MILND 25

Chapter 25

She’s My Mother-in-Law, Not My Enemy

“I figured it out while watching.”

“…That’s just—”

The Border Count folded his arms with a complicated expression.

“Anyway, since he used magic, it’s going to be tough for Nata too. He could respond with magic of his own, but Nata has such a massive amount of mana that it’s hard to hide it like that…”

Only now did it make sense why Derick had confidently stepped up. He had a surefire method to avoid losing.

‘It means that not losing to Nata is more important to him than earning the Border Count’s favor or avoiding criticism from fellow knights.’

At this point, Derick’s stubbornness was almost laughable. The Border Count seemed to agree, muttering in a groaning voice.

“All that just to beat a fellow knight…”

“…He’s not a fellow knight.”

The Border Count had missed the core of the issue. To Derick, Nata was not a comrade.

“He’s not a colleague. He’s another kind of human.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“To Derick, Sir Nata is a being so different in race and gender that he simply can’t acknowledge him.”

“…”

“That’s why he must win. Because losing to something he doesn’t even accept isn’t an option.”

He couldn’t accept that someone from a group he looked down on might be stronger than him.

The Border Count might not understand. But to someone like me, who had lived a previous life, it was a common sight.

Envy and inferiority aren’t always based on solid reasons—they often don’t need one.

‘But… at this rate, he might lose.’

I didn’t want to see the sword I’d prepared being taken by Derick. As I contemplated a way to stop it, Nata suddenly threw his weapon to the ground.

“Huh? Is that a surrender?”

The spectators, sensing the shift in momentum, voiced their suspicions.

But Nata didn’t seem like he was about to give up. Instead, he clenched his fists tightly.

A martial arts stance.

‘Is he seriously going to fight barehanded?’

Just like there was no rule against using magic, there was no rule that said swords must be used either.

“Is he choosing fists over a sword, Fairy Pie?”

The crowd responded with disbelief and ridicule. But Nata had already made up his mind. He lowered his body and lunged in.

And the reason he chose hand-to-hand combat soon became clear.

“Ahh! Fairy Pie is blocking the sword with his body!”

He had started blocking Derick’s blade with his bare arms. Since it was a blunt training sword with no edge, he could catch it with his hands or deflect it with his forearms and counterattack.

The duel had shifted from sword versus sword to iron stick versus fist.

Well, there was no rule against blocking a sword with your hands, either.

‘I’ll definitely need to revise the rules for next time.’

Still, it was a good sign that Nata had taken back control. Things were looking promising—until it happened.

“No!”

Nata had already guessed that Derick might use magic.

As a fellow knight, he knew Derick was a magic swordsman. So he’d planned ahead on how to deal with it if Derick enhanced his body with mana.

‘It’s just a training sword, after all.’

He used that fact to his advantage—Derick’s attacks couldn’t inflict real damage if blocked with his body. The plan worked. Derick was overwhelmed.

“Damn it…!”

Clearly, Derick had never imagined he might lose. His breathing grew shaky with panic.

Even with his body enhanced by mana, he couldn’t keep up with Nata’s seasoned combat techniques. Behind his mask, Derick’s face began to show growing anxiety.

If he lost, he’d be the one forced to unmask. And when Nata claimed victory and revealed his identity, Derick knew exactly who would become the center of gossip—him.

He remembered how he’d once whispered rumors about Nata to fellow knights and soldiers.

Back then, they had eagerly agreed with him. But once he lost, they’d quickly switch sides.

Slander never disappears—it just changes targets. And now, he felt the chill of realizing he might be next.

‘…Should I pour in more mana?’

Driven into a corner, Derick amplified his mana even further. At this point, even ordinary soldiers could sense it. His movements were noticeably different.

‘He’s stopped hiding it.’

He was now determined to beat Nata, even if it meant his honor was ruined.

Inside his helmet, Nata chuckled bitterly. It stung to see the once-reliable senior he had respected become so pathetic.

At this point, he had no reason to hold back his own strength either.

“They’re both using magic now…”

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

Nata also wrapped himself in mana and charged forward. Blue energy flared from Derick’s sword, but Nata used his arms like shields and kept closing the gap.

But if both were using magic, then Derick, with a weapon, had the upper hand.

Even magically enhanced bodies couldn’t withstand a magically sharpened blade for long.

‘I need to end it before that happens.’

Nata dashed in before the blade could gain the upper hand. As Wilhelmina silently screamed “That’s boxing!” in her head, Nata moved on instinct.

“Ugh… You bastard!”

Derick, not expecting to be pushed back even after using magic, swung his sword in panic.

The swing lost focus, and Nata landed a clean hit.

Smack!

“Urgh!”

A punch straight to the philtrum knocked Derick off his feet. He tried to get up quickly, but Nata didn’t let the opening go to waste.

“Argh…!”

Derick was driven back by a flurry of blows.

Even the audience could now see who held the advantage—and the undeniable difference in skill.

Derick was pummeled by Nata’s relentless fists.

“Ah!”

Eventually, Derick even dropped the sword in his right hand.

Nata had no intention of showing him mercy, unlike with other contestants.

This time, he would deliver justice to the man who had slandered him—personally.

“This ends now!”

But blinded by the victory within reach, Nata failed to notice Derick’s left hand.

From beneath the oversized clothing meant to conceal his frame, Derick drew a second blade. He had two swords.

Nata had forgotten that Derick was a dual-wielding magic swordsman.

‘He had another trick—!’

Nata immediately switched to defense. He bent his elbow to guard his neck.

‘I can block it…!’

He’d spotted the move just in time. His focus hadn’t completely wavered in his anger, so he managed to defend.

He shoved his arm into the blade’s path with all his might.

“…!”

He successfully blocked Derick’s surprise strike. Pain shot through his arm, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.

Clang! A loud metallic clang echoed as Derick’s blade bounced away from the impact.

The problem was the direction.

The sword flew straight toward the judging panel.

“No!”

Nata screamed, but the blade flew directly at Wilhelmina.

She was an ordinary person with no swordsmanship training. Even though it was a training sword with no edge, a hit at that speed could cause a serious injury.

‘Too fast…!’

It was already too late to block. Even if he ran now, he’d arrive two steps too late—just as the blade struck Wilhelmina between the eyes.

Running wouldn’t work. At this rate, the person who had saved him would get hurt.

…Then there was only one option left.

“What—what is that?!”

A burning pain surged from his back. Simultaneously, powerful mana radiated from his spine and lifted him off the ground.

“Wings!”

For the first time in front of people, Nata revealed his fairy wings.

Two pairs of iridescent wings, shimmering in changing light, unfolded from his back and granted him the miracle of flight.

If he couldn’t run in time—he’d fly.

The fairy’s blessing sent him hurtling toward Wilhelmina in a blink.

He and the flying blade arrived simultaneously. Nata caught the sword with his bare hands right in front of Wilhelmina’s face.

“……”

Wilhelmina stared blankly at the sword that had almost struck her—and the person who had blocked it.

It was a surreal scene. A giant “Pie” with radiant fairy wings saving her—it felt like even through the cat mask, she could sense Nata’s concern.

Thankfully, he wasn’t too late. Nata let out a sigh of relief.