Chapter 17

EP.17 Friend-6

"Next, next, aren't you coming out?"

It was clearly polite speech, the tone used to show respect and maintain etiquette towards the other party.

Even so, the atmosphere was as tense as thin ice, ready to shatter at any moment.

The spectators held their breath, and the apprentice knights, who had anticipated victory, even stilled their heartbeats.

The boy, with eyes shadowed, scanned his next opponent. That gaze evoked the sensation of a single snake splitting into dozens, crawling all over the body.

[Sure, I get it, but could you at least avert your eyes? If you keep this up, even the ones standing still might fall over.]

<It's not that I'm doing this for fun; I'm just sleepy. How can you laugh when you only get 30 minutes to sleep before fighting?>

The trap was that he was just tired, but to the apprentice knights, it was a sufficient threat.

"Me...! I'll do it!!"

One of the apprentice knights, holding a spear, spoke up. He was taller and had a better voice than the knight who had fought with a sword.

"Come up."

With that, Leo threw his sword aside.

"...What are you...?"

Ignoring the question, he walked towards the armory and picked up a spear similar to the one the apprentice knight was holding.

"...Let's start."

"...What are you doing...!? Pick up your sword!"

Not just the apprentice knight in front of him, but the surrounding spectators and even Aria seemed to be at a loss, their expressions clearly showing their confusion.

‘...Leo definitely used a sword...?’

The Leo she had seen only used longsword techniques or dual swords. His skills with those were already enough to make him stand out among his peers.

But the others didn't know that.

"Is there a rule that says you can't use a spear?"

The venom in the second-in-command's voice.

The path chosen by a mediocre talent.

"...Are you mocking me?! You're supposed to fight with your specialty, your sword!!"

"Why is my specialty swordsmanship?"

At those words, the crowd fell silent.

Most were speechless at the absurdity of the statement, but a few were sweating and clenching their jaws.

The meaning of those words was not simply "I can't use a sword."

"Then is spear technique your specialty?!"

"Do I have to explain it in words? It's ridiculous for knights to talk like street performers. Come on, let's fight. Hurry up."

The provocation was effective.

The veins on the knight's face bulged, proving the point several times over.

"Arrogant...!!"

The apprentice knight who had stepped onto the training ground charged forward. The sharp tip of his spear, if it were to touch flesh, would surely pierce it.

Clang!

"Huh...!?"

Yes, if it were to touch.

Leo's spear blade did not acknowledge such clumsy sharpness. The swift spear strike aimed straight at Leo but never touched his body.

"Your stance is good, and your strength is good."

That was Leo's assessment after parrying the spear a few times.

"What...?! What are you saying in the middle of a duel...!"

Leo continued his critique without pausing.

"But your rotation is terrible, and you don't know how to use the recoil and elasticity."

Leo said this while deftly deflecting the spear strikes, as if they were mere shadows.

"Is this what you call spear technique?"

Leo instantly demonstrated his evaluation with his spear.

Clang! Clang!! Clang!!!

"Ugh?!"

The three consecutive strikes, though from the same spear, produced three different sounds, each sending a shockwave.

The apprentice knight's spear fell, and he himself collapsed to the ground, not from the physical impact but from the shock to his spirit.

"Next."

The victor calmly pointed his spear at the fallen loser.

"Next, come out."

The politeness was no longer felt.

***

"...What... is this...?"

There were no cheers or shouts from the training ground.

It wasn't because the fight was insignificant.

Sometimes, things that surpass one's common sense are beyond words, even if they are happening right in front of you.

"...You, you bastard...!"

A knight with a one-handed sword and a shield charged forward, shouting. To the spectators, it looked like a scream of denial against reality.

"Your combination of sword and shield is ridiculous. If you're going to do this, drop the shield."

Leo, also holding a one-handed sword and a shield, continued his counterattack. He parried the charging knight's sword and struck the shield with his own.

"If you block like that, you'll break your wrist."

With that final piece of advice, the apprentice knight fell to the ground.

"Alright, next."

This was the sixth time he had called for the next opponent.

So far, he had used four different types of weapons: a longsword, a spear, a battle axe, and now a one-handed sword and a shield. Leo thoroughly dominated his opponents, adapting to each weapon.

And as if to compare their skills, Leo had faced each opponent with the same weapon they were using.

"...This is unbelievable!!"

The first knight to lose, who had used a longsword, pointed at Leo and shouted.

"What do you mean?"

