Chapter 73

"Quite a surprise. Is that sword a magic sword...? And your physical abilities are far from ordinary. How did you do it?"

"It's none of your business. Rather, you seem pretty calm."

"Hmm. No, to be honest, everything has been unexpected, so I'm not really calm. It seems my plan to lure you out and capture you alive has failed."

I left the part-timer to Balgas and headed towards Raymond. We weren't that far apart, and I was able to get close enough to talk to him quickly. Raymond called out to me again.

Is he going to take his time and position other knights around me again?

I thought so, but it seems that's not the case. A few knights are standing by, but they remain still while only Raymond speaks.

Still, it seems that when I started my charge and he hurriedly retreated into the army, it was to lure me out. Well, it was indeed effective. If I were just a child, and the people of Balca Village were even weaker and had been pushed back on the front lines, it would have been even more so.

Raymond's claim that he didn't run away should not be seen as just putting up a front. This is because Raymond has more mana than the knights, who already have more mana than the peasant soldiers. He certainly lives up to his role as the steward of the Fontana family. It's not just his intelligence; he must also have the strength to lead the knights. He should be considered a formidable opponent.

There's something that concerns me. It's the sword Raymond holds. He said my Hard Fang Sword is a magic sword. But isn't his sword the same? The surface of Raymond's sword glows with a bluish light. It doesn't seem like just a metal sword. Even from my visual perception, I can tell it has an incredible amount of mana, perhaps even more than the Hard Fang Sword. It's dangerous. My instincts tell me so.

"I gave you my final warning, but Ars, you turned your blade against me. That's a disgrace to the Fontana family, and it will not be forgiven. Unfortunately, this is where we part ways."

Raymond, while saying something, held his sword with both hands and got into a stance. Seeing this, I once again infused the Hard Fang Sword with mana. My goal remains the same: to defeat Raymond here. I charged towards Raymond, whose sword reflected the sunlight.

***

One hit, and it's all or nothing. I poured all my mana into the Hard Fang Sword for the first strike, maximizing its hardening ability. With the hardened Hard Fang Sword, I attacked Raymond, aiming to break his sword and cut him down in one go.

But it didn't work. My Hard Fang Sword clashed with Raymond's sword, and even though I shattered the part of his sword, it wasn't the sword itself.

"Ice... an ice sword!"

"Hahaha, witness the power of the Ice Spirit Sword!"

What I shattered wasn't the sword itself but the ice extending from it. The Ice Spirit Sword, it seems, is the name of Raymond's sword. Like the Hard Fang Sword, it likely produces ice when infused with mana. But this isn't just any ice. It has a sharp edge and can cut through opponents. The ice sword extends beyond the original length of the sword.

This is bad. I'm already at a disadvantage due to my short reach as a child. And his sword keeps extending. Even if I can shatter the ice with my full-strength Hard Fang Sword, it quickly regenerates. This is a losing battle.

Just as I was thinking this, during one of our clashes, I couldn't block Raymond's thrust. Fortunately, it didn't hit me but the servitor I was riding. The ice sword pierced the back of its hind leg, causing it to stumble. Then, a powerful downward strike from Raymond came.

I raised the Hard Fang Sword to block the attack, but I was completely overpowered. The force of the gravity-assisted downward strike knocked me off the servitor's back.

Raymond is strong, stronger than I thought. It's not just the existence of the Ice Spirit Sword. He can easily clash with me, even though I'm enhanced by mana. It's hard to believe that my father has survived in a world where such absurdly powerful beings exist.

But I didn't have time to dwell on that. As I struggled to get up after falling to the ground, Raymond, riding a servitor, approached me. It was one of the Valkyries I had presented. He used the speed of the Valkyrie to enhance his sword strikes. The ice sword had already extended to a considerable length. Dodging or blocking it completely was impossible.

"Scatter Shot!!!"

So, I abandoned evasion and went on the offensive. My target wasn't Raymond but the front right leg of the Valkyrie he was riding. I know the speed of the Valkyrie's legs all too well, as I ride one every day. Using my mana-enhanced vision to see the movements in slow motion, I timed my Scatter Shot to hit the Valkyrie's right front leg as it touched the ground.

The Valkyrie, which lacks the defensive capabilities of a boar, stumbled when the projectile hit its right leg. The extended length of the Ice Spirit Sword also played a role. As the Valkyrie lost its balance while he was swinging the extended sword, the ice blade hit the ground.

With a loud thud, the Valkyrie Raymond was riding fell over, and Raymond was thrown to the ground. The situation was now even. Having missed the best opportunity to attack with a servitor, Raymond was now on equal footing. I charged towards him.

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