Chapter 3: Duel
Somehow, his name was called in the lottery for the holy tree seed.
Christo, of course, had no recollection of running for the lottery, and it was only this morning that he was informed to be sent to Holy Sword Academy in the first place. He tried to recall the items on the enrollment form in his mind, but there was no mention of his candidacy for the lottery in any of the sections of the form. Nor did he sign anything by mistake.
(Someone's prank? I'm sure there are a few people who have a grudge against me, like that big blonde guy―― Setanta Lou.)
Or rather, that Setanta himself is the most suspicious.
That man wanted to kill Christo.
The best way to kill Christo without raising any eyebrows in the academy would be to have a duel or something and kill him in the middle of it.
Since Christo got the seed, it is natural that he will take it away in a duel.
(No, wait, it could also be Count Netzel. Since he is a frontier nobleman who needs military power, the seed of the holy sword must be something that he wants so badly that he can't wait to get his hands on it.)
In any case, he must clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.
"I am not running for the lottery. This must be some kind of mistake."
In front of the stairs to the podium, he desperately appealed to the men in priestly attires.
"I don't remember anything about it. I only just found out about the lottery a few days ago, and it was only this morning that I found out that I was going to enroll at this academy."
"In other words, someone put your name in as a prank?"
The middle-aged priest asks back with a troubled face.
"It's very possible."
Christo looked toward the field, which was abuzz with activity.
Men and women in the black uniforms of the military academy were staring at Christo as if they were looking at some rare creature. In a sense, they were right in that Christo was probably the last of the incubus race. Christo is definitely a rare creature.
"Now here, among those who are looking this way, there must be one who put my name in there without my permission. They enjoy seeing me in trouble."
“Candidacy is not supposed to be done without identification. If a proxy submits the documents, he or she must also submit his or her power of attorney. You said you just arrived in the royal capital today but did any of the students submitted a blank form?"
"No... that's."
(Is an identity verification document necessary? ――That means that Count Netzel used hit power and applied for it without my permission. That pig. I knew I should have killed him in the carriage.)
"What are you arguing about?"
"Archbishop Eneko."
Since Christo hadn't come up to the stage for a long time, the elderly man who had drawn Christo's name from the lottery box earlier came down to see what was going on.
The bishops surrounding Christo bowed in unison.
The bald-headed man, called Archbishop Eneko, nodded lightly to them and looked down at Christo.
Christo is a tall man, but this old man called Eneko is even taller.
Definitely two meters tall.
He was as big as Setanta Lou.
"Someone put his name in the list?"
"This person says so."
"Archbishop Eneko."
Christo looked at the old archbishop as politely as he could.
"I decline to be elected. Or I will give it to someone else who wants it."
"Decline? The person that the holy tree chose wants to decline? It must not be. It is also unacceptable to give the seeds to someone else. You would deny the gift of the holy tree as unnecessary."
"Hasn't there been anyone in the past who has received the seed and declined?"
When Christo asked that, Archbishop Eneko and the priests looked at each other.
Finally, the middle-aged priest answered briefly.
"Unprecedented."
"――――"
“There have been several people in the past who, after obtaining the seed, were defeated in a duel and gave it up. For example, the heir of a noble family two generations ago died because of it."
Eneko said as he folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Hey! Christopher!"
A loud, thunderous voice pierced the noisy ground.
Christo inwardly clicked his tongue.
The group of students who were curiously looking at the podium split left and right like a wave.
A large man with blond hair and blue eyes rushed toward the center of the crowd.
Behind him were women with red, black, and dull gray hair.
“Hey, Christopher! You've got some nerve!"
The big blond man――Setanta, his shoulders trembling with anger, went to Christo a few inches in front of him.
Setanta's black military academy uniform was bulging with muscles.
The white shirt underneath is visible with the second button unbuttoned, perhaps because he can't button it.
He had blue streaks at his temples and his face was bright red.
He looked furious.
“You not only want to take credit for sensei's work, you also want to steal the seed of the holy sword from me!?”
"That seed is mine. Nothing good will come of it even if you get it."
A woman with dull gray hair―― I think she was Gwendolyn, was hitting Christo with murderous intent.
Setanta, on the other hand, was really growling like a ravenous beast or something.
His lips are turned up, exposing most of his clenched teeth.
This is the face of a human one second before he kills.
"Kuku, that's just what I need. ――Ora, take it, you hyena."
A white glove hits his chest.
Christo did not react, but watched as Setanta's student glove fell to the grass.
