Chapter 251: 133. An Extra Priest -2 (Part One)
Translated by A Passing Wanderer
Edited by RED
**
In the training hall of the Count’s residence…
There was no roof here, allowing the snow to cover the floor in pure white.
Charlotte was currently covering her mouth, while wobbling unsteadily on her feet on top of this lightly-packed layer of snow.
She usually sported a taciturn, expressionless face, but at this very moment, a heavy frown filled her face, while tears were forming on the edges of her eyes.
In the end, she couldn’t endure and leaned against the training hall’s wall, before sinking to the floor powerlessly.
I muttered quietly, “…I guess the drug really is pretty nasty.”
This would be my first time seeing her this out of sorts.
She didn’t have to force herself and drink the dang potion, but when I told her about its effects, she just chugged the whole bottle down without any hesitation whatsoever.
I felt sorry about that, so I walked over to her and squatted down to match her eye level. While lightly waving my hand in front of her face, I asked, “Are you alright? You want me to give you some holy water? It can clear out even the most potent of hangovers, you see.”
“N-no, I’ll be alright, Your Highness.”
Charlotte held her head as if it was hurting to the point of shattering like glass, then began forcing herself back to her feet. She used her sword like a crutch to balance herself, then shot a resentful glare in my direction.
“Fine, fine. At least drink this first.” I summoned some holy water in my hands and pushed it towards her so that she could at least wash the inside of her mouth out or something.
Charlotte took a gulp of the holy water cupped in my hands, and her complexion immediately improved to some degree.
Just as I bent down a little to gently pat her on her back, Hans walked up to us while holding a parchment and a pen.
“Are we going to test the medicine’s effects from now on, sir?” Hans asked, looking quite excited at the idea.
I figured that he just couldn’t wait to record how incredible his own concoction was. I replied, “Let’s do that a bit later, after Charlotte recovers a bit more.”
“I’m feeling fine, Your Highness. Although I do feel a little lightheaded, it’s on a level that I can manage without any issues,” Charlotte replied, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. She glanced at me, and I noticed the fire burning in her eyes. She seemed to have regained some of her vigour now.
If what Hans said was true, then the effects of the medicine would be only minor when used on someone already boasting a great deal of strength.
We had to pay close attention to Charlotte, and see how much of an effect the medicine had on her. There was only one sure-fire way to confirm that.
I walked to the centre of the training hall, then stood on the side opposite Charlotte. After summoning the greatsword, I gripped it loosely and rested it against the snow-covered floor. “Okay, now, Charlotte, how about we spar for a little while?”
She flinched noticeably, then with a complicated yet weird expression on her face, began staring at me intently. “Did you say ‘spar’, Your Highness?” She seemed quite surprised by my suggestion.
But that was probably down to us never having sparred before. Back during my banishment period, I was what you’d call ‘blessed with two left feet’, and had no talent in wielding swords, so I was understandably reluctant to spar with her.
But now that Kasim was with me, even someone like me could now more or less fight in close-quarter battles. That’s why I wanted to have a spar with Charlotte at least once.
“How about it?”
“Very well. I accept, Your Highness!”
The tone of her voice grew higher. I wasn’t sure why, but the corners of her lips were curling up ever so slightly. I could only guess that she was happy about something here.
Well, my opponent gave her consent, so… “Kasim!” …I might as well get started properly, then.
Kasim’s soul was summoned and entered the greatsword.
Not just my physical abilities, but even the necessary skill in battle entered my mind through the large weapon gripped in my hands.
I sucked in a deep breath, raised the greatsword, and leveled it at Charlotte.
As if to reply to that, a smooth grin floated up on her lips and she bowed her head a little, as per the established etiquette. She then stood opposite me and unsheathed her sword from its scabbard.
Her refined posture, her precise movements as she drew her sword out while kitted out in that figure-hugging white-coloured armour… Seriously now, it was like I was staring at a gorgeous portrait or something.
White snowflakes quietly piled up on her silver hair. Her crimson irises were reflecting my image.
After pulling out her sword, she lowered her stance and began glaring at me. The surrounding atmosphere seemed to suddenly transform.
This still silence flowed all around us, and I even fell into an illusion of the air getting progressively heavier.
I ended up blurting out something at the sheer pressure she emitted. “Please go easy on me, will ya?”
“I’ll give it all my all, Your Highness.”
…Huh. Maybe she wanted payback for the medicine?
I glanced at Hans, urging him with my eyes to give us the signal for the spar’s start. He seemed to have understood the meaning behind my gaze, because he nodded and raised his hand up.
