Left, Camilla Flower of the Cross!”

Even the cheers of people can be filled with warmth. It can come rushing in with such a hot heat.

“Kamikami! Cheer up!”

“We are rooting for you!”

“Black Rose, I’ll flatten the noses of those bastards!”

Even from this distance, the faces of the ‘family’ were clearly visible and their cries were clearly heard. They raised their hands strongly above their heads in greeting.

“Camilla!”

At that moment, a welcome voice was heard again.

No, how is this… … ?

It was Jabal Ludwig and the student council officers. They were the people who had helped Camilla so much last year, and who had loved her so much. They were all in their school uniforms.

“No, how is it here?”

“I came right after the final exams were over! Luckily, I guess I made it to the finals. Otherwise, I almost wouldn’t have been able to see it.”

“It was because the chairman was being too easygoing!”

“I knew that guy would definitely make it to the finals.”

As soon as all eyes turned in that direction, sighs from women poured out here and there.

“Oh my god, it’s Jabal Ludwig.”

“Is that the Jabal? He looks just like Yong-Hyeon when he was young?”

“Crazy, he’s so handsome. Isn’t he a statue?”

Jabal was well aware that women admired his beauty and enjoyed it. In short, he often made expressions that made him want to betray them.

“Don’t worry, Camilla. If you feel like you’re going to lose, I’ll sneak a little help from Belle Curious.”

Then, the guards of the Kingdom of Dunos, who were in charge of managing the ‘Sword Festival’, took Jabal Ludwig away.

“Please follow me for a moment.”

The Kingdom of Dunos, which rules the southern part of the Blade Peninsula, is famous for its loyalty to the Light Dragon by sending guards to the Vatican.

“No, drink it! Of course I was joking! And I am the direct descendant of Yong-Hyeon Rein Ludwig? Huh? … … I will never, ever take the bandage off my eye until the end of the match, so forgive me just this once.”

“Actually, I was just trying to tell you this. … … Please contact me when it’s convenient for you.”

The guard officer slipped a letter into Jabal Ludwig’s hand. It must have contained his contact information.

Indeed, the best pretty boy on the continent… … .

The guards glared at their superiors, and the student council officers glared at the president with narrowed eyes.

‘Where on earth did that guy go…?’

Strangely enough, the tension eased as I saw that ridiculous sight, or perhaps because I was happy to see it.

“Right, Sharon Planesta of the Extreme Sword!”

Floret Alter Tasalfo was seen playfully patting Sharon on the back.

The valley of joy deepens.

As Sharon appeared, the Black Rose Corps (most of the Black Rose Corps’ executives are from the nobles of the Kingdom of Dunos) erupted in ‘aristocratic’ cheers, and Sharon responded by elegantly waving her hand.

“Huh, is this the secret weapon that Floret Alter Tasalpo has been hiding?”

“That opponent is the disciple of Laminea Alter Aradmantel, who has been on a roll for the past three years!”

“A civil war between the disciples of the Payquery? I can’t believe I’m finally seeing such a highly anticipated showdown!”

I was soon able to stand face to face with Sharon in the center of the square amidst the rumbling that shook the floor.

“Hehehe, you finally made it this far, Camilla.”

“I promised I would knock you down.”

“Hehehe.”

Even the act of clashing swords just before the match felt refreshing.

No, it felt fun.

Rather than feeling like you’re maintaining etiquette in the midst of tension with an unfamiliar enemy, it feels more like you’re clapping hands with a friend you haven’t seen in a long time.

“30 seconds until the match starts, each player should move to the left and right ends!”

At that time, my body was shaking so much. It was different from shaking because I was nervous.

Huh… … .

I was so happy to meet you at the place where we were aiming for the championship of the Prosecutor’s Office.

“Sir Bimonte, what do you think of this match?”

The guardian knight of the family, who had been standing motionless, answered Hannah Ludwig’s question.

“You can see that in a swordsmanship match, the important thing is who has the right to strike first.”

“Right of first refusal?”

Radis tilted her head.

“That kid from the Flame Dragon Sword Sect had the initiative all day long and then lost.”

Roberis had just asked Tars a similar question. Tars answered.

“That’s going on the offensive, it’s a little different from the right to attack first. The right to attack first refers to who can decide more proactively on the offensive and defensive.”

“… … ?”

“In the second game of the semifinals, Sharon may have seemed to be backing down, but in fact, the initiative was always in Sharon’s hands. It’s a matter of whether or not she can engage in the situation she wants.”

Lamine was also explaining the concept to John.

“Making the opponent nervous and leading them to attack is the right to attack first, and making the opponent feel intimidated and then pushing them to the attack is also the right to attack first. The point is to know who has the psychological advantage.”

“Aha… … Then who has the right to attack first in this match?”

“The Ten-Character Sword is a swordsmanship of linkage, but it is an extremely passive swordsmanship. You need an opponent to decide the order of the initial linkage and the method of counterattack. That is why Laminea is expressed as dancing. If you want to dance, you need an opponent, right?”

Floret (who came back here again after seeing Sharon off and saying she was bored) nodded in satisfaction.

“The Extreme Sword Technique doesn’t do anything to that opponent. If the Ten-Character Sword is the ultimate infighting, the Extreme Sword Technique is the ultimate outfighting. It’s in perfect perfect balance.”

But, it looked like someone was forcibly dragged in while holding him by his side.

“Okay, loser. Let me explain.”

She was a heroine with a physique as large as her own, and even in that state, she had a cigarette in her mouth.

Laminea was surprised to see that sight, but then she started laughing out loud in joy.

