Chapter 17

Rio was lying on his bed in his room, looking up at the ceiling.

He had decided to accept the match with Yude, but deep down, he really wanted to win.

Even though he had been slacking off in training, there was no doubt that he had the skills, having received direct instruction from Rakudo and become a representative.

In contrast, Rio had been training, but his strength was lacking, and the effects of body enhancement were minimal. His sword technique was still a self-taught, basic level.

If they fought fairly, he would lose a hundred times out of a hundred.

Despite the high likelihood of losing, Rio was smiling faintly.

So far, his training had only involved swinging the sword. He had no experience with actual combat.

Since he could challenge something new, he wanted to give it his all.

"Kale said that the sword technique of the Rakudo Dojo is based on the Ox style, which is the sword technique of heavy cavalry."

Kale probably knew the Ox style to some extent.

Then, the first thing to do was to probe the opponent's moves. Based on that, he would focus on training countermeasures.

The spring festival was held in the spring. Since there was no farm work during the winter, he could devote almost all his time to training.

While he was thinking about all this, the door to his room opened, and Shiraha peeked in. She was wearing a sheepskin coat over her linen pajamas. Incidentally, the coat was a hand-me-down from Rio.

"What is it?"

When he called out from the bed, Shiraha ran over and slipped under the covers.

"…Let's sleep together."

"Sure, sure."

Since Shiraha had snuck into his bed more than once, Rio resigned himself to lying down.

Immediately, he felt the pressure of her gaze from the side and turned his eyes to her.

"Do you need something?"

"Who is Yude, the person you're going to fight?"

"Have you never met him? Of course not."

Since Shiraha rarely left the house, her social circle was narrow, so Rio didn't think much of it and began to explain about Yude.

"He's two years older than me and is favored by the dojo master, Rakudo. He has two followers. Also, on the day I went to the dojo, I was told by Rakudo to have a simple match, and I lost badly. I haven't talked to him much, so I don't know much about him."

"You lost?"

"I couldn't even put up a fight."

Since there was no point in hiding it, he answered honestly, and Shiraha frowned, which was unusual.

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"If you're talking about the match at the spring festival, it will be held in front of everyone in the village, so it won't be dangerous. Yude seems to be riding high from Rakudo's direct instruction, but because of that, I don't think he will go for a finishing blow."

Yude probably chose Rio because there was a chance he might lose to a fellow dojo member who was learning swordsmanship.

Furthermore, Rio had gathered the dissatisfaction of the dojo students, and he believed that if he could defeat Yude in the match, it would improve his standing among them.

As long as it was within the match, if he were to do something like a finishing blow, it would tarnish the dojo's reputation and worsen his standing with Rakudo and the villagers. This would not align with Yude's goals, so he would likely avoid such actions.

While explaining this to Shiraha, it seemed she couldn't quite grasp the interpersonal dynamics, which were limited to Rio and his parents.

"Are you really sure it's not dangerous?"

"I might get hurt, but I won't get seriously injured."

"Still, it's dangerous."

"Since I'm okay with it, it's fine."

Despite Shiraha's continued worry, Rio turned over and faced away, signaling that he didn't intend to talk any further.

Shiraha pouted and started poking Rio's back.

"I can't sleep, so stop it."

"…I'll write words. If you hit, I'll forgive you."

"There's no forgiving or not forgiving, but… good luck?"

"Correct. Good night."

"…Good night."

As he closed his eyes, Rio thought that she was starting to show more emotion.

※

The next morning, Rio was holding a wooden sword with Kale.

"The Ox style is a sword technique designed for group combat. Its purpose is to buy time for the mages in the back by lining up heavy cavalry. There are no fancy footwork maneuvers, but the heavy cavalry use minimal footwork to deliver powerful strikes without interfering with the combat of the adjacent heavy cavalry."

"Have you learned it before?"

"I was turned away when I said I was an adventurer. So, I frequently broke into the dojo to steal some techniques."

"That's quite a nuisance."

"They found it amusing in the later stages, though."

Rio was a bit curious about the kind of interactions they had, but now he needed to focus on training for the spring festival match.

"To be honest, if a proper Ox style swordsman fought the current Rio, he wouldn't stand a chance in ten thousand. The virtual enemy of knight swordsmanship is human, after all."

"Does it have any weaknesses?"

"Well, it does."

Kale chuckled and twirled the wooden sword in his hand.

"They use the defensive power and weight of heavy armor to deliver powerful strikes, but Yude and the others haven't fully developed their bodies. They use light training armor, so the impact of their charges is reduced. Relying on the defensive power of heavy armor, their powerful strikes leave openings."

"Does that mean you can lure them into a big move and counter?"