He slowly lowered his hand and shouted out, “Begin!”
Charlotte’s slender, frail-looking foot stepped on the ground lightly.
She lowered her posture even further and just as the light burning in her eyes sharpened considerably, her figure vanished from my sight.
“…?” For a moment there, I thought I had lost her.
By the time I picked up on her movement, she was already right in front of my nose.
What followed after that was a delayed sonic boom. A snowstorm exploded right behind her.
My panicking face was now reflected in her irises. I cried out, “What the heck?!”
Charlotte planted her foot on the ground, and with her foot as the pivot, she spun around 360 degrees while raising her sword.
I desperately raised the greatsword and barely managed to block her blade.
CLANG-!
A loud, violent metallic clangour rang out as sparks danced in the air.
My muscles and even the bones in my joints were screaming in shock.
She hadn’t even used any divine power yet. Her current strength was purely a result of just her physical stats alone.
Just her physical strength alone was enough to numb my arms and make them feel like they would burst apart at any moment now.
“…What’s up with this ogre-like strength?!” I muttered without even realising it, but that only made her glare sharper than before. Her sword lowered, then slashed upwards.
Clang-!
That metallic clang was only the beginning; dozens upon scores of the sharp notes of metal colliding exploded out afterwards.
Charlotte wielded her sword from all sorts of angles at a genuinely frightening rate of speed.
I managed somehow to hold on, and retreated from her.
Even though I was relying on Kasim’s reflexes and his understanding of sword techniques, as well as his combat experience, I was still being overwhelmingly pummelled by her attacks.
Was it due to the effects of the wonder drug?
‘No, hang on. She hasn’t even used her divinity yet, has she?’
Which meant that this development was solely due to her hard work and nothing else.
“Okay, fine. Let’s get serious.”
I got some distance from her before rousing up my divinity. The divine energy coursed through my veins and spread throughout my body.
The Aztal Rune began emitting its beautiful golden light, and exhibited its power to greatly boost my physical prowess and reflexes.
All of my senses were greatly heightened; I could now follow Charlotte’s movements. Even the powerful blizzard slowed down to gently drifting snowflakes at this point. Hans’s movements became oh-so slow, as well.
In the midst of time slowing down to a crawl, only Charlotte remained agile and nimble.
Her movements were as smooth and refined as if she were dancing right now. The blade of her divine sword came flying in towards my waist.
I injected divine energy into the greatsword and deflected her blade away.
I wasn’t going to sit back and obediently take her beating, however!
[Divine Aura of Wind!]
Winds began compressing about my greatsword.
I created more distance before drawing the big sword back. If it was this attack, even Charlotte would have trouble defending against it.
“Here we go!” I slashed with the compressed air gathered about the greatsword.
The snowstorm exploded apart and the formless blade flew straight toward Charlotte.
“…” Only then did she utilise her divinity.
Faint but still pure-white aura oozed from her. Particles of light rapidly gathered to the sword tightly gripped in her hand before wrapping around the blade and becoming one with it.
She held the hilt with both hands and raised the weapon up high.
She sucked in a deep breath as her eyes lit up.”Fuu-heuph!”
Her crimson irises locked on the incoming wind blade, then she hacked down with all of her strength.
The formless greatsword made out of wind collided with her divine sword and got cut in two. It split apart left and right, brushed past her, and crashed into the wall of the training hall behind her, promptly exploding in a spectacular fashion.
Her figure dashed out from the blizzard and the blinding snow scattered in the air. She dug in with a lowered posture while a bright smile meant for me was etched on her face.
She said, “This time…”
The moment I heard her voice, my view flipped upside down.
Before I realised how, I was staring at the sky above. After turning my head to look below, I noticed that Charlotte used her leg to trip me up and destroy my balance.
Not content with that, she was even pressing me down to the ground with her left hand on my chest.
Once I was completely flat on the ground, she subdued both of my hands with her knees, then pressed her left hand firmly down on my chest.
As for her right hand, it held the sword which was now clearly pointing toward my throat.”…It’s my win. Isn’t it, Your Highness?”
For a fleeting moment there, her gentle voice tickled my eardrums. I could only dazedly stare at her on top of me, still pointing her sword.
Her expression had already stiffened up by then, as if she was trying to imitate a sheet of ice or something. Even I could tell that she was trying hard to suppress her emotions, but the corners of her lips were still quivering away.
She was genuinely pleased about defeating me today, it seemed.
