4. Mystery Girl 2(2)
First, Mana was taken in from the air through the lungs. Next, it was converted within the body into magic power that could be used for spells. And by chanting to solidify the desired phenomenon and weaving the magic power according to the method, the spell finally took shape.
Learning this had been difficult for Nudd, but—.
(Well, the magic I can use is limited.)
The spell he activated was very basic.
It created a small pebble that fit in the palm of his hand.
Although its effect was only that, it could be used for tricks.
The pebble appeared in the air behind the little girl and fell due to gravity.
It made a slight sound as it rolled on the ground.
However, in a quiet place, it was remarkably noticeable.
—What kind of magic was activated behind her? It was human nature to reflexively want to check.
And Sol carelessly turned her attention backward.
(Idiot…)
Seeing the opportunity, he moved without hesitation.
He decided to aim for her wrist this time and stepped forward.
But suddenly, a shock ran through his side.
“Gah!?”
It was as if a bolt of lightning had exploded in his brain. His movements were forcibly stopped.
Looking down, he saw the tip of Sol’s shoe.
The heavy military boot was digging into his solar plexus.
The wooden sword he was about to swing lost its momentum, and his body stumbled.
By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. A fatal gap had opened in the battle.
“Opening.”
Sol finally moved, delivering a swift horizontal slash.
There was no way to avoid it.
It was sucked towards Nudd’s exposed neck—
And stopped just before hitting his throat.
“…I… I lose. I lose.”
He squeezed out the words. His voice trembled pathetically.
“That’s one point.”
The little girl muttered nonchalantly, removing her weapon from his neck. Nudd dropped his wooden sword and fell to his knees at the same time.
A clatter echoed distantly. Cold sweat oozed from his back. It was also staining his sides, but this wasn’t sweat from the heat of the basin.
It was killing intent. A momentary killing intent emitted from a single flash.
I’m going to be killed, I’m going to be killed, I’m going to be killed.
Despite being a mock battle without real swords, those words filled Nudd’s head.
“…N-no way. Me, like this…?”
“You have talent. Your tactic of aiming for a one-hit kill, although reckless, is something I like. What you lack is simply experience… senpai.”
Sol affirmed his delirious mutterings. When he groaned, “Experience?” the little girl lowered her gaze and said, “Yes.”
“For example… first, the trembling of your hands is unacceptable. I immediately thought you weren’t used to killing intent or intimidation. Another thing was the hesitation in your step right before your second attack. Being too honest and not realizing you were being tricked is also bad. If you’re seen through and exploited, you’ll create a fatal opening like this time. The quickest way to hone your sense of judgment and intuition is through steady training. I don’t know if you’re focusing on combat with swords and magic, but forgetting about techniques other than the sword—in this case, your footwork—is also a weakness. If you don’t rush to win and lose your composure, you’ll become stronger. Also, your wandering gaze bothered me. If you concentrate and keep your eyes on your opponent—No. I apologize, my bad habit came out. If you think it’s unnecessary preaching, please disregard it.”
With a look of regret, she concluded. Sol awkwardly poked the ground with the tip of her sword.
(Ha… ha… me, losing to someone like this?)
—It was a complete defeat.
He hadn’t been outmaneuvered by advanced combat techniques. He had simply fallen for the little girl’s childish tricks. He hadn’t been overwhelmed by superhuman strength or skill. The blows and cuts Nudd had received were quite light.
What clearly determined the victory or defeat was her observation and intuition.
Her discerning eye accurately identified his areas for improvement and exploited his weaknesses. The reason she was able to perform the superhuman feat of “defending without preliminary movements” was, according to her, “Something like intuition. Experience seeps into not only your head but also your body. It’s just that your skin, your bones, or your limbs sometimes react automatically if they remember a similar swordsmanship they’ve encountered before.”
Nudd was speechless. The pride he had built up like a castle—.
Felt like it was cracking.
“It’s… not a matter of Od amount… is it?”
Excuses were meaningless now.
In this battle, the difference in strength was a trivial matter.
In other words, the “difference in experience” that the little girl had enlightened him about was what determined the victory or defeat. Although she seemed to have accumulated a considerable amount of Od, she hadn’t used any unique swordsmanship. In fact, he hadn’t been able to gauge her true strength in this exchange.
