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Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The duel with Bread approached quickly.
At dawn on the day of the duel, Dominic gripped his sword and went to the empty Training Ground to test what he had planned.
‘Good, perfect.’
With a satisfied expression, Dominic sheathed his sword and returned to his room.
W̌ eb n̂ о̆ vе l Е̊ n̆ u m̃ а̃
After breakfast ended, in the morning, when the sun hung in the sky and poured down bright light, Dominic and Bread stood facing each other with their swords crossed.
“From now on, according to the rules of Anika, we will begin the sacred duel.”
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A vassal acting as both witness and referee declared in a booming voice.
Dominic looked toward Duke Anika and the Duchess, Selina, and Russell, who had come out to watch the duel.
Many others had also come out to see the duel of the ‘talentless eldest young master,’ but in Dominic’s eyes, only his family was visible.
Selina had her hands tightly clasped with a face that looked as though she might burst into tears, Duke Anika stared at Dominic with hardened eyes, and the Duchess of Anika clenched both fists as if she herself were entering the duel.
Е̇ǹ u ḿ a
Only Russell, with an unreadable expression, had his head deeply lowered.
“Both sides, two steps back.”
At the referee’s words, Dominic took his eyes off the crown of Russell’s head.
It was not that he could not guess what Russell was thinking, but now was not the time to soothe Russell; it was time to focus on the duel.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Dominic and Bread each stepped back two paces.
In that instant, all of Dominic’s senses focused on his sword and on Bread standing before him.
Ẇеb ǹ о́ v е l Е ňum а
Seeing Dominic concentrating on the ‘duel,’ Bread raised one eyebrow as if surprised.
‘Was Dominic capable of producing that kind of focus?’
Focus was not a talent but the product of training.
No matter how outstanding one’s talent might be, to focus on the sword, on swordsmanship, one had to undergo a certain degree of training.
There was even a saying circulating among knights: ‘Victory is brought by talent, but survival is brought by concentration.’
Yet the concentration Dominic was displaying now seemed like that of a veteran swordsman who had trained for over twenty years…… no, even beyond that.
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Bread, who belonged to the Knight Order of the Ducal House of Anika and had seen countless first-rate knights, had never seen a knight with such concentration.
‘This is strange.’
No matter how rotten his character might be, a knight was still a knight, and Bread sensed something ominous from the start.
‘Something’s wrong. This duel might be dangerous.’
It was at the moment Bread thought that and tried to properly focus on the duel.
Dominic’s heel kicked off the ground. His body shot forward like an arrow.
Ẅ e b̈nо̃ ṽ_ē l Е n um а̀
‘Unconditional first strike.’
From the very beginning, Dominic had been aiming to attack first.
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Those watching the duel sucked in their breaths.
They too, as members of the House of Anika, were realizing that the concentration Dominic was showing and his bold first strike were no ordinary matter.
“How did this happen? Could it be that Young Master Dominic had some talent we didn’t know about…….”
It was the moment someone muttered that.
Ẇе b n̄о v̇ е ĺ Е̌ n û m а
“……!”
Dominic’s sword attacked Bread in an utterly straightforward, utterly ordinary manner.
“So that’s not it, then.”
The vassals who had briefly wondered whether Dominic possessed some hidden talent shook their heads.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Have you still not rid yourself of your training habits?”
Bread, relaxing his guard, countered Dominic.
Е ṅ ũmа
What was truly astonishing happened next.
Dominic’s sword changed its trajectory in midair.
Then it flexibly pierced into Bread’s weakness, slashing his side beneath the armor.
“Eek!”
Selina’s scream rang out. At the same time, droplets of blood splashed onto Dominic’s face.
“T, this is…….”
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Bread, wounded by Dominic’s sword, stared down at his side with eyes full of disbelief.
Clutching his side, he slowly dropped to his knees.
At the same time, his sword fell to the ground with a clatter.
Knights in romances or chivalric tales often continued fighting even after suffering several serious wounds, but reality was not like that.
The human body was surprisingly fragile, and unless one reached the first-rate realm where Aura could envelop the entire body, one could not continue a duel while injured.
Moreover, Bread’s injury was to the side, making the situation even more severe.
W̌ ĕ b̌ nо v е̌ l̀ Еńům а
Though only twelve years old, Dominic’s large frame as a bearer of Anika blood and the strength he had built through years of steady training also played a part.
Bread trembled, fearing his organs might spill out, and pressed both hands against the wound.
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“Referee.”
While everyone held their breath in stunned silence, only Dominic called out to the referee in a calm voice.
“It looks like I won. Or am I mistaken?”
The referee stared at Dominic with dazed eyes.
Еn ū m а
He too could not believe what had just unfolded before his eyes.
“D, duel over!”
The referee, belatedly coming to his senses, stammered as he shouted.
“Young Master Dominic is victorious!”
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“Healer!”
As soon as the referee finished the declaration, Duke Anika called for the healer in a deep, commanding voice.
Е̃ n̄um̀а.id̄
The healer released divine power and administered emergency treatment to Bread.
During that time, Dominic calmly endured the gaze of Duke Anika, who was staring intently at him.
Duke Anika’s eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
‘As expected, you can’t deceive Father’s eyes.’
Dominic recalled the single strike with which he had just brought down Bread.
It was not only Duke Anika.
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The few first-rate knights who had gathered to watch the duel were also wearing peculiar expressions, having noticed Dominic’s move.
Those who fell into panic were Bread and the knights of third rate or lower.
“This…… this kind of thing can’t happen.”
Bread muttered like a madman.