"It's a duel! Aren't you going to pick it up? Are you scared of me!? You coward!"
(Coward, huh?)
Christo narrowed his eyes.
A red-haired woman―― Patricia interrupted.
"Um, Christo-san. Please leave this place. He can't be stopped now."
“The current head of the Hero Family is truly brave and daring. Huh?”
In the background, the archbishop is talking to the other priests as if it were someone else's business.
(This is an important crossroad. If I am enrolled in this academy, I should pick up the gloves for the rest of my student life. On the other hand, if I didn't accept it, I should run away.)
However, even if he avoided combat here, he will have to face difficulties at some point in his life. If he kept running away, he will not gain anything.
(I want to know about the strength of the hero――)
Christo hesitated for a while, but eventually looked up at Setanta's face.
"I will take it, but there are conditions."
"Ah!?"
“Now, if I pick up this glove unconditionally, it will mean that if I lose, I lose the seed of the holy sword, and if you lose, you have nothing to lose in particular."
“You think you can beat me? Kukuku!"
"There are three conditions."
Christo raised three fingers and slowly looked around at Setanta and his three wives.
“One, since I'm betting my seed in a duel, you're going to have to put up something reasonably valuable as well. If a silver coin for a seed is what you're offering, I'm losing the fight, aren't I?"
Christo bent his second finger as he glanced at the bishops behind him.
“The victory condition is that the battle is over when one of us loses our ability to fight. If it's until one of us dies, one of us will die before the academy's classes begin. Everyone has paid a lot of money to get here. You don't want to waste it."
"Hmph. If you don't mind if I kill you in an accident, that's fine with me."
"Death is a part of battle. It should only be tied to the extent that it does not stop the opponent when he is incapacitated in combat. Otherwise, you will not be able to give your all in a duel, and you will not be satisfied with the result."
"Heh, you understand it very well, don't you? Consent is important. Even if the result is unreasonable."
"Third, I want you to set the date and time of the duel after the day after tomorrow."
Christo bent his last finger and continued.
“Today is the entrance ceremony. Besides, I've just come from a long journey from the northern frontier and I'm tired. I'd like to take the day tomorrow to rest and be in perfect condition."
"Oi, oi, are you planning to use all day tomorrow to escape from this academy!? Hahahahaha!"
"If I intend to escape, I won't bother accepting the duel. If I accept the duel and then run away, I will be accused by the public of being a coward and dishonest, won't I?"
Setanta lifted the corners of his mouth.
"It's fine as long as you don't run away. Alright, I'll accept your terms. Now, pick up the glove!"
"Not yet. You haven't offered me anything to wager with."
“In a duel before the gods, there must be an equal exchange. You must wager something as important as the seed."
Archbishop Eneko interjects.
The dark-haired beastman, a muscular woman called Kat or Kitten, whispered to Setanta.
“Hey, we don’t have any money. Would a sword or some other armament be worth it?"
"Horses! Horses are the most expensive!"
Gwendolyn, the gray-haired woman, interrupts loudly.
Setanta looked at Archbishop Eneko, but Eneko shook his head with a frown.
I don't know how good the horse is, but it seems it's not worthy of the holy seed.
"According to precedent, what did those guys bet?"
When Christo asks, the middle-aged priest answers.
“There are some examples, a part of the Hero Family's territory where sacred anecdotes remain, and there are also examples of betting on relatives.”
"That's it!"
Setanta snapped his fingers.
"I bet my sister, Melvina Lou's soul!"
"――Are you insane!? Setanta, stop! Please!" "Hmph. I think it's a good idea, but will she be worth it?" "Great idea! That's about the only use for that girl."
The wives of the big blond man react in three different ways.
The red-haired Patricia no longer had a look appropriate for a lady.
"Setanta, you're insane! How can you bet the soul of someone who isn't here! In the first place, you bet your little sister! I'm begging you, please don't do this!"
“Melvina will understand if I talk to her. Besides, it's only a temporary bet. I'll kill him the day after tomorrow and everything will be fine."
"...You have a younger sister?"
Christo shrugged.
"It's crazy to bet your precious sister."
After saying that, he remembers that he also sold his foster parent for 5,000 gold coins.
(I can't speak for others either, can I?)
Setanta smiled strangely.
"You have to be crazy to be the head of the Hero Family."
"Right. By the way, what exactly do you mean by your sister's soul? Do you mean that you are offering your sister's body and soul to me?"
"I haven't offered it! Don't make a mistake! But that is what I mean by soul. As the head of the Hero Family, I'll bet my sister!"