—Could it be that she’s also a monster? A genuine article?
The fear that crept up from the past clouded his vision.
(Is she… a monster of talent, like them?)
The Sol before his eyes even seemed distorted. He tried to superimpose the somewhat troubled-looking girl onto the monsters from his days at the officer’s academy. However, they wouldn’t quite overlap. As before, the characteristic presence of a strong person was weak.
But he couldn’t honestly accept this impression.
He couldn’t let his castle of pride crumble.
Therefore, to accept reality, he could only say this:
(It was a fluke… If this wasn’t a fluke, what is it?)
Nudd couldn’t acknowledge Sol. He absolutely couldn’t.
Because if he admitted that the little girl before his eyes was “superior to him” in his specialty, swordsmanship, if he admitted that he was “inferior to someone who hasn’t put in the same effort or time,” if he admitted that he was lower in rank than someone who didn’t even have the air of a strong person, then he would be denying the himself who ran away on the day of the successor’s nomination.
That was something he absolutely couldn’t do. If he denied the event that formed the core of his being—,
Surely, Nudd would come to a standstill.
(Talking down to me like that, so condescendingly…)
If it had been one of the few monsters at the officer’s academy, or a hero, he could have accepted it. They were beings beyond human comprehension. Everyone knew that “it’s natural to lose to them.” Even if he made a fool of himself, his comrades would pat him on the shoulder and say, “It can’t be helped.”
But to this person who didn’t have the scent of a monster—.
He started to say something, then stopped.
Sol glanced at him as he repeated this several times.
“…There’s no need to be discouraged by losing to someone who cheated.”
“…Cheated?”
“I look young.”
“…Stop with the bad jokes.”
“It’s not a joke. I’m older than you.”
Nudd was dumbfounded and let out a sigh. Monster or not, her sense of humor was terrible.
The fact that the little girl said it with a completely serious face made him even more exasperated.
(Damn it…! I don’t care if she’s a monster, or if the match was a fluke, damn it!)
He wasn’t sure if it was calculated.
But Nudd gave up on everything.
(This is ridiculous, I can’t be bothered with her.)
He hadn’t been able to teach her about hierarchy. Although he had only interacted with her for a few hours, he could say this with certainty.
—This little girl wasn’t suited to be a proper soldier. The self-proclaimed sheltered girl had shown the truth behind those words. Her lack of understanding of hierarchy, her silly jokes. It couldn’t be helped if even a caring senior got fed up.
Nudd expressed this inwardly. He didn’t deny that there was jealousy mixed in. But he had no interest in keeping someone who could shake his existence by his side. He had been temporarily appointed as her babysitter, but once this battle was over, they would probably never meet again. She was only being sheltered to assert the Empire’s righteousness.
In the end, she was just an orphaned little girl.
(This girl and I are on different paths. Since we’re on different paths, we’ll part ways when we reach the fork. There’s no need to force interaction; we’ll separate naturally when the time comes.)
Nudd, on the other hand, had graduated from the officer’s academy with excellent grades. A bright future lay ahead of him. Once he gained practical experience, he would be able to live comfortably in the interior. It wasn’t a delusion that the country had expectations of him. The proof was the fact that he had been dispatched to the southern Matterdali region, a corner of the front lines.
This was a place where they couldn’t lose, no matter what happened. After all, it was the battlefield where the “Strongest of Mankind” participated.
If the “Strongest of Mankind” were to be active, there would be no role for ordinary soldiers. In other words, as long as he participated, his promotion was as good as guaranteed. Indeed, the recent field battle had ended in a one-sided suppression. The casualties on the Imperial side were minor, and Nudd had tasted the sweet victory without even setting foot on the battlefield.
A delicious opportunity for promotion and advancement.
—He was fine just as he was, having obtained that.
(So, I have no obligation to interact with someone I don’t like. Thinking that way makes me feel better.)
It was truly unpleasant, but he just had to endure it for a little while longer.
Nudd concluded this and looked up at the sky to mark the end of the matter.
“Are you done resting? Then let’s resume the mock battle.”
“Huh? You still want to do it?… I pass. I’m tired. Kids have so much energy.”
In the end, no matter how many times she requested a mock battle that day, Nudd never agreed.
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