And at the foot of Regalia castle, stone walls had been built as though to enclose the platform. Those walls had 2 places at the north and south where gates were placed, and the distance to the castle from the walls in a straight line was about 150 meters. The space that expanded between the platform and the walls in the form of passages surrounding the castle didn’t only function as a fortress in the times of emergencies, but was also the core of the military unit directly under the supervision of the King, the Saint King’s chivalric order.
Even at the time in the middle of their journey towards the imperial capital, when he was pressed for confirmation of him being able to use magic from Robinson, he had spontaneously fired out magic due to fear. Although he had conquered his fear to a certain extent by fighting against monsters, Robinson’s appearance was shocking enough to shake even that mental strength.
「………Rather than that, where did that guy go?」
「I think that he’ll come back soon. Well, it’s fine to simply wait without minding it」
「’In the meanwhile, become an exhibit’, is it? Don’t screw around」
「Yaa yaa, Sorry for the wait」
「You bastard, where had you gone. To begin with, who are they?」
「Sorry, sorry, I had some small business, you see. And, I want Harold-kun to fight with those guys. The thing called enrollment examination?」
「What?」
Harold wasn’t the only one who reacted to Cody’s words. All the members who had gathered also burst out in murmurs. It seemed as though they too hadn’t been given an explanation beforehand. And then, a bearded man questioned Cody.
「What’s this, Cody. We only heard that we’ll be testing the fledglings though」
「That’s right. This fight will act as both that test and also as an enrollment exam for him」
With those words, all gazes concentrated on Harold. And what everybody were thinking was voiced out by the bearded man.
「By enrollment exam, you mean for that kid? No matter how you look at it, he hasn’t reached the stipulated age」
(This conversation again……… And also, as expected, he doesn’t go through any ordinary means, this bastard!)
He’d predicted that there would be something looking at Cody’s personality, and it was just as he had thought. Since it had already proceeded up to this extent, it wasn’t as though he hated it so much, but Harold wished that Cody had at least talked to him before. Well, most probably he would have kept quiet due to some stupid reason like, 「I thought I would surprise you」.
「In the first place, although they’re called fledglings, they’ve already trained for more than 2 years and even though it’s a small amount, they also have experience in real fights. For a kid, they’re opponents that are a bit too much」
「Those things are fine. Since this child is an extraordinary talent」
But Cody didn’t even pay any attention to that very reasonable opinion. On the contrary, he said this towards the members who would fight against Harold.
「Instead, if you guys underestimate him and attack lightly, you’ll have a painful experience so be careful. Or rather, if you guys are able to defeat Harold-kun, it’s fine for me to recommend you for the next promotion examination」
Even though it was like that, being brought as an opponent for a child’s enrollment examination and having themselves being seen as inferior wasn’t a good feeling. Instigated by Cody, it could be felt with one’s skin that the members of the chivalric order were thinking of overturning the assessment that could only be thought of as unreasonable.
「Well, since it’s like that, do your best」
「Cody」
「What is it?」
「Let me praise you」
(In a sense, he’s a battle junkie. Although, his nature was nasty because he didn’t genuinely want power, but because he would be envied and glorified for being strong)
「Start attacking from those who want to lose」
Obviously, the words that were actually spoken out were as usual, and like Harold wished for it, were completely different words. Maybe because these words had pushed him, a single youth walked out from within the group. An uncommon amount of fighting spirit was overflowing from those eyes. He was completely serious. Harold smiled wryly thinking how this mouth was really a genius at instigating people. For the others, it might have looked as though he was sneering.
「Squad Captain Cody, is what you said just now the truth?」
The youth that walked out saluted and questioned Cody. Those movements and his manner of speaking were brisk.
「Of course! Well, that’s only if you win against him though」
「Yes, thank you very much!」
After saluting like a role model, he turned towards Harold.
「Boy, sorry but I’ll be getting serious. But still, this is also a good chance for you to know how small your world actually is」
「Much obliged for your very fine opinion. As a thanks, let me have you grovel on the ground」
Stomping on the youth’s words, Harold stepped forward and faced him. With those 2 at the center, a tingling sense of tension started spreading out.
「For now, anything is fine as long as the both of don’t die or try to kill each other. Well then, start whenever you want ～」
「Stepping forward!」
When Cody called out in voice that was too light contrary to the situation, almost simultaneously, the youth rushed towards Harold. As expected of being trained thoroughly, his movements were fast. Even the sword that was swung down from the overhead position had a considerable amount of power. But that was it.
「………His eyes are completely spinning, this is hopeless. Oi, somebody, get a stretcher」
「Yes!」
「Next, come」
Firstly, as a trial, he lightly crossed swords. While they kept on exchanging blows, he gradually increased his speed, but the man was able to easily keep up. When his speed became as fast as how it was when he usually fought with Itsuki, the man was still unperturbed. As he had heard, they seemed to have considerable strength. Confirming that, Harold took some distance temporarily.
