Chapter 21: Blind Trust (3)

The situation before him was just as bewildering to Kevin.

Despite not intending it, the atmosphere was ripe for a proxy duel, and Kevin, his face pale as a sheet, said,

"Are you telling me to have a proxy duel with Knight Chris? That's absurd. I'm just a novice who has only been practicing swordsmanship for a week, while Knight Chris is a formidable warrior who can use a two-star aura, isn't he?"

It was a natural reaction.

Chris.

Who was he?

A disciple of Jonathan, the leader of the Dmitri Knights, and a recognized genius swordsman in Dmitri.

Not someone an ordinary person could handle.

Moreover, Kevin was not someone who had a natural talent for fighting, and he was just a teenager in his early teens.

While it's true that you only know how to fight by doing it, there are also fights in life where the outcome is obvious.

Roman said,

"I know. I know you're at a disadvantage. But what do you have to lose if you lose this duel?"

"Nothing."

"There's something you need to keep in mind from now on. There are countless people in this world who are stronger than you. The Blood Gang, which oppressed and used violence against your family, was one of them, and Chris, who is glaring at you as if he's about to devour you right now, is no different. Will you step back every time your opponent is strong? If not, you need to view this situation differently."

A teenager in his mid-teens.

Kevin was young.

He was still at an age where he needed mental support, but if he chose to use the sword, he would have to live differently from now on.

"This is not a real battle. The only thing you'll lose from this duel is the frustration of losing and some physical pain. Don't you think it's a great opportunity? A chance to face an opponent who is far stronger than you and give it your all. Even if physical pain accompanies the process, I don't think it will break your will to pursue strength, even to the point of cutting off your own arm."

There is a line in life.

The life of a commoner.

The life of a noble.

And the life of a swordsman who must risk his life to become stronger.

Roman, looking at Kevin, who was still a teenager, told him to completely break down that line.

Just like he had cut off his own arm.

To face Chris as an enemy.

Even if this were a real battle, to show him swinging his sword with all his might against Chris.

"What are you afraid of?"

Kevin swallowed hard.

His relationship with Roman was a series of choices.

There was no forcing him down one path, and Roman had told him how to walk if he wanted to follow.

His throat was dry.

Chris.

The opponent he had only ever admired from afar while watching the procession of knights.

It was a reality he could never have imagined before, but from the moment he cut off his arm, Kevin had become a different person.

"Let's give it a try."

He harbored a venomous intent.

Seeing Kevin grip his sword tightly, Roman showed a faint smile.

Kevin and Chris.

The two men faced each other.

The situation proved that this was a fight where Kevin was at a disadvantage in every aspect, and Chris felt his blood boil.

'Having to compete with a beginner.'

It was a miserable feeling.

Look at the opponent.

Kevin's stance was a mess.

Roman must have had a reason for suggesting a proxy duel, but the way Chris looked at him, holding his sword, was truly a sight to behold.

There was no sign of experience as a swordsman.

He was full of weaknesses at first glance, and his unbalanced lower body made it questionable whether he could even defend properly.

In the past week.

There hadn't been enough time to fully absorb the teachings.

As Chris thought, Kevin was not a genius and was not even qualified to be called a swordsman yet.

Therefore.

'Pathetic.'

A sense of self-loathing arose.

Chris, at 25.

He had learned swordsmanship from Jonathan since he was young, and the time he had spent as a swordsman, sweating and bleeding, far outweighed the time he had lived as an ordinary commoner.

The sword was his pride. With his innate talent and the effort he put into developing it more than anyone else, he achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the two-star level in his mid-twenties.

If he could reach the three-star rank before the age of 30.

He, who was once considered a talent from the periphery, could rise to become a saint of the Kingdom of Cairo.

That was Chris.

Even if he was considered to be rotting in Dmitri, he was not someone to be underestimated.

'I don't know what he's thinking, but he's wrong this time. There are limits to variables. If I lose to Kevin, I'll give up my life as a swordsman after this match.'

He was determined to the death.

He didn't really want to have this duel.

However.

The reason he was standing there, sword in hand, was because of the look in Kevin's eyes as he stared at him.

"Everything about you is so annoying."

His eyes were filled with venom.

Kevin was serious.

As if he truly believed he could bring Chris down, he showed a genuine attitude of taking this duel seriously.

That made him even more angry.

The opponent didn't know his place.

Because he didn't know how insignificant and lowly he was, he was trying to face someone who had dedicated decades to the sword, even though he had barely swung a sword himself.

Roman acknowledged it. Roman, who had clashed swords with him, was a man with the right to do so, but Kevin deserved punishment just for the look in his eyes.

'I'll end this in a minute.'

He gripped his sword tightly.

At that moment.

"Start."

Roman's signal.

As soon as the start of the duel was announced, Chris immediately kicked off the ground.

There was no reason to drag this duel out.

