Mightiest Melee Magician

After that day, I spent most of my time in the break sparring against Sir Bolvar.

The first successful win I had against Sir Bolvar on the first day really seemed to have just been luck, and the same tactics didn’t work again.

Getting my form broken and being thrown to the ground became the norm.

However, it wasn’t like I didn’t learn anything.

“In the end, the sword traces a straight line, not a curve. There is a limit to how you can attack, and if you can just predict the direction, you will be able to dodge the majority of strikes.”

“……”

“Can you see it now?”

Shoulders, legs, eyes.

I learned to study the changes in the knight’s body to predict my opponent's movements, and now I could dodge one or two slashes from Sir Bolvar.

Just as Sir Bolvar said, I was beginning to see.

And so, a week passed.

When the break was coming to a close, Sir Bolvar started to use his right hand.

“For a magician like Young Master who needs to fight in ‘melee’ combat… You wouldn’t be able to avoid confrontation against knights. That’s why you must focus more.”

The skill level of Sir Bolvar using his right hand was double the power of when he was using his left.

No, it was at least 3 times faster and stronger.

Now, rather than blocking the strikes, there were more cases where I was just hit on the sword……

But one thing I was certain of was that this sparring with wooden swords was a great help to my growth.

After getting hit and defeated like that for a few more days, I started to get used to Sir Bolvar’s right hand……

And even if it was laughable, I was able to go multiple rounds against him.

At this point, I could only be curious.

What would Sir Bolvar’s ranking be as a knight?

“What rank am I? Haha. Who knows? It has been quite a while since I retired from the Golden Light Knight Order. I don’t even know how strong the new knights are.”

There was no concrete comparison that could be made.

Wait.

Ah, there was one.

“I know a knight.”

“Who is it?”

“He’s Sir Coulter Pirante, the knight captain of the Poldren territory…… They say that he’s the only 6th-rank knight in Eastern Radian.”

Sir Coulter Pirante, the special professor who helped me with body arts before the Grand Festival.

He told me to call him older brother, I think?

I remember him being super powerful……

After hearing he was 6th-rank, Sir Bolvar went into thought while scratching his chin.

“Ehm. If it’s the Poldren Territory, it’s a direct defense-line for the capital…… But for the knight captain of that place to only be 6th-rank……”

For an instant, Sir Bolvar’s eyes were filled with humor.

“20 years ago, when I left the knight order, I was a 7th-rank.”

“……”

“It seems my successors' skills have deteriorated. It’s quite unfortunate.”

He was 7th-rank 20 years ago?

Holy moly.

Didn’t that mean he was the strongest in the kingdom?

He was saying he wasn’t……

But wasn’t it possible that he reached the rank of sword master, 8th-rank?

Was I getting taught swordsmanship from a man like that?

“A swordsmanship lesson from a 7th-rank knight…… You’re receiving a very precious experience, Ruin.”

Just as Irene said, this was truly a great blessing.

“It’s an experience that even money would find hard to buy. Sir Bolvar was the only knight in the Radian Kingdom to be written in the Record of Knights. You do know that not even 100 knights throughout the continent have been recorded in there, right?”

“……”

This experience wasn’t just good for my batting, but it could directly benefit my studies at the academy.

Since the second semester of the graduating class was right before we went out into the real world, most of the classes were regarding knights.

Of course, the classes were with trainee knights who hadn’t taken their knightly vows yet……

“Alright. If you’ve rested enough…… should we go again?”

“……”

How greatly would today’s experience help me in the future?

I really ended up preparing for class with a 7th-rank knight, someone that you couldn’t even get with money.

“Yes. Let’s keep going. I’ll see the end today.”

“……Ehem. The end is a bit……”

At least while I was staying in Ardell for the break, I needed to stick to Sir Bolvar as much as possible, enough to make him annoyed.

Only then…

Ting!

Sudden Quest

The Ways to Fight a Knight

After becoming more experienced against knights through wooden sparring, you must train at a higher level.

Block: 0/100

Dodge: 0/100

Counterattack: 0/100

Fatal Blow: 0/1

Reward: Skill ‘Steel Destruction’

“……”

Would I be able to finish this quest that appeared before me?

The remaining time was……

Time Limit: 71:39:13

3 days.

I must finish it in that time.

* * * 

Ruin Ardell

Incarnation of Draka, destroyer of worlds

<Strength: 5820> +++

Despite getting nearly 6000 strength by doing the daily quests and owning one of the greatest artifacts in the world, the Knuckles of Kunkhan’s Will…

Why?

“……Are you tired?”

“Hah, hak…… No. I’m not tired yet.”

“I am tired, though. How many hours have we been……? Look over there. The sun has started to rise.”

“……”

Why did I become an idiot whenever I picked up this sword?

Why couldn’t I defeat Sir Bolvar’s sword?

The quest with a time limit of 3 days…

Block: 100/100

Dodge: 100/100

Counterattack:100/100

Fatal Blow: 0/1

I was on the final part, ‘Fatal Blow’.

I couldn’t fulfill this one condition.

For this to be all I could do, even after spending an entire night fighting…

Dealing a fatal blow against a 7th-rank knight…

Was this an impossible quest from the beginning?

Time Limit: 00:28:52

* * *

* * *

A measly 30 minutes.