"Setanta! I won't allow you to bet Mel! Absolutely no!"
“I'm not asking your permission, Pat. It is up to me, the head of the family, to decide. The family and the others in the country...... I will inform them."
"…………!"
Christo picked up the glove that Setanta had thrown to him and held it up to the students on the grounds, who were watching with bated breath to see where it went.
"The die is cast."
Archbishop Eneko clapped his hands.
“The duel will be conducted by the Holy Tree Church! First of all, both of you must take an oath before the Holy Tree!
× × ×
After completing the dueling procedures with Setanta, Christo left the entrance ceremony at the cathedral and headed alone to the training grounds behind the sports field.
The entrance ceremony is only for those who wish to attend, and the student seats in the cathedral were conspicuously empty.
So Christo also decided to sneak out of the cathedral, pretending to go to the toilet.
The cathedral is located on the northeast of the Holy Sword Academy grounds, to the right of the school building, and the training grounds is on the opposite side of the school, to the northwest, across the sports field.
When he went out through the door of the cathedral, the sun had already set and the stars were shining in the sky.
The reason for going to the training grounds was simple.
The day after tomorrow, he was going to check the stage for the duel with Setanta.
The shape of the stage, the size, the quality of the ground, where the sun's rays would hit and where the shadows would be, and so on.
To win a battle, one must first understand the characteristics of the battlefield.
That's what Christo was taught.
In Söderholm territory, before he was transferred to the monastery, he sometimes hunted bandits and magical beasts under the orders of Baron Ixel―― the demon Surt. Surt did not teach him anything, but the knights of the Söderholm family who accompanied him taught Christo the basics of fighting.
The training grounds were quite large, shaped like an ancient amphitheater in appearance.
It was probably larger than the cathedral in terms of the building's base area alone.
After passing through the dimly lit entrance, he went straight down a crossroads where he could turn left or right to go to the arena's spectator area. Underfoot is dry earth. It is clayey, and when he steps on it, he feels a firm rebound.
The arena was a beautiful circular shape.
Unlike a sports field built for games, there is no grass planted inside the arena. The scaffolding is the same dry clay as the pathways, with a rectangle drawn in the center with a white line.
(It is well maintained. Not a single pebble fell.)
He walked around the arena as if to feel the ground.
The arena was deserted, and the sound of torches lighting the arena occasionally rang out.
(Good, no one is around.)
He decided to investigate the length and shape of the arena before anyone interfered.
Just as he was thinking that, a woman in a gray body suit appeared from the entrance opposite the one from which Christo had entered.
Even though there was torchlight, the interior was quite dim.
However, the demon race's eyes have night vision.
Christo stared at the woman who came out.
Golden hair.
They are tied up at both ends.
Maybe it was a little curly, the ends were loosely wavy.
Her bangs seemed to be held up with a hair clip or something, exposing her white forehead.
She was wearing a cloth gown stained with dust and dirt.
It is probably the practice uniform provided by the Academy.
Her body is slender, but the way she walks and her other movements indicate that she has a well-balanced torso.
Almost no footsteps like a cat.
(Watch out for those who don't make footsteps. They're either professional killers or vampires.)
As Christo grew wary, the woman noticed him and stopped.
Then she let out a sigh of relief and rushed toward him.
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl came before him.
Her ash-blue eyes shone in the darkness as if they were luminous.
"Good day to you."
When he was staring at the girl's eyes that seems going to suck him in, she greeted him with a smile without making a single strange face.
"Good evening, young lady."
"Are you a visitor? The training grounds are already closed, so please come back tomorrow."
"Are you in charge of locking it?"
"Yes. Tomorrow will surely be different, but today I am in charge of it."
(She looks rather young, but from the way she speaks, she seems to be an adult. She is a student of this academy, no doubt.)
Christo bent down a little and looked at the girl and smiled.
“Would you mind waiting a little while before you close it? I want to check the size of the arena, the height of the walls, the angle, and so on.
"Oh, dear! You're a repairman, aren't you? But nothing in this training ground is broken."
"No, I'm not a repairman. Actually, I'm going to have a match here the day after tomorrow, but I'm a magician. My opponent seems to be a swordsman, so I might lose if I don't keep my distance from him. So I've come here to survey the area at this time, when I wouldn't be disturbed."
"Oh, I see. The match... Certainly, the only time to inspect the area undisturbed is now, when the entrance ceremony is taking place."
"That's right. I'm sorry, but I need a little time. Just five minutes is fine. Is that alright?"
