6. Duel – 03

After the duel between Jin and Hugo, there is a short break before the next duel begins.

Altina took advantage of that time to visit Jin who was resting at the back of the gymnasium.

The duel between her and Erekaya was scheduled to begin sooner or later, but I was more worried about Jin’s current condition than that.

Because of his personality, it was obvious that he would never show off to anyone, even if it wasn’t okay.

“Are you feeling okay?”

When Altina asks him with a worried look, Jin answers bluntly, rolling his eyes at her.

“Of course it is fine. What’s so hard about dealing with a bastard like that?”

“lie.”

“What?”

“I know everything. You were just overdoing it a while ago. I know very well that your stamina is not very good.”

How could she not know? Last month, Altina and Jin almost lived in the gymnasium and shared a lot of things about each other.

Jin is strong. He reached such a high level that even Altina, who had reached the level of Master, could not easily guess how strong he was.

However, apart from the state of martial arts he had reached, his body was very weak and extremely frail.

I don’t know why. She doesn’t know if it’s a congenital constitution or if she has some kind of chronic disease. Because Jin has nothing to say about this.

However, if there is one thing that is certain, his body has no muscles attached to his whole body like a person who has never been close to exercise since birth.

Perhaps if he hadn’t trained with her over the past month, his body would have been far less attractive than it is now.

Where is that? Although Jin was much stronger than the female Altina, she was weaker and even slower than her.

Of course, those who reached the level of masters were half-human, so they didn’t care much about physical specs, but Jin said that was very severe.

just as expected. Contrary to his courageous words, Jin’s forehead and back were drenched in sweat.

In addition, Jin’s right hand, which had a history of hitting Hugo’s hard body countless times and hitting his head, was swollen red.

The operation of magical power and the movement of the body beyond his physical limits must have finally ruined his body.

“… It was so reckless. If you had mercy in your hands a little longer, you wouldn’t have been so hurt.”

“It was just what was needed. If I hadn’t set an example like that, it’s obvious that those who continue to speak badly would have come out.”

“but… .”

Isn’t it obvious that no one will approach you in the future.

No matter how much Hugo did wrong first, and no matter how rude he was to Jin, most students don’t think of that.

They would only remember the fact that Jin brutally trampled Hugo in today’s duel evaluation.

As Altina sighs, thinking what the hell should I do with this burn, Jin looks at her face without saying anything, and then opens his mouth quietly.

“Thank you for worrying about my health, but I don’t think that’s what you should prioritize right now. Aren’t you supposed to be fighting a duel with Erekaya after a while?”

“… I am fine I’ve done the best I can for the past month, and I’m confident that I’ll accept the results no matter what happens. But you are different. The wounds you have now are at risk of becoming permanent injuries-”

“lie.”

“What?”

“You wouldn’t be that kind of woman. Wasn’t it your way to always do your best when it came to a match, big or small, and not to look elsewhere until you achieved the goal you set for yourself?”

Just as Altina got to know Jin while she was with him, Jin knew very well what kind of woman Altina was.

No, in a sense, Jin knows more about her than Altina herself.

And from that point of view, Altina’s actions… It was obviously unnatural. Also very much.

Wasn’t this an act of averting one’s eyes from the duel with Erekaya that was about to take place?

At Jin’s words, Altina’s face cracked open.

Now, Jin touched the part that Altina desperately wanted to ignore from the front.

“You really know everything. Anything about me… .”

Altina raised her left hand and grabbed her right hand. Her hands were shaking slightly but clearly.

“… That’s right, I’m afraid. And I am afraid.”

“What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of losing to Erekaya? Or defeat itself?”

At those words, Altina quietly shook her head left and right.

“no.”

“then?”

“I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.”

Last month, I was afraid of disappointing you, who can be called my teacher.

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to live up to your expectations, who swung the sword without sleeping well every night to teach me.

Even though you taught me so much, I wonder if my level is insignificant enough to reach that of Erekaya.

That was so frightening.

Over the past month, through Jin’s teachings, Altina has become stronger than she was a month ago.

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Maybe, maybe now, maybe, if not equal to Erekaya, she must have been strong enough to think that she had caught up with her.

Altina had just met Erekaya and had time to talk and figure out what level the opponent was.

Certainly, the past month has not been without performance. I hadn’t felt anything when I met Erekaya face to face before, but now I had a rough idea of what level she had reached.

… And despaired.

I wish I had known nothing. It would have been better if I hadn’t felt anything even though I was facing the other person like in the past.