Instructor, Party Chef Dune Jeraye. It was the moment when the fellow students gathered. Party Chef said.

“It’s impossible to form a connection against the Extreme Swords. These are fucking bastards with rotten minds, and they won’t even fight you.”

“You call me smart, loser.”

“Only the users of the Extreme Sword don’t know. People avoid them because they are dirty.”

“Yes, the next loser. A loser with 2 wins and 8 losses in 10 matches.”

“It doesn’t make sense. In any case, the combination of swordsmanship and the ten-letter system is extremely vulnerable to the extreme swordsman.”

In the stands over there, Roberis, who had been given the same theory, gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth.

“Then how do we win?”

Even though his voice is so small, it is heard clearly amidst the waves of cheering.

What a curious child… … .

As Tars smiled, someone else gave her the answer she should have given.

“You need more sword fighting experience than the user of the Ultimate Sword, and time to train your own senses!”

The chief instructor of was Rinoya Dune Jeraye.

“Renoya.”

As you can see from the bright smile on Tars’ face, it was Tars’ motivation in private.

“Even Lamine’s record against Floret was 3 wins and 7 losses. Despite his genius-level talent.”

“Well, it can’t be helped since the Extreme Sword Technique is similar to the Segeom Sword Technique in that it focuses on one-on-one combat.”

“That’s what I mean. To make the inevitable possible, you need more overwhelming skills and experience, but Camilla, that girl hasn’t even been your disciple for three years? Exactly three years now? In any case, I think I’m at a huge disadvantage.”

Amidst such worried mutterings, Sharon took a jockey-style stance as if to show off.

The beginning and end of the extreme swordsmanship.

Type 0, white bird.

In response, Camilla also took a jockeying stance.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

A posture in which the sword in its scabbard is held as far back as possible behind the waist, and the muscles of the entire upper body are tense like a bowstring.

“… … That?”

“… … Footsteps posture?”

“… … The fourth form, origin?”

Floret’s eyes narrowed.

Are you planning on using a sudden attack in conjunction with the kick, like in the quarterfinals?

If such a shallow move were all there was to it, then this match would be over at this very moment when the flag was raised.

‘I’m sorry, Lamine, but-‘

But what is this feeling of discomfort…?

Where on earth does this uncomfortable feeling that makes my palms break out in cold sweat come from…?

‘ah?’

Floret’s eyes opened wide as she caught the identity of the discomfort.

no.

The moment he was about to shout at his disciple, the moment Sharon stepped on the Shadowless Step, the moment he was about to grab the gap of the square that inevitably appeared between breaths.

A composite image.

The blade rose sharply from its scabbard, cutting off the tip, tearing through the leather, and cutting through the flesh beyond, sending drops of blood flying.

“!”

“!”

“!”

The two girls move away as they cross paths.

Everyone’s eyes and mouths were wide open in shock and wouldn’t close. For a moment, there wasn’t even a cheer.

At that time, shockingly, it was not Camilla but Sharon who grabbed the wound on her chest.

“What the heck, what’s going on!”

“How did you get it cut?”

“The extreme swordsmanship disappeared in the blink of an eye, but that?!”

Only then did Sharon realize the true nature of the discomfort her Master felt.

‘Blood from your fingers…?’

There was a drop of blood on Camilla’s scabbard-holding finger, indicating when she had bitten it.

“Unfortunately, it was shallow. I was planning to end it with this one sum.”

Camilla smiled and took up a stance while sheathing her sword again.

It was a crucible of shouts and cheers.

Even though only the inspectors close to the top could understand exactly what was happening, the cheers were pouring out.

‘Kami… …!’

Laminea clenched her fists with overwhelming emotion and shut her mouth tightly.

‘I only gave you a hint, but you managed to come to that realization on your own.’

The flow of blood is reversed from its normal state due to intentional bleeding.

In this case, the inspector of the extreme swordsmanship method cannot help but be mistaken in thinking that the opponent is preparing an attack.

In short, it causes confusion in finding loopholes.

“No, that’s not all.”

Tars explained while even whistling.

“There is a saying that cold wind seeps through a wounded area and hurts. It is a way to feel the flow of wind through a wounded area more clearly than through intact skin.”

That’s what made it possible.

A counterattack against the extreme sword technique that suddenly pops out and catches the opponent off guard!

“How dare you think of reducing the gap in experience and activating your immature senses in that way, you punk?”

Canniya Belchester looked back at Balkan, jumping for joy at the sight of Camilla scoring the first goal.

“Brother, Camilla is winning! She scored first! Can we win now?”

“You could say that I have the upper hand.”

“how?”

“That guy can either charge forward using a sudden attack from a standing stance, or counterattack with a wide-range slash using the Island Slash just now. The priority of attack has been completely reversed.”

In other words, it is now Sharon Planesta who is psychologically cornered.

Well, did I understand correctly… … .

The fingers, except for the thumb that supported Vulcan’s chin, were covering the corner of his mouth. If it hadn’t been covered, a faint smile would have been visible to his younger brother.

‘What is required when dealing with extreme swordsmanship is not the stamina or power to maintain the swordsmanship for several times.’

Camilla thought, her head spinning rapidly from her stance.

‘You just have to do the same thing.’

Likewise, you can bet everything on one hit.

I had thought about it that far, but my weakness was how to counter it. Balkan’s advice was a huge hint.

‘With this, I can read Sharon’s movements through the trembling of the wind!’

If I win… …I’ll dedicate half of this victory to my brother Balkan. The other half to my master.

“Okay, Sharon. What about the second syllable? Should I go my way this time?”