Just as Sir Bolvar said, the sun was already rising……

“What? Ruin, did you fight all night?”

“……”

And a bunch of people, including Ruina and Irene, had gathered to see what the noise was in the early morning, and they were watching me in the training hall.

“Why is the young master doing this so suddenly?”

“I don’t know either. Did you know he only slept for 2 hours the day before? He’s been going at Sir Bolvar like this for 3 days already.”

Most looked at me like I was weird……

But my father was also standing there with worry on his face.

“Young Master, you look quite tired. How about ending it here for today?”

“He’s right. You’ve pushed yourself too much these past few days. Too much training can also be harmful. It’s good that you’re training, but don’t strain yourself……”

Everyone tried to dissuade me, but…

“30 minutes,”

“……”

“I just need 30 minutes.”

Hearing my earnest plea, Sir Bolvar looked at me for a moment before nodding.

“Alright.”

“……”

Yeah, I knew it was foolish to expect a miracle to happen in just these 30 minutes.

It was obvious what the end result would be, even if we clashed again.

In the last 3 days, I had experienced it over a thousand times.

The one thing I learned while getting crushed in these past few days was that the method I used against Doom Prime in the Grand Festival, the method of breaking my opponent’s sword, couldn’t be used on everyone.

High-ranking knights such as Sir Bolvar wouldn’t face my strength head on and rather deflect or redirect it.

Then, was there a way to not get my strength redirected?

“Shall we start?”

“Just a moment, please.”

Contrary to Sir Bolvar, who silently lifted the sword off the ground, I put my wooden sword back down.

“……Hm?”

“What is the young master doing?”

Everyone was questioning my decision, but I spoke directly to Sir Bolvar.

“I’m thinking of doing something a little different, since it’s the last time.”

“Something a little different…… Are you perhaps using your fists instead of your sword?”

“Yes.”

Yeah.

How could I, who had only started learning swordsmanship for a few days, use swordsmanship to defeat a 7th-rank knight who had trained and perfected the sword over decades?

After clashing for multiple days, I had decently progressed in my goal of learning about knights.

Now, I needed to use my specialty to face him.

Only 30 minutes remained.

And completing the quest had become far more important than anything else.

As I moved the sword to the side and put on rugged leather gloves, Sir Bolvar narrowed his eyes and asked me,

“I did notice you were acting quite odd these past few days, enough to spend the night…… but you want something from me, don’t you?”

“That’s right.”

“To use this old man like this…… Alright. 30 minutes. Do as you please.”

I drained my body of strength and started to warm up.

“Can I really do as I please?”

“……Are you planning on using magic?”

After a light stretch, I covered my chin with my fist and took up a guard.

“And what if I am?”

It was familiar.

I had only removed the wooden sword from my hand…

But I could start to see a wave of movement.

Sir Bolvar’s tiredness also disappeared, replaced by joy and intrigue.

“Well, that’s fine. I was also curious about your true power, Young Master…… Then I’ll get a little more serious this time.”

Woosh!

Sir Bolvar turned his wooden sword to the side and prepared to charge.

“……I’m going.”

I bounced on spot for a bit and then instantly closed the gap, charging in.

Since I didn’t have a sword in my hand, I needed to dive in a sword’s length further.

But my body felt lighter, and my body’s balance was perfect as I ran.

There.

“……!”

If you approached this close to an opponent’s body…

“Ho ho! So it’s like this?”

The sword gets stuck in a no-man’s-land and just becomes a useless stick.

However, Sir Bolvar wasn’t the greatest knight of the kingdom for nothing.

He saw the distance between us and back stepped just a ‘sword’s length’ away, and even matched my timing to counterattack, thrusting his sword.

I predicted this too and dodged.

And like that, getting close, then far, close, then far, we instantly clashed 10 times.

“The plan to come in close enough to make a sword useless…… It’s a good method to use against a knight. However, the moment they see through your intentions, the choices you can make will decrease drastically. Your opponent will constantly try and keep a distance.”

He was right.

All the ways I could strike were seen through.

Then what should I do?

I added a little more ‘skill’ to my original plan.

It was…

“Doing the same thing won’t make a—”

“Light.”

“……?”

1st-circle nature magic, Light.

A basic spell that produced a ball of light to illuminate an area, a spell that didn’t have much practical combat use.

As I flicked my finger, a small ball of light was created.

Shshshshshshs!

“……!”

This light, for an instant, distracted Sir Bolvar.

“Oh!”

Sir Bolvar’s eyes clenched shut for just a moment and the observers exclaimed.

I didn’t let this chance go, charging straight at him.

His instinctual sword slash came close to hitting me, but I managed to narrowly dodge it.

Thanks to this…

“……Huh?”

“Got you.”

Swip!

I could finally grab hold of the hem of his shirt that I missed for so long.

“Now, I’m not letting you go.”

“……”

Yeah.

After I grabbed on once, I would never let go.

Sir Bolvar tried to make distance and step back……

But he was stuck in place by my monstrous strength.

Now, it was time for my counterattack.

My final quest condition, 

Fatal Blow: 0/1

Since I couldn’t just hit Sir Bolvar with my fists, I lifted him up by his clothes…

Swoosh—!

And threw him to the ground.

——