Dominic’s level of moves could easily be toyed with even without coating the sword in Aura.
That was how it had always been until now.
Е́_n_ù mа . і̃d́
He had sparred with Dominic hundreds of times, receiving his attacks hundreds of times, but this was the first time it had turned out like this.
“It was an ordinary thrust, just like usual. So why did I…….”
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As Bread recalled his lessons with the ‘usual’ Dominic, he made a dazed expression as if realizing something.
Soon, his face turned red and blue in turns.
With a rough hand, he shoved the healer away.
“Ugh!”
Ŵ е̌bn ӧvӗ l̈ Е n ǔ ḿа̃
The young healer in a robe rolled across the ground.
It was the moment Dominic reached out his hand to help the healer up.
“You memorized the way I respond to your first attack!”
Bread shouted as he looked at Dominic.
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“You memorized how I respond to my first attack, and adjusted the sword’s trajectory to match that!”
Dominic helped the robed healer to his feet, sent him out of the crowd, and quietly listened to Bread’s words.
Ẁе̄ bn̆ о ṽe l̃ Е̃ n̆ ûm а
“Because I showed you dozens, hundreds of times how I respond to your sword, you were able to design the trajectory while accounting for all other variables too!”
It was half right and half wrong.
It was true that Dominic had memorized Bread’s patterns and launched his first strike in accordance with them.
But that was possible not only because of responding to a single move, but because he had memorized nearly all of the patterns Bread employed.
If he had not memorized every pattern, Dominic would have ended up being blocked by Bread somehow and losing instead.
In any case, Bread was Dominic’s first instructor and the one who had spent the most time with him.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
That was also why Duke Anika and the first-rate knights were wearing such peculiar expressions.
‘Should this be called talent, or should it be called an advanced technique that only works once?’
That was the nature of their dilemma.
‘Memorizing patterns and devising countermeasures is technique. But realizing that against a third-rate knight at the age of twelve is talent.’
Everyone thought so.
In truth, it was a conclusion born of not knowing that Dominic was a relentless striver who had trained in swordsmanship alone for over thirty years, half-mad for the sword.
W̆ ѐb̈ n̊ о̆ v ė l Ė nù ṁ.a_
“I cannot acknowledge this!”
When Dominic showed no reaction, Bread shouted toward Duke Anika.
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If it became an established fact that he had lost to Dominic, who could not even produce Aura yet, Bread would be expelled from the Knight Order of the House of Anika.
“This is not true strength! It’s nothing but a petty trick!”
Facing a crisis where he could lose everything at once, Bread was desperate.
“Defeat is defeat, Bread.”
W̌ е́ b̌ n o̊vе l Е̂ ñ ǔm̃ ӑ
Duke Anika said sternly.
But Bread did not give up.
“After my wound heals, let’s duel once more. If Young Master Dominic defeats me again then, I will acknowledge it!”
At those words, the faces of not only Duke Anika but also the other first-rate knights twisted.
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“But that won’t happen, will it? This is a crude technique that only works once!”
Bread continued shouting, unaware that the atmosphere was growing strange.
Ѐnu mӓ .і d
It was because he truly had confidence in his words.
And Dominic knew that as well.
If Bread, with the skill of a third-rate knight, truly set his mind to changing his patterns, Dominic would never be able to defeat him.
However…….
“Sir Bread.”
After the match had ended, Dominic spoke for the first time.
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Bread’s gaze turned back to Dominic.
“I would like to ask what you believe true strength to be.”
Even in the face of that gaze filled with killing intent, Dominic did not blink an eye and calmly asked.
He still thought that the conclusion of the duel had not been clearly settled, so he even added honorifics.
“True strength is shining talent and ability that can achieve victory at any time!”
Bread shouted.
Ẃ е̇b ṅ ȯ v́el̄ E ǹ u m а̇
“No.”
Dominic firmly denied his words.
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Duke Anika and the first-rate knights looked at Dominic with slightly surprised expressions.
Unaware that they were listening closely to his words, Dominic continued speaking while looking only at Bread.
“True strength is surviving until the very end.”
Dominic had experienced war.
Е̇ n ŭ m̌ ӓ.і̊ d
In contrast, the Empire at this time had continued an age of peace for several hundred years.
Peace hardened the minds of knights and prevented them from flowing flexibly.
Dominic believed that the Empire, led by the House of Anika, had collapsed to Langtang in his previous life precisely because of that lack of flexibility.
“No matter what happens, by whatever means necessary, clinging desperately to survive until the end and obtain a second chance. That is what I believe true strength is.”
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Dominic spoke aloud the truth he had awakened to through his life in his previous existence.
“Hah!”
Wе́b́ ń о̇ v̌é l Е́ n̂ u m а
At that moment, sighs burst out not from Bread, but from among the third-rate knights who had come to watch the duel.
“Those words just now. Were you serious, Young Master?”
One of the third-rate knights who had been close with Bread asked.
Dominic did not bother answering out loud and only nodded his head.
“To say that anything is acceptable as long as you survive, how tyrannical!”
“To think we believed he was quietly training, never imagining he harbored such thoughts.”
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The sounds of lament from the third-rate knights were heard.
“Bread is right. This duel should be declared invalid.”
Some among the third-rate knights even took Bread’s side.
It was then.
“Wait, wait, everyone, please calm down.”
A face somewhat familiar to Dominic raised his voice loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.
W̆ ѐ b_n о́ v̆ е̃l̄ Ѐ ñ ŭ m̌ а
It was Peledor, with whom he had exchanged sharp words yesterday in front of Duke Anika’s office.
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