Chapter 65

Inside the association, drawing swords and using magic are strictly prohibited.

However, there was one situation that was tacitly allowed.

"―I challenge you to a duel!"

To challenge someone to a duel without intending to harm them.

That was the only thing that was implicitly permitted.

Nobles might throw their gloves, but hunters wouldn’t always have gloves on them.

"…I accept."

The girl's arm, which held the curved sword, had the wings of a crimson peacock.

She must be related to the Ryuwan family.

Revenge, they say, is like a spinning wheel, and even if it is justified, it only breeds more resentment.

Kurando was well aware of this but, fundamentally, there was no need for him to go out of his way to accept a duel.

"Someone, be our witness."

As twilight approached, the association, filled with hunters who had completed their missions, fell silent at the girl's sudden declaration of revenge and challenge.

For the three types of retired adventurers, duels were more common than for ordinary people, but it was rare for a girl to challenge an adult male to a duel.

"…I’ll do it."

A tall, fair-skinned male staff member standing behind the counter stood up.

Kurando and the girl were led to the training ground at the back of the association.

Usually used for exams, lectures, and simple training for hunters, it was now packed with curious hunters and onlookers.

"Mario Bertini, the head of the Maranova branch of the Hunter Association, will oversee this duel."

Mario looked at the girl.

The duel had been decided so easily, and the girl seemed to be going along with it, but her animosity toward Kurando never wavered.

She frowned, her face grim, but it seemed to be her natural expression. Her bright red hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a well-maintained red leather armor that fit her lithe body.

Perhaps she had been waiting for Kurando in Maranova.

Since Kurando had come to Maranova on foot, if the girl had come by beast carriage, she could have overtaken him. It wouldn’t have been hard to find out that Kurando was in Maranova, especially near the port close to Rattana.

The girl glared at Kurando and said,

"I am Kundrap Nokul Ryuwan Singchai’s daughter, Kundrap Nokul Ryuwan Phanph. I seek the death of Kurando, the murderer of my parents and my clan."

The witness, Mario, flinched at the girl's demand and looked at Kurando.

Singchai, if he remembered correctly, was the man who had demanded Yobi at the inn in Rattana and was Naba’s cousin. Kurando, while searching his memory, spoke what needed to be said.

"I am Kurando. The conflict within the Ryuwan family was resolved by King Garuda. Therefore, I have no fault. This duel is an act of revenge, which goes against the agreement with King Garuda. I don’t desire anything, but if you seek death, I will seek yours as well."

"Shut up! Because of your cowardly actions, the Ryuwan family was stripped of their titles, and all of us were sentenced to death! My father, my mother, my grandparents, everyone is dead!"

Kurando was slightly surprised.

If the entire clan was sentenced to death, it was probably because they tried to harm the Kurando family after the revenge and the duel. This was likely discovered and stopped, leading to their purge by King Garuda.

Then why is this girl alive?

"It’s the result of their own actions."

"You bastard!"

"You killed my wife and her children, and tried to kill me and Yobi in the dark. You were defeated in a duel and punished by the king. Retaliation was forbidden under the king’s name. If you tried to attack me or Yobi, you deserved to be purged."

"Shut up! You—"

"―Silence!"

The witness, who had been stunned by the unexpected background of the duel and the mention of King Garuda and acts of revenge, finally intervened.

"―Let’s not defile the solemnity of the duel. Both of you, take your stances."

At Mario’s command, the girl drew her curved sword and held it loosely.

Kurando removed the handle from the 'Black' large claw, which he had been using as a hammer, and attached it to his arm.

The crowd of hunters focused their attention on this unusual weapon.

Kurando didn’t want to reveal his trump card, but he had no room for leniency.

"Then, begin!"

The moment the witness finished speaking, Kurando shot out like a cannonball. His body enhancement was already complete.

Surprised by Kurando’s sudden charge, Phanph instinctively released a large wave of fire.

A red wave of fire engulfed Kurando.

Phanph felt a sense of accomplishment from the fire spirit magic, which she had released reflexively and unexpectedly well.

However, a black spot appeared in the fire wave, grew larger, and then pierced through it, flying towards Phanph.

Kurando, despite being burned in several places, did not slow down and pierced through the fire wave.

The large black claw pierced through Phanph’s abdomen, along with her curved sword, which was caught in the claw. The physical barrier of the magic tool she had deployed was easily broken, and the life spirit physical barrier, which was not even thin, was pierced like paper.

This was Kurando’s 'full-strength strike.'

Kurando’s body, which had only a few severe burns, was already beginning to heal.

It was a close call.

