Surprisingly, Ban’s acceptance of Alek’s duel proposal was not an impulsive decision.
“Zeroth has to come find me directly.”
Last time, after missing a rare opportunity, Ban thought there wouldn’t be a second chance. So, he chose to let Zeroth seek him out on his own.
From the start, he had no intention of doing things carelessly. He needed to show his strength.
Moreover, the fact that a greenhorn called himself the sword master of the continent also annoyed him.
The Sword King? Sorry, but that’s something to say before even challenging himself. Ban was confident in his own skills. The only reason he hadn’t challenged the Sword Master until now was solely for Zeroth.
Because he shouldn’t shine more than necessary.
But now, things were different. Betrayed by Zeroth, there was no longer any reason to hide his true strength. So, Ban decided to crush the arrogance of this brat.
But…
But, you see…
What if the Sword Master’s skills are surprisingly poor? And what if he gets severely injured in the duel?
What if the princess’s pure, round eyes distort with sadness? Or if she glares at him filled with betrayal?
Thinking of that scene suddenly made Ban’s heart ache. He disliked it without reason. His chest grew suffocatingly tight, impossible to endure.
“…Damn it.”
So, he came up with a different excuse.
“Since I’ll be staying in the Duke’s estate from now on, I shouldn’t make enemies with the Sword Master.”
No, why? I won’t be staying in the Duke’s estate forever. But Ban, desperately trying to justify himself, reached the training ground and changed his mind. He decided to keep the Sword Master safe from injury.
Should I be glad? The Sword Master turned out to be unexpectedly skilled. Or rather, if I fought him casually, I might even lose.
His heart pounded fiercely in an instant, excitement surging to the top of his head.
“Damn it…”
This is fun, isn’t it?
His labored breath, as if his chest was being sliced, his pounding heart, flowing fiery blood, and the exhilarating thrill—everything intensified.
It was probably the same for his opponent in front of him. Alek was wielding his sword with a strange smile on his face.
A half-smile, Alek muttered.
“Did you hide this skill? You’re crazy…”
“I’m pretty surprised too. No wonder they call you the Sword Master.”
Ban responded with a cold smile.
The two swung their swords joyfully like madmen. Nothing else seemed to exist around them. Only each other’s eyes mattered.
Life and death. Fire and ice. Black and silver. They intertwined and danced, clashing suddenly.
When a fierce gust of wind swept around them, Alek impulsively blurted out:
“Come join the Lichan Knights. Your skills are wasted here. The Knights are a lifetime job. They pay well, and if you want, I can even make you a knight captain.”
“No thanks.”
Clang—! Their swords clashed again. Alek, pushed back by strength, chuckled happily and swung his sword at an angle.
“Because you’re not at the top? Then you take the captain position. I don’t care about titles anyway.”
“The Silver Wolf isn’t my taste.”
“I figured as much.”
Clang—! Their swords met once more. They faced each other closely, their crimson and blue eyes tangled and sparking with fire.
“So, what would I have to give you to stay in this Lichan?”
…Silence.
“Answer me. I plan to like you from now on. I, in the name of the Lichan prince and the Sword Master, will help with anything.”
…Nothing.
Except for the foolish words about his sister, Ban’s lips lifted slightly in response to the silence.
“Where do you and the Duke get this baseless confidence that I’ll like the princess? I’ll never love a noble, not in this lifetime or any other.”
Of course, Ban had no plans to ever fall for the sweet feelings of love in his life. He replied cynically and picked up his sword again.
Then Alek, as if astonished, prepared himself once more.
“You don’t seem to realize it, but you’re one of those who lack self-awareness.”
“What?”
“Since the beginning, your focus has only been on where my sister is sitting. Do you plan to pretend you don’t notice?”
Alek tilted his head back.
Ban’s gaze shifted back. There, a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl with clear, transparent eyes was piercingly watching both of them.
Had he been only paying attention to the princess? He hadn’t realized it. Suddenly, he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head. He could no longer concentrate on the fight.
“Why, is that a direct hit?”
A sharp voice snapped through the air. Only then did Ban regain his senses.
He was truly flustered.
He could say confidently that he’d never been this embarrassed before. His pale pink eyes met hers, and his throat closed up. He couldn’t say a word.
What exactly did I just do?
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
“Why did you emit pheromones?”
After the duel, I followed him to his room and asked.
You wanted to hide that you’re a Black Serpent, right?
But if you release pheromones so explosively, isn’t it obvious that you’re a strong beastman?
I simply couldn’t understand.
And yet, since the end of the fight, Ban had been strangely different.
It was as if I had caught a contagious disease; he kept avoiding me.
Even now.
He’s avoiding my gaze.
“Of course, emitting pheromones during a fight is natural. It was just a threat.”
“Lies.”
In the original story, Ban could easily defeat Alek with pure skill alone.
Would he risk revealing his pheromones just to win?
It’s too suspicious.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him suspiciously.
But Ban remained silent, as hard as a rock.
“Alright. Fine. But you owe me an apology.”
“…To whom?”
“To whom do you think? Lord Eryk, of course.”
The initial pheromones threatened everyone in the training ground, but the second was different.
It was as if Alek, who had his own will, was strangling Eryk’s neck.
In fact, Eryk’s neck was now vividly bruised.
“Even if it was an accident, Eryk got hurt pretty badly. So.”
“Why should I be responsible for that?”
His eyebrows, which were furrowed vertically, looked like they might pop out at any moment.
“That bastard was at fault first.”
“What?! What did Eryk do wrong?”
“Watching from the side was a mistake. When you watch someone else’s fight, you should be prepared for this kind of thing…”
“That’s ridiculous. What is this, a petty grievance?”
He was talking nonsense, so I placed my hand on my waist, but he kept his composure and stubbornly refused to apologize.
“All his fault. I won’t apologize.”
“What the—”
“Enough talking. I’m leaving. I’m tired of your brother.”
“Wha—?”
He suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me toward the door.
It didn’t hurt, but he was so strong I was pushed outside the room.
“Ban?!”
It was a clear expulsion order.
Before I could say anything, I found myself outside Ban’s bedroom in the blink of an eye.
“What the hell…?”
Why is he doing this?
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
“Fortunately, there’s no life-threatening injury.”
A blunt voice came from near the bed.
“…Why are you telling me that, of course?”
It was Alekiad.
His expression, crumpled like paper, turned toward the curtain-covered window.
Now it was morning, and sunlight was filtering through the thick blackout curtains.
“If he had just collapsed normally, he wouldn’t be dead. Why’s everyone making such a fuss… It’s not like they’re fighting every day or two.”
“Alekiad. Why are you so confident about what you did?”
A cold voice flew into his ear.
It was his older brother, Fahrenheit.
“I’ve told you repeatedly. When dueling, you should do it officially, and tell me first.”
Fahrenheit sighed.
“Moreover, the result was a defeat. I thought Alek was the best with a sword even if his mind was empty, but Alekiad, was I wrong?”
“…I suppose so.”
Alekiad sank into the scene of the intense battle from a few hours ago.
He was foolish, but he was a swordsman who respected the sword.
That’s why he was called the Sword King.
He knew how to accept defeat.
“I have lost completely.”
~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released on October, 3.
See you then!!