He winked at her when he said that.
He's an incubus, so this should have some effect on the opposite sex.
The girl seemed to be thinking for a while, but then raised her ash-blue eyes again and put her right hand on her chest.
“If you are surveying alone, you can't finish in five minutes, you know? I can help you. It would be better for both of us."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry."
"Thank you."
"No, no, once we've made up our mind, let's get on with it."
As a result, Christo and an unknown girl decided to survey the grounds.
When Christo told the girl that he only wanted to know the numbers for the battle and that he only needed a rough idea of the measurements, she brought out a large rope with several knots on it from the warehouse.
After taking various measurements, he found that the arena was 120 meters in diameter, and the square dueling arena in the center was 50 x 30 meters in length and width.
There are hidden doors leading underground at the four corners of the dueling arena, and it seems that when a duel with a magical beast is to take place, the magical beast will jump out from one of these four corners.
In a duel with Setanta, it is unlikely that a magical beast will suddenly jump out, but when using "earth magic," there is a possibility that it will be blocked by the iron plate and fail the attack. He must be careful.
The height of the wall to the audience is 3.2 meters. There are open entrances to and from the arena on the east, west, north, and south sides of the wall, but the iron cages are lowered and closed during the battle.
The roof is covered with a low-shading cloth from the south to the north of the arena. The duel with Setanta takes place at 2:00 p.m., so the sun is in the south. The southern half of the arena is expected to have just the right amount of light, while the northern half is expected to have poor visibility due to sand reflecting the light.
(I'll have to go stock up on some "earth magic" that I might be able to invoke in this arena tomorrow.)
Sorcery and magic are mysteries that originated from a contract between a god and a demon in ancient times.
God is considered to be something that is willed by nature, such as mountains, lava, forests, and disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
Now that there is no existing god, in order to use magic and sorcery, it is necessary to obtain a magic book that describes an ancient contract and learn the details of the contract that was made between the indigenous gods and the demons at that time.
(The [Rock Spear], which was frequently used in the Söderholm territory, was magic that an ancient demon obtained from a native god in the northern frontier. As long as the soil here is different, the [Rock Spear] cannot be activated.)
“Are you going to fight using magic in the match the day after tomorrow?”
The girl asks while quickly picking up the used large rope.
“I'm not good at wielding a stick. I'm hoping to learn it while I'm here at the academy."
It is a weapon that the light races have honed in order to efficiently kill demons and their own kind.
It would be a good thing for Christo to learn. It is useful for both offense and defense.
"Warriors mostly use holy arts. Magic is only used for engineering."
“Magic is nullified when it comes into contact with holy arts. Magic requires a lot of preparation to be activated, whereas the holy arts can be activated immediately as soon as the holy seal is tied. If I wanted to use one in battle, I would have to choose the holy arts. But I don't have the talent for it, so I can't use it."
"Oh! Me too! I can't use holy arts at all."
The blonde girl looks up in surprise.
But Christo was surprised as well.
"Excuse me, but you are a student of the Holy Sword Academy, right? And yet you can't use the holy arts?"
"Ahaha... It's embarrassing. In the entrance exam, there was no practical skill in the holy arts I am good at. I think I probably got a failing grade."
"How did you manage to pass?"
"It's all thanks to the Blue Holy Tree."
The girl said earnestly.
He couldn't let the woman carry something so heavy, so he asked her to hand him the bundle of rope.
“If you can't use the holy arts, why did you decide to enroll in the Holy Sword Academy? I don't mean to be rude, but if you can't use the holy arts, it will be difficult for you to participate in the military affairs of your territory, and you won't be able to work for the church in the future."
"But just graduating gives social status. Besides―― my relatives are enrolled at the academy. They are splendid brothers who shouldered the heavy responsibility of the nobility. Although I am the younger sister, I would like to do what's best for everyone."
"That's a good thing."
“Fufu. But my bro―― Onii-sama says I'm depressing and annoying."
"That's not true. I'm sure your brother also loves you in his heart."
"Yes, that's right. I believe that Onii-sama is actually a kind person!"
A girl with a big smile on her face with no evil intentions whatsoever.
Apparently, she can't use the holy arts, but with such a charming girl, her future will be secure.
Even in the northern monasteries, men loved a girl with a nice smile, even if she was a little skinny or had an ugly face. This blonde girl has an attractive smile and a pretty face, so even if she can't get a job in the nobility, she will probably get a job at a merchant's house or something.
After that, he returned the rope to the warehouse and parted ways with the girl.