Chris quickly closed the distance and attacked Kevin's exposed weakness before he could even regain his composure.

Thud!

A dull sound was heard.

Whether intentional or by chance, Kevin barely blocked Chris's attack by a hair's breadth.

But that was all.

The difference in strength sent Kevin's arms flying backward.

Kevin, with a look of panic, tried to block his exposed chest but was hit by Chris's kick to the abdomen.

Punch!

"Ugh!"

He screamed.

The impact was so severe that he felt dizzy, and with one kick, Kevin was sent flying.

In reality, the match was over with just one attack.

Chris didn't press the advantage to finish the opponent but glanced at Roman to see how he was judging the situation.

'So, he wants to see the outcome of the match.'

Roman remained calm.

He explained the rules of the match without words, and Chris, retracting his gaze, immediately attacked Kevin again.

'I'll end this quickly.'

His sword aimed for the opponent's arm.

Kevin, who had been groaning in pain a moment ago, suddenly jumped up from his seat and lunged at Chris.

The sound of the wind cutting through the air rang in Kevin's ears.

In a situation where his arm could have easily broken if hit, Kevin's whole body shuddered.

The difference in skill.

It was clear.

Chris was a mountain that could not be easily approached, but Kevin, after dodging the attack, swung his sword in what he considered a counterattack.

Swish.

The sound of the sword was different.

It was slow and light.

Chris easily deflected the attack and kicked the opponent's abdomen again.

Punch!

"Ugh!"

He stifled a groan.

Kevin, who had endured the pain of cutting off his arm, twisted his body with a face that looked like it was about to burst.

Despite the powerful impact, he didn't fall.

He managed to take a step and avoid the follow-up attack, but Kevin was so weak and powerless that the duel was almost meaningless.

A one-sided match.

It was strange.

Roman had suggested the duel as if he were there, but Kevin didn't show the qualifications of a winner.

'What's his intention?'

Ten steps away.

Roman observed the situation.

He had said the purpose of the proxy duel was to use Kevin as an avatar, but he didn't even give any verbal guidance.

In the end, it was the expected story.

Even if Roman had given him a secret method, the situation wouldn't have changed, but the futility of the match made him angry.

Punch!

Continuous attacks.

Kevin's arm trembled.

His will alone couldn't withstand Chris's attacks, and as his stance faltered, Chris's strikes rained down on Kevin's body.

It was Chris's consideration.

Even though it was a practice duel with wooden swords, Chris, hoping the opponent wouldn't suffer a serious injury, deliberately refrained from using his sword at the perfect opportunity.

Even so.

The difference in level was evident.

No matter how much Kevin struggled, he couldn't overcome the wall that Chris had built over a decade of training.

Finally.

Punch!

"..."

A fist to the abdomen made him spit out blood.

Kevin staggered, almost kneeling, and Chris, looking at him, spat out an angry voice.

"Give up now."

The match was over.

There had been several opportunities to end it, but Chris had shown consideration.

However.

Kevin held on with sheer willpower.

Struggling to keep his trembling legs steady, he pointed his sword at the opponent as if trying to block the next attack.

'Why is he doing this?'

Kevin's appearance.

It was pitiful.

His clothes were torn to rags from rolling on the ground multiple times, and his exposed abdomen was red from the torn shirt.

He spat out blood from his mouth.

It seemed he had suffered a severe internal injury, and the thick blood that trickled out chilled his heart.

It was the limit.

This could really become dangerous.

Even though the outcome was clear, the sight of Kevin pointing his sword was incomprehensible to Chris's common sense.

"Don't delude yourself into thinking you're something special just because you've withstood a few attacks. From the beginning, and throughout the duel, I never used my full strength. I could have shattered your soft head from the first exchange, but I held back because this is a practice duel. That's the difference between you and me. I don't know what you were thinking when you agreed to this duel, but for a commoner who doesn't even know how to use mana, you've done well enough to survive this long."

He spoke the truth.

The duel between Chris and Roman.

It was different then.

Chris couldn't defeat Roman even when he gave it his all, but with Kevin, he didn't even need to use his full strength.

A fraction of his power.

That was enough to reduce Kevin to a pitiful state.

And this was as far as Chris could endure.

"For the last time. If you show any more will to fight, be prepared to lose a limb."

It was the final warning.

The last consideration.

Kevin was just a puppet.

There was no reason to vent his frustration on him.

With the words to accept reality, Kevin's face, surprisingly, broke into a smile.

"Ha, ha."

He laughed.

As if he couldn't help but laugh, Kevin didn't hide the laughter rising from within.

Then.

He grinned.

"Let's finish this."

He gripped his sword firmly.

He knew Chris's words were true.

But.

This one-sided duel, in Kevin's world, was completely different.

From the beginning to the end.

Kevin followed Roman's instructions, and without Roman's order, he had no intention of giving up this match.