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“That guy… he’s good.”
Kaneff rarely acknowledged someone, but this time he did. Naturally, the farm member’s eyes were drawn to him.
“Boss, what just happened? Wasn’t Elaine constantly being pushed back?”
“Looks like the Booze Thief Master must have taught him a thing or two.”
Kaneff was talkin’ about the ‘Booze Thief Master,’ aka Master Bellion.
“Master only practiced with him using a tree branch, so what did he teach him exactly? Please explain more clearly.”
“Yes, Mr. Kaneff. Don’t keep it to yourself, let us know too.”
“Uncle Kaneff, tell us quickly!”
Lia and Lilia also urged Kaneff. His face was full of annoyance, but he eventually gave in and began to explain.
“The Booze Thief Master has experienced more of the Verdi swordsmanship than anyone else.”
Kaneff glanced at Kael while he spoke.
“Because he was called a match for the old geezer monster over there. And having experienced the highest level of Verdi swordsmanship, he must have seen through the weaknesses and countermeasures.”
Bellion and Kael.
Both are legends in the demon world. It’s only natural they’d want to understand each other’s swordsmanship.
“He taught Elaine the weak spots of Verdi swordsmanship by actually giving a hands-on approach.”
“Master is amazing!”
Everyone nodded in agreement while Andras spoke with a puzzled expression.
“I understand that he taught Elaine the weaknesses of Verdi swordsmanship. But why did he use such a method? There had to be better ways to teach him, right?”
“You’re right, there are many ways to teach him the weaknesses. But to find a way to win, there was no other method.”
“Really?”
Kaneff shrugged as he answered.
“I mean, think about it. Weaknesses only matter when both sides are equally skilled. If I were to tell you my weaknesses, do you think you could beat me?”
“No, even if I came back to life, I don’t think I could beat you.”
Andras replied immediately with a calm expression.
“That’s right. It’s not just about knowing the weak points; it’s about how you use that knowledge.”
“So, Mr. Kaneff, are you saying that Elaine knows how to use his opponent’s weaknesses against him?”
“Yes. He’s utilizing them quite well.”
-Clang! Clang!
Alfred and Claudion’s swords rang out with sharp metallic sounds, without pause. The fierce battle continued, with neither side easily gaining an advantage.
Claudion was in control, but every time he tried to attack using his advantage, Alfred would strike his weak spots effectively.
Alfred’s persistence began to wear down Claudion, who was initially confident. His way of disrupting his opponent’s rhythm was similar to what Bellion had demonstrated.
Despite being pleased with Alfred’s performance, a question popped into my head.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Master said it’s almost impossible to break the rhythm of a stronger opponent. So how is Elaine doing it?”
My question grabbed everyone’s attention, and Kaneff responded with a hint of irritation in his tone.
“Like the Booze Thief Master said, understanding your opponent’s rhythm and hitting their weak spots is no easy task. So, it looks like Elaine chose a simpler approach.”
“A simpler approach?”
“Yep, instead of understanding his opponent’s rhythm, Elaine is matching his own rhythm.”
I was surprised and asked, “Really? Can you do that?”
“Usually, it’s not recommended. Forcing yourself to match your opponent’s rhythm can hinder your performance. But in rare cases, it can work.”
He pointed towards Alfred and Claudion. “These two siblings trained in the same swordsmanship, under the same roof. Can you see what’s special now?”
“Ah…!”
“I see, that was the case.”
Andras and I quickly understood and nodded, but Speranza, who didn’t get it, clung to Kaneff and shook his arm.
“What do you mean, Boss uncle? Explain more, Boss uncle!”
“Ugh, well, those two have similar characteristics, to begin with. Since they trained in the same swordsmanship, they can follow each other’s rhythm more easily.”
It seemed like they understood each other’s rhythm.
It was evident that Alfred had targeted this aspect from the beginning of the duel.
“So, does that mean Elaine has a good chance of winning?”
“Elaine indeed has a chance to win. However, the longer the duel goes on, the lower the probability becomes.”
“Why? Why is that?”
“Even though they have similar characteristics, there’s a limit to forcibly following the opponent’s rhythm. No one can guarantee the outcome of the duel, but the one who will run out of stamina first is certainly Elaine.”
“So that means…”
“He probably knows it himself. He needs to decide the outcome as quickly as possible.”
I looked at the fierce duel with anxious eyes. I could guess from Alfred’s distorted face that there wasn’t much time left.