It seems that she is going to go around the training grounds and close the doors after this.
By the time Christo leaves the training grounds, the great bell attached to the spire of the cathedral is ringing, signaling the end of the day.
× × ×
The next morning, Christo awoke in his room in the castle town of the royal capital, left his room early, and headed first to the Adventurers' Guild. Then, he withdraw 100 of the 5100 gold coins deposited by Count Netzel from the guild (the price for the demon Surt was 5100 gold coins, but it was to be paid in 10 installments).
After withdrawing, he took the gold coins and went to a street in the downtown area where there were many stores selling magic-related goods - commonly known as "Magic Street". He had asked the receptionist for information about "Magic Street" in the Guild.
The items to be purchased today are several magic books and a catalyst necessary to activate magic.
The credibility of a magic book can be estimated from the author's name and the stamp of the printing press, but it does not always mean that what is written in the book is absolutely correct. The quickest way to scrutinize is to actually use it, even if there is little risk.
Christo spent the morning buying three books on magic, each for 20 gold coins.
[Engineering Magic of the Royal Capital.]
[Living with water. -The Magic of Water around the royal capital-]
[Descendants of the Holy Tree. -No more oral traditions!-]
Due to time constraints, it was difficult to find other magic books.
There are many fake magic books.
Most of the magic books sold in the "Magic Street" were fakes.
“There's no [Rock Spear]... Instead, there is a technique called [Earth serpent]. It is a magic that digs up large masses of earth. If there is a person nearby, he or she will be swallowed by the mass of earth, which is dangerous. It can be activated by casting a prescribed spell and throwing a piece of lodgepole or oak tree―― this seems to work. The other two are [Bog] and [Ice flower]. [Bog] is a spell that creates a muddy area underfoot. It will fail if there is not enough moisture. If used in a dry place, it requires a large amount of water as a catalyst. [Ice Flower] is a magic to cool an object. During the cooling process, there is a danger of somewhere else becoming hot and causing severe burns. The catalyst is a parasitic lodgepole branch of an oak tree. The effect is maximized if the oak tree is six years old."
He enters a suitable tavern, occupies a table in the corner of the second floor, and peruses the magic book he has obtained.
From the outside, he looks like a strange man muttering to himself, but he doesn't stand out much because the bar is filled with the noise of drunken people.
([Earth Snake] is very useful. [Bog] may not be very effective due to the location of the royal capital. [Ice Flower] can be useful for its burn effect rather than its cooling effect.)
Since he plans to continue learning the magic of this place even after the duel, he will use the notes and graphite that he bought for summarizing it and making it easier to read back later.
"[Clay doll]. Creates an autonomous doll using graveyard soil and the teeth of the dead. Strong like a horse, suitable for engineering work. The catalysts are grave soil and the teeth of the dead. To create a puppet, turn clockwise around the grave three times and chant the following spell......"
In essence, the [Clay Doll] seems to be a spell to create a golem.
It is unaffected by a few attacks and automatically regenerates itself and continues to move unless the teeth of the dead, which serve as its core, are removed. Its weaknesses are water and intense fire. If the holy art touches the core, it will disintegrate.
For Christo, who wants a vanguard, this magic is likely to be the key to offense and defense.
However, the preparation is difficult.
It is impossible to create it in the arena, so it must be created elsewhere in advance and kept waiting in the ground.
“[God's Roar]. Instead of casting a spell, it requires clapping hands and making a sound. It interferes with the air in a spell-like manner and produces a thunderbolt. The area where the spell is to be performed must be surrounded in advance by the branches of six oak trees. The branches must be inscribed with the following spells....... This book, [Descendants of the Holy Tree], is a winner. A good buy."
Christo muttered and closed the book.
In front of him was a plate of cold stew.
When he looked up from the table, he saw that the tavern was starting to get a little crowded.
It was almost dinner time.
(I must go to the cemetery or morgue and get a dead man's tooth. I should also buy some oak branches.)
By the time the sun sets tonight, the magic will be completed.
He somehow managed to get everything ready in time.
Now he just needs to figure out how to beat Setanta with magic.
(I know all about the six holy arts used by the light race. Basically, I maintain my distance and just attack from outside the other person's space.)
If the enemy's blade does not reach him, he will not lose.
But if it did reach him, he will be cut down.
But...... he won't know what will actually happen until he sees his moves tomorrow.
Christo quietly began to slurp his cold stew.
(It's been a long time since I've fought. My blood is pumping. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.)
Oh, we met the little sister quickly.
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