Chapter 73: Beating the Knight Department with Swords
"Grrrr..."
An unexpected development. Yuri had beaten the strongest first-year student in the Knight Department.
Oddman growled in frustration at the unforeseen event, but... Lubeth had already run off, and the outcome was clear.
Not only the students of the Magic Department and the Civil Service Department, but even the students of the Knight Department were giving Oddman dubious looks as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
No matter how much he exercised his authority as an instructor, it seemed there was no way he could overturn Yuri's victory.
"...The winner, Yuri Cattleya."
"Mm..."
Yuri came back wearing a dissatisfied expression.
"Good work, how was it?"
"Honestly, it was a fight with nothing to learn... Even though the day had finally come when I could fight a real swordsman..."
Yuri answered Rest's question with her lips pursed.
She apparently had a surprisingly battle-crazed side, and she seemed displeased that she hadn't been able to fight to her heart's content.
"I see, that's too bad."
"Yes, it's very disappointing... However, if I take the 'Swordsmanship' class, there will be other chances to fight."
"...I wonder about that."
Judging by how Lubeth had acted, it didn't feel like the day Yuri would fight him would ever come.
"...Next, Knight Department Danila. Magic Department Rest."
"Ah, it's my turn."
Oddman called Rest's name with a sullen look on his face.
Rest, who had been tending to the injured, stood up, took a wooden sword in hand, and headed for the field.
"You may go all out. Danila."
"Heh heh... You didn't need to tell me. I've been looking forward to smashing those smug faces of the Magic Department bastards."
Spurred on by Oddman's extreme encouragement, a man with short-cropped, dull brown hair stepped forward.
His build didn't look particularly burly, but he was a tall man.
A ferocious glint floated in his eyes, and he bared his fangs like a carnivore.
"Truth is, I wanted to fight that woman from earlier... I just love beating women senseless."
"...He's a dangerous one. Has the Knight Department started keeping wild beasts?"
"Haha! That's just the kind of thing you'd expect a Magic Department guy to say!"
Facing Rest, the violent boy... Danila raised his wooden sword.
"That Lubeth is pathetic too! It's absurd that a guy who gets completely played by a woman is the top of the first years! Well, I'll be taking that rank from him soon enough in the ranking battles!"
"Ranking battles... So that Knight Department tradition really does exist?"
Apparently, there was a custom in the Knight Department where each student was given a rank, and they competed to steal each other's places through tests and one-on-one duels.
The higher your rank, the better your prospects after graduation.
"Those within the top five ranks get scouted by the Royal Guard, was it... Sounds just a little bit interesting."
"Beating up Magic Department guys won't raise your rank though... Haha! Still, I'll enjoy this!"
"Begin!"
The start of the match was declared.
Danila leapt in and slammed a sword strike toward Rest's legs.
"Aiming for the legs, huh... Nasty taste."
Rest lightly leapt and evaded the attack.
He had likely aimed for the legs on purpose to prolong the fight and torment him.
"Hyahaha! Nice dodge! I'll praise you for that!"
"........"
"Next is right, then left! How about the torso!?"
He blocked the attack coming from the right with his wooden sword, and stepped back to evade the attack from the left.
A thrust came toward his torso, but he twisted his body to avoid it.
Danila swung his wooden sword again and again, attacking.
This man was probably one of the top students in the Knight Department... Though rough around the edges, his sword was sharp and fast.
Rest narrowly evaded the attacks as he fled around the field.
(If I hadn't become Diebl's disciple, I would have been killed instantly... This guy is genuinely strong.)
He had the skill to back up his arrogant talk.
It wasn't just talk; Rest could feel he had ample ability.
"I'm not done yet... [Haste]!"
Danila increased his speed even further.
They had both already been using [Body Reinforcement], but... the fight grew faster and faster.
"I'll use [Haste] too... Well, this is quite the tiresome fight..."
"Hey hey, not bad for a mage... This is fun, isn't it! Entertain me more!"
"It's not particularly fun... As expected, you're the better one when it comes to sword skill."
If it were a fistfight, he would probably win.
But... when it came to fighting with swords, his opponent seemed to have the advantage.
Even though they were evenly matched in speed, Rest was gradually being pushed back.
"Using body reinforcement-type magic is allowed under the rules without any problem. In that case..."
"Hyahaha! What's wrong, are you just going to get killed like that!?"
"I'm not going to get killed."
"Huh?"
He evaded Danila's attack and immediately circled around to his back.
Before his opponent could turn around, he slammed a blow into his back.
"Guh...!"
Danila, struck in the back with the wooden sword, toppled forward and immediately righted his stance.
"Quick recovery. As I thought, you're strong."
"You bastard... What did you just...!"
"We're in the middle of a fight. Let's save the chatter for later."
"Tch...!?"
He immediately kicked off the ground and circled to his back again.
Danila quickly turned around, but this time Rest slammed his wooden sword into his face.
"Tch... What the hell is this speed, you bastard...!?"
He had no obligation to explain.
Rest dashed freely around the field, striking Danila's body with his wooden sword.
He struck his shoulder, struck his thigh, struck his torso, raining down blow after blow.
"[Super Haste]"
It was the superior version of [Haste].
It was an advanced magic that only his master Diebl could use, and it had been passed down to Rest as well.
(This might be straying from the purpose of the swordsmanship class... but it's not a violation of the rules. Don't take it personally.)
"Ooooooooooh...!"
Having been attacked over and over, Danila screamed.
The reason he showed no sign of collapsing was probably because he had cast defensive magic.
Even so, after taking dozens of hits, his limit would come.
"Kuh..."
Danila stopped moving. Standing upright, his eyes rolled back white.
"He... he's dead standing up..."
Someone watching the fight muttered.
Stunned gazes were poured on Rest and Danila.
"No... he's not dead, you know?"
He was just unconscious.
He'd prefer they not make him out to be a murderer without permission.
"M-match over..."
Oddman announced the end of the match in a bitter tone.
He would learn later... but Danila was apparently the second-ranked student among the first years of the Knight Department.
The rumor that the top students of the Knight Department, first-ranked Lubeth and second-ranked Danila, had suffered defeat on their own turf of swordsmanship would eventually spread throughout the entire year.