‘Hang in there, Alfred. You can do it!’
I sent my heartfelt support silently.
We all quietly watched the decisive duel that would soon determine the outcome.
“Gasp… gasp…”
As Kaneff had predicted, Alfred was in a severely exhausted state. It had been a while since he lost sensation in the arm swinging his sword.
After matching Claudion’s rhythm in the early stages of the duel, the strategy of targeting the weaknesses that he had learned from Bellion was indeed effective.
However, Claudion didn’t crumble as easily as he had thought, and as the duel dragged on, Alfred’s composure gradually disappeared.
On the other hand, Claudion only seemed a little out of breath. He still had enough energy to continue the duel.
‘I can’t go on like this. I have to risk it all in the last… the last showdown!’
Alfred’s eyes momentarily flashed a bright light, he gathered his remaining strength and prepared for the final blow.
‘Is he trying to settle the score here?’
Claudion, who had gained a lot of experience through duels, quickly realized his opponent’s intentions. His eyes became calm.
‘The easy way would be to not engage him and just hold on, but…’
This duel, in which his brother had stepped forward to prove himself, he didn’t want to flee cowardly. As the elder brother, he wanted to face him with his full strength for this final decisive battle.
At that moment, amidst meaningless clashes meant for feints, Alfred, who had been waiting for an opening, made the first move. He boldly lunged forward, surprising the onlookers, and secured a position advantageous for his attack.
Despite the opponent’s aggressive movements, Claudion didn’t back down. He braced his feet on the ground and prepared to counter.
The two swords moved quickly, targeting each other.
Both Alfred, who had initiated the final attack, and Claudion, who didn’t avoid it, gave it their all.
-Craaaash!!
A loud collision like never before.
And a moment later.
Someone’s sword was on the ground, while someone else’s sword was aimed at their opponent’s neck.
“Gasp… gasp…”
“…”
The two siblings stared at each other in silence for a moment.
“Gasp… gasp… Is it disappointing?”
“No… gasp… it’s actually a relief.”
“I did my best.”
A smile spread across Alfred’s distorted face.
Claudion stared blankly at his bright smile.
“My big brother is amazing… as always… my… goal…”
-Whoosh!
Alfred’s body slumped down, powerless.
-Thump!
Claudion quickly reached out and grabbed his brother’s arm. Fortunately, he was able to prevent him from falling flat on the ground.
“Ugh, Elaine!”
“Elaine!”
“Brother Elaine!”
Screams erupted from behind them, and the owners of those voices quickly gathered around Alfred.
“…”
Claudion wanted to check on his brother’s condition, but the farm members whisked Alfred away before he had a chance.
“Hm, you did well.”
“Grandfather…?”
Kael encouraged Claudion with a satisfied smile.
“How was it, facing Alfred after a long time?”
“I was quite surprised too. I didn’t expect him to face me like that. He must have gotten help.”
“I was… really surprised as well.”
Claudion nodded in agreement
“He matched my rhythm and persistently exploited my weaknesses. The prepared strategy itself wasn’t bad, but his attitude in executing it was impressive as well. He didn’t lose his focus even when his strength was waning.”
“You were a little flustered at first too.”
“That calmness and tenacity… those were things I couldn’t feel from Alfred before.”
Kael asked with a deep smile.
“If Alfred had stayed in the family, would he have been able to grow like this?”
“…Probably not.”
Before leaving the family, Alfred was excessively fixated on improving his skills and the outcome of battles.
He relentlessly trained himself just for the sake of winning.
If it had been the past Alfred who was trapped in his own world, he would never have imagined a strategy like ‘adapting to the opponent’s rhythm’ that he showed today.
Moreover, showing such a bright smile even in defeat…
Everything Alfred demonstrated in today’s duel was a series of shocks for Claudion.
“How about it, Claudion?”
“…”
“Do you still think Alfred wasted his time here?”
“…”
Claudion turned his head to look at where Alfred was.
“Elaine, Elaine! Can you hear me? Are you alright?”
“Ugh, Mr. Kaneff! Don’t pour so much potion on him like that!”
“Ahhh… Brother Elaine will drown in the potion!”
Alfred was being showered with the utmost care by the farm members. A hint of loneliness appeared on Claudion’s face as he watched the scene.
Then he turned his head again and said with a hint of resignation.
“It seems… I was wrong after all.”