Without breaking a sweat, Leo looked at him with dry eyes.

"You...! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you!?"

"What exactly are you saying?"

Without a subject, it would be very difficult to pinpoint a specific action. Even if he could, Leo wouldn't answer politely to such an attitude.

"You're trying to humiliate us...! This is some ridiculous nonsense!!"

"For the third time, what exactly are you saying? Explain how you feel humiliated."

His voice was much lower, but the pressure was overwhelming.

"...Why are you using the same weapons as us!? You...!"

"Because I want to."

The simplicity and fundamental nature of the reason made them even more incredulous.

"Are you joking? You're humiliating us just for that reason?!"

"Joking?"

Leo picked up his sword.

And he plunged it vertically into the ground.

"Does this look like a joke to you?"

Leo placed his shield on the ground.

"...It seems you have a major misunderstanding."

His red pupils glowed under the shadow of his eyes.

"You initiated the challenge, and you acknowledged that the stakes were high."

Gradually, his red eyes approached the apprentice knight.

"And I had to face seven opponents in a row, using the same weapons."

The words left the apprentice knight speechless.

The apprentice knights were confused by his words and actions.

Was it because they had been refuted by a mere 13-year-old boy, or because of the overwhelming pressure from a body that had not even lived for 20 years?

Either way, it was a disgrace.

As humans, before being knights.

"Then."

Leo was already in front of the apprentice knight's face.

"Is this humiliation? Or did I give myself a handicap and give you a chance?"

"...You... peasant...!"

Leo knew from his short life experience.

When humans are at a disadvantage, they naturally pick on things they can't change.

The noble apprentice knight in front of him was a perfect example.

"Yes, I am a peasant."

Leo turned his gaze to the surroundings, where people of noble blood were abundant.

"And I will remain a peasant in the future. Unless I change my parents and bloodline, I will always be a peasant."

And he had no intention of changing that.

"You can curse and condemn my low birth. It's all true, and I don't care, so feel free to do so."

And he had no intention of denying it.

"But remember this."

The only thing the boy, the young man, wished for.

"You couldn't even defeat someone like me."

It was just a way to imprint it.

To the point where his low birth would become meaningless.

Leo looked around and shouted loudly.

"...I know that some people find my background, rank, reason for being here, and even my existence itself unpleasant."

People couldn't say anything. It wasn't because the words were true; they simply couldn't find the right words to say to a child who had declared such things.

"If there's a reason to expel me, bring it forward without hesitation. I will accept it if it's reasonable."

The young boy knew his situation and his position better than anyone.

"But as long as there's no such reason, I will live for my goal."

And at the same time, he aimed higher than anyone else.

"If something stands in the way of my goal, I will overcome and eliminate it at any time."

This was not a request or a notification.

"This is what I want to declare."

It was a declaration.

A long and short declaration that could be called a speech came to an end.

"Then I'll go."

Leo walked out of the training ground.

[Where are you going?]

The more experienced and higher-ranking attendants and knights made way for Leo.

<To sleep. I'll sleep a little...>

Thud

At that moment, Leo stumbled and fell.

"Leonardo!!"

Aria ran over and caught the fallen boy.

"Doctor... no, call a healing priest!! Hurry!!"

Chris quickly called for help. The attendants rushed to follow the order.

"Try to get up...! Leonardo...!"

Aria shook the fallen Leonardo, calling his name repeatedly. It was a significant improvement that she didn't slap him.

"...You were pretending to be fine, but you were pushing yourself. To move so quickly, you must have strained your mana..."

Everyone looked at Leonardo with serious expressions.

But

[Hey, you're awake, right?]

The wise one was not.

<...>

[Heh heh...]

<Shut up.>

That 'word' was more effective than an alarm clock.

[But why? You don't have to get up?]

<I'm embarrassed to get up.>

Leo, with his eyes closed, recalled the recent incident. The speech had gone well without any slips, but the problem was when he was walking.

[How does a guy who can use teleportation fall on a stone floor? That's a skill in itself. Impressive.]

<Shut up. I didn't get enough sleep, and I used up my mana.>

His mana had long been depleted. It wasn't to the point of fainting, but he was so exhausted that he couldn't even tell if there were stones or grooves under his feet.

[So? When will you get up?]

<I won't get up.>

[What? Why?]

<There's a proverb in the East.>

Fall and rest.

Leo took a nap, taking advantage of the fall.

***

A warm and cozy feeling, not just the softness of the blanket but the plushness of