And then, he unraveled his stance by loosely hanging down his sword and exposed a defenseless state. Surpassing intrepidity, a warped smile as though looking down on his opponent was plastered on that face. This was what was written on the completely provoking face – ‘Come and see’.
(I thought perhaps, but it actually existed, huh. Characteristic motion)
Characteristic motion was as it’s name said, it indicated movements that were already fixed. Game characters each had their own motion that was fixed. The person whom Harold was confronting now was a member of the chivalric order, in game specifications, a character called “Knight 1”.
As the game 『Brave Hearts』 progressed, one would battle the “Knights”, who appeared as enemy characters, many times. They didn’t hold a setting other that a knight’s, in other words, existences that were called small fry characters. Therefore, various movements, motions were unified. Those became the characteristic motions of the knights.
Naturally, the times they showed motion that wasn’t there in the game was many, but still being able to know the opponents next move would become extraordinarily advantageous. Due to that, his sense of stability in battle rapidly increased. That was why, Harold thought like this next – Wouldn’t characteristic motion exist even for human characters?
But today, after about a little less than 2 years had passed since he had hit upon it, it was verified that Harold’s hypothesis was right. Of course, although there was further need for much more inspection, there was a high possibility to obtain the advantage of reading ahead even in inter-personal combat. And so, since Harold was naturally in a good mood, that atrocious smile’s deepness kept increasing. And it was indeed easy to evade the knight’s sword that had many strikes due to characteristic motion, and Harold, who continued to evade with a paper-thin difference as though he had enough to spare, seen from the others around him looked as though he was playing around with his opponent with a clear difference in their power.
Maybe getting impatient at the present condition, the knight took some distance. Thereupon, he somewhat lowered his center of gravity a little and took a posture as though he was bracing himself. This was the motion when knights activated magic. A light blue magic formation emerged at the knight’s feet. For Harold, if he that much information, he could narrow down the magic.
(No matter which magic, the knights’ motion is fixed. And a blue magic formation, they can only use 1 category of the water attribute magic. That means, the one that he is going to use is –)
Harold stuck out his left hand forward and spoke the name of that magic.
『Aqua Slash!』
In the original work, once magic was activated, it could only be either evaded or defended against. Neither physical attacks nor magic could negate it. But that was only a specification inside the game. If it was this world, magic could be negated by magic. This had already been demonstrated.
When Harold looked at him, the opponent’s face was dyed with shock. Naturally, even he knew that magic could be negated by magic. But that was a phenomenon that happened only by pure coincidence in the middle of a battle and even mistakenly wasn’t something that could be “aimed” for. Although the technique of hitting magic, which had a fast attack speed, with magic itself was difficult, fundamentally if magic weren’t intercepted by magic of the same attribute and scale, it couldn’t be negated. The action that Harold showed in the fighting tournament, of negating lightning by flames, was accomplished only because the magic was more powerful than the opponent’s and it was forcefully suppressed.
And on top of that, basically, until the magic was activated, there was no way to perceive what kind of magic the opponent would use. If one tried to stop magic using this method, then there was a need to constantly fire high powered magic. Frankly speaking, it’s efficiency was poor and it wasn’t something that could be included in tactics. That was the common sense with regards to this world.
「It’s annoying to deal with each and every one of you separately. While at it, I wouldn’t mind even if all of you come simultaneously, alright?」
◇
「Amazing, that boy………..」
Certainly, it was amazing. It could even be called magnificent. The boy stopped all the attacks precisely no matter what kind and whenever he attacked, he would almost always finish the fight in a single strike. He was dealing with both offense and defense perfectly. A boy who had come to take the enrollment examination and one who wasn’t even 15 years old.
(What is going on? This is too perfect)
This didn’t simply consist of only predicting the opponent’s attacks. He wasn’t simply evading everything aimlessly, but rather was continuing to choose the optimum place to evade or defend while considering the next attack. That itself, if one didn’t have foresight, they wouldn’t be able to eliminate unnecessary movements to that extent and it would be arduous to dish out attacks. One couldn’t help but think that such a person would always “know” 2 to 3 moves ahead.
(Right, it’s weird. It would be impossible to have such an efficient battle style by only being strong or experienced)
「………..Shannon-kun, there’s something I want you to do」
「Please give any order you want」
「I want you to gather all the battle records of the Saint King’s chivalric order within the past 10 years. Everything from large-scale battles to battles with only a single squad and even small scale fights of individual levels」
「When is the due date? If even individual level records of the order’s members need to be gathered, then it’ll take some time」
「I don’t mind. Gather the others while I’m investigating the large-scale battle records」
「Understood」
In that case, they would draw him here and while observing him, try to investigate where he belonged to. There was also the possibility that there existed spies other than him that might have already infiltrated inside the chivalric order or the kingdom. In that case, they could use him to reveal the other spies.
「It’ll be fine if it’s just needless anxiety……….」
「Were you saying something?」
「No, it’s nothing. Let’s return to work, shall we」
「Yes」
While seeing the black-clothed boy take on 20 people, they once again returned back to their paperwork.