"Basically, that's the plan. But remember, the Ox style is a battlefield sword technique. Even if there are openings, they will counter if you don't hit them accurately. They are trained to avoid situations where their openings can be exploited and to understand the opponent's stance."

Feeling the battlefield atmosphere and the appeal of the male heart, Rio was intrigued, but when he considered the overall situation, he faced a somewhat troubling fact.

"Does that mean you can't exploit the openings when they are in a position to use a big move?"

"Assuming Yude and the others have been properly trained, that's correct. Also, it's a one-time trick, so there won't be a second chance. But, we'll have two matches: one between me and Rakudo, and one between you and Yude."

"That's not good."

"Indeed. To begin with, it's impossible for the current Rio to exploit the openings from an unstable position and deliver a precise attack. I'll use this strategy."

"Alright. I get the general idea."

Considering the concepts, priorities, and history of the Ox style, Rio formulated a plan.

While he wanted to win the match, he didn't want to be a burden to Kale.

Considering Yude's position and personality, it was unlikely that he would try to end the match quickly. To achieve his own goals, he needed to demonstrate his strength, and to motivate the dojo students, the village chief's plan would also be thwarted.

He would use techniques that clearly demonstrate his strength to the audience.

"Hey, are there any flashy techniques in the Ox style?"

"Despite being called a powerful strike, it's actually a rather plain style. It's solid, which is why the village chief introduced it to the village. If you're talking about flashy techniques—Rio, try holding your sword in a standard stance."

Following Kale's instructions, Rio held his wooden sword in a standard stance, and Kale did the same.

"Whether it's flashy or not, if the superiority is clear to everyone, this is the technique."

Deciding that showing it would be faster, Kale touched the tip of his wooden sword to Rio's and, in a smooth motion, slid it along the edge, effortlessly lifting Rio's wooden sword and sending it flying with his left hand.

The impact was so strong that Rio's wrist ached, and he shook his hand in the air.

Kale laughed and picked up the wooden sword he had sent flying.

"I don't know the name of the technique since I haven't formally learned the Ox style, but it's flashy because the weapon flies, and the outcome is clear to everyone."

"Can Yude use this?"

"Since it's a basic technique, I think he has learned it. It's the quickest way to stop an advancing enemy. Whether the fallen enemy is alive or dead, the action of finishing them off exposes a weakness to the next wave of enemies, so the weapon is taken away to neutralize them and create a wall of flesh against the next wave."

Wearing heavy armor limits the range of motion. When striking a fallen enemy, the body leans forward to avoid the chest and arm armor colliding. However, when trying to return to an upright position, the weight of the armor makes the movement slow, potentially exposing a weakness on the battlefield.

Rio made a mental note of this.

"Is maintaining a stable posture also important in the Ox style?"

"They don't want to waste energy. When it comes to deciding the match, they often lean forward, and from that position, they not only swing their swords but also charge. The sight of Ox style knights in heavy armor charging in unison is quite impressive."

"I'd like to see it."

He was intrigued, but he didn't think the Rakudo Dojo students, including Yude, could perform it. Heavy armor is too heavy for children, even with body enhancement.

Kale handed Rio the wooden sword and continued explaining.

"There is another flashy technique, but it requires both arms. It combines a charge with thrusts, punches, and reverse diagonal slashes. The goal is not to inflict fatal wounds but to push back the enemy and trample them to death with the weight of the heavy armor."

"Can one person do it? If you charge in heavy armor, I don't think you can change direction quickly."

Impressed by Rio's question, Kale laughed.

"You're sharp. This technique is performed by a formation of Ox style knights. It's used to break through enemy encirclements. In a one-on-one match, it's not very useful, so if he knows the technique's purpose, he won't use it. If he leans forward and holds his sword horizontally, move to the side. If you're in front, even a wooden sword could be fatal."

"Really?"

A wooden sword could be fatal if it hit a vital spot, but from the way Kale described it, it didn't seem like a technique aimed at vital points.

"Using body enhancement to gain speed, he will charge with a solid stance to avoid tripping over the dead bodies of trampled enemies, using his full weight. It's like a rampaging bull."

"Is it like the thrust you did to me yesterday?"

"That's a different style of swordsmanship, the Shirouz style, another knight sword technique. But that's not important now. So, how are you going to fight, Rio?"

"I'll lure him into the technique that deflects the sword and close the distance quickly. Once we're in a close-quarters battle, it will look evenly matched to the audience, so even if I lose the match, I'll have won the battle."

"Ruthless. You're going to nullify Yude's victory conditions. You never miss the core of things. It's because you only focus on the core that you end up in these troublesome situations."

Kale chuckled and held his wooden sword.

"Close-quarters combat requires skill. I'll teach you."