Kurando had accepted the duel without hesitation, but he didn’t want to accept it.

In a way, he was afraid of the girl.

She was at least a decade younger than him, but her career in this world was longer, and she came from a noble family of warriors, even though it had fallen. There was no guarantee that Kurando would win.

The root of the Ryuwan family’s evil must not remain.

That was why Kurando accepted the duel.

Since she had actually targeted him through a duel, even if he avoided it, he would continue to be targeted.

He couldn’t be caught off guard, and he didn’t want Yobi to be targeted.

He didn’t intend to kill her if she did nothing, but if she came to kill him, he wanted to kill her first.

Mercy was unnecessary.

He had no tolerance for an enemy who harbored resentment, even if she was a woman.

Then, he wanted to finish it quickly.

There might be more than one enemy.

There could be an attack from outside, as there was with Alice.

That’s why he launched a special attack.

And his guess was correct.

Despite her awkward movements at the start, the girl reacted to the sudden strike and instantly released a wave of fire, rivaling Naba’s.

The girl’s innate talent, which could cover a dozen people with intermediate fire spirit magic, far exceeded Kurando’s, who still struggled with intermediate magic and had to use simultaneous deployment of basic magic to compensate.

He might have lost in a head-on confrontation.

Kurando kept the large claw in the girl’s abdomen and immediately drew the kukri knife with his other hand.

Lifting the girl with the large claw still piercing her abdomen, he raised the kukri knife and silently cut off her head.

The witness, Mario, couldn’t stop it.

In a proper duel, he could have stopped it once the outcome was decided, but this duel was a matter of life and death for both parties. Therefore, he couldn’t stop it until one of them died.

Regretting that he had agreed to be the witness, Mario couldn’t bear to watch the girl being killed and turned away.

However, Kurando’s kukri knife veered off, and a small flame approached his face.

The flame dissipated before the life spirit magic barrier, but the weight of the large claw disappeared the moment his vision was covered by fire.

Kurando quickly jumped back.

At his landing point, a short sword was placed at his throat.

"―That’s enough, I think."

While he could have pushed through the barrier, there was no chance of winning against the wielder of the kukri knife and the person behind him, so Kurando reluctantly put down his weapon.

"Interfering in a duel is quite shameless, isn’t it?"

As the short sword was withdrawn, Kurando slowly stood up and, while lifting the girl, looked at the old fair-skinned man and the deep green-robed fair-skinned old woman, and said with a sneer.

"The match is already over, right?"

While treating the unconscious girl, the old man said without paying attention to Kurando’s words.

"The stakes were our lives."

Kurando glared at the witness in protest.

However, the witness seemed to know the old man and the old woman and was frozen with wide eyes.

The hunters in the audience were whispering to each other.

"That’s the ‘Sword Saint of the Kukri.’"

"The famous ‘Sword Saint of the Kukri’ who doesn’t take disciples."

"And the other one is the head of the ‘Attendants of the Moon Goddess.’"

"Who is that girl?"

Both seemed to be famous.

"Hey."

The witness came to his senses at Kurando’s voice.

He then told the two intruders, looking apologetic.

"Interfering in a duel is prohibited. Even for you two."

"I am Agatha Izzet, the head of the ‘Attendants of the Moon Goddess.’ Kurando, do you really want this girl’s life so much?"

Agatha, who had introduced herself, stopped the witness and asked Kurando.

"Don’t say things that make me look like a murderer. Explain properly without omitting details. Do you know the situation in Rattana?"

"…Of course I do. I found the girl, who was lost and without hope, and brought her here. I didn’t expect you to be here."

"Do you know that this duel started because of her resentment?"

"…Yes, I have something to say, but you have no fault."

"Then, you interfered."

"Yes. The girl is still young and can be turned around."

Kurando looked at the old man who had finished treating the girl and lifted her.

The old man looked like a thin, gentle person, but Kurando’s well-honed instincts told him that he was far superior to himself. Of course, Agatha, who had introduced herself, also realized that she was stronger than him.

He had no idea how much stronger they were.

"Joseph Buster. I will take responsibility for this girl and rehabilitate her. I ask you to step aside for my sake."

Kurando sighed.

However, he knew what he had to say.

"―I can’t step aside."

The old man’s eyes narrowed, seemingly surprised by the unexpected words.

"Do you understand what you’re saying? In the first place—"

"―What are you doing?"

The crowd at the entrance of the training ground parted, and a tall, fair-skinned man with golden hair, resembling Maximus, appeared.

The witness, Mario, ran to the man as if a savior had arrived and began to explain the situation.

The tall man