Published at 11th of November 2020 05:00:00 PM
Chapter 182
The Lotus Cup entered the third day . The initial thirty-two participants had now only left eight .
Participating in the Lotus Cup is already an honorable achievement, but anyone who had won till the third day is considered glorious enough in the martial arts world . Despite so, Moore who appeared in front of Ardis on that morning looked a little awkward .
「Hey Ardis . 」
「What? 」
Ardis replied after being called out by Moore who looked like he wants to sigh .
「Those people with political power are really tyrannical and selfish……, are you sure you can handle them? 」
「They’re all about like that but, what’s up? Well, I think I know . 」
Seeing Moore’s appearance, Marquis Holguin must’ve done something . It’s about the most important time for the Lotus Cup, and the Marquis is sure to be pulling some string behind now .
「My opponent was changed . 」
「That so . 」
Ardis didn’t think much of it .
「That’s quite the uninterested reply . Aren’t you interested in who is it? 」
「It’s not like I’m the one fighting right? 」
「That might not be the case . 」
「Meaning? 」
Ardis asked the meaning behind Moore’s words .
「I mean, the opponent I’m facing was changed to none other than you, Ardis . 」
「Me? 」
Ardis looked a little surprised at the sudden revelation .
「That’s strange though? What happened to the match up yesterday? 」
Moore had come out the second match of the day, and Ardis’s was the sixth . From how the order goes, they should only meet up at the finals .
There should’ve been no way they will match up in the quarterfinals .
「Is there any past cases where the match up is changed? 」
「No? This should be the first time as far as I know . 」
Ardis’s expression looked a little sour .
「It must be Marquis Holguin’s doing, huh . 」
「Nine out of ten it is . We’re no more than annoyance to him . Since we’ve won our matches so far, he must’ve thought