It wasn’t that she despaired of falling short of Erekaya. It’s not that I’m afraid that, despite all the hard work you’ve taught me, I still haven’t surpassed her.

I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed in me Maybe it’s because I didn’t fully accept your teachings that I couldn’t overcome Erekaya.

The very fact that you might become interested in Erekaya, who could be called a genius unlike me, disappointed in me with such a trivial talent.

It was making her very, very afraid.

But Jin just stared blankly at Altina.

bean.

“Aww.”

He lightly stroked her head.

“You’re buying unnecessary worries.”

“What, useless worries! I just-”

“Where is the person who wins every day? If you fight, you might lose. And Erekaya reached the level of master several years earlier than you. If you think you can catch up after only one month of training, who in the world has not reached the level of a Master?”

After saying that, Jin carefully stroked the area where he had just been stabbed.

“Winning or losing is not so important. What really matters is what you can learn from today’s game. So, at this moment, there is only one thing you have to worry about.”

“Do your best. Regardless of victory or defeat, and so that no regrets remain in the future.”

Really nothing special, nothing special advice.

However, at those words, Altina felt that something that had been entangled in her heart melted away.

It was warm. His hands on his head, and his heart for himself. All.

However, while hiding her true feelings, Altina deliberately complains to him.

“… do not stroke My father never treated me this way.”

“yes? sorry. Stop it out of habit without me knowing.”

… habit? Could it be that you’ve been doing this to other women on a regular basis? And did that woman habitually accept these strokes?

Truly disgusting. I have a not-so-good feeling about the woman I don’t know either face or name. In my mind, I just want to ask him who the hell is that strange, crazy woman.

But that’s a story for later. At this moment, Altina had more important things to do.

So let’s be patient for now. Because I could have talked about it later.

“As long as you fight, win. I will cheer you on.”

Saying that, Jin pushed out his fist towards Altina. And Altina also smiled at him this time and put her fist on his fist.

“yes.”

thank you for encouraging me

So I’ll win, sure.

And I’ll bring you victory I’ll prove that the one month you spent with me wasn’t in vain.

Because this is the only way I can repay you something.

****

got up on stage.

Above the gymnasium, Erekaya already existed there.

Holding a sword in her right hand, she was looking at Altina with indifferent eyes.

The moment Erekaya’s eyes met, Altina felt an indescribable sense of pressure overtake her body.

Is it a mere illusion to think that her and herself are similar to the image of a servant who wants to challenge the throne and an emperor who casually welcomes such a servant?

No, the metaphor is not necessarily wrong. Because Altina really intended to drop a star named Erekaya that reigns from above.

“Altina of Serias.”

“… Erekaya from Pendragon.”

Before the start of the duel, they cross their swords with each other and reveal their origins and names to the opponent.

Today’s duel was an oath and commitment to fight only with honor.

Just when their bodies came very close to cross each other’s swords, Erekaya whispered to Altina in a very small voice.

“Altina.”

“Yes why?”

“What kind of relationship do you have with that man?”

“… that guy? who?”

“Don’t pretend. Because I saw with my own eyes that you were with that man just a moment ago.”

At those words, Altina was able to realize who the hell Erekaya meant by the ‘man’.

If it had been Altina from a moment ago, she might have been reluctant to answer Erekaya, who asked such a question.

If Erekaya were interested in Jin, and if Jin was also interested in Erekaya, he was engulfed in fear that he would be the only one left out.

However, after hearing his encouragement and even hearing the word ‘win’ from him, Altina poured out everything to Erekaya without much emotion.

“teacher.”

“… Seo, what?”

“I didn’t know. Actually Jin is my teacher. A teacher who has been training together at the gymnasium since long ago and is teaching me the sword.”

Altina said that in a proud, and slightly proud tone.

That’s why I didn’t notice. The fact that the eyes of Erekaya, who had been looking at Altina without saying a word, had changed very slightly from before.

“… yes, teacher I really didn’t know. that’s.”

Actually, Erekaya wasn’t particularly interested in the duel today.

Even the evaluation of the duel in Nineveh is only a test for children. The thought of showing one’s strength in a place like this did not exist at all.

Her powers aren’t the sort of trivial thing to be used for the interest of others in a place like this.

If it was originally the same, he would have been moderately mingling with Altina and then claimed his own defeat.

… But my mind has changed. To be precise, things have changed since Altina just brought up the word ‘teacher’.

‘annoying.’

Erekaya will do her best today.

And, he will thoroughly trample Altina.

Just like Jin did to Hugo. Like trampling on weeds, thoroughly.

The reason was simple.

It’s just that today she wasn’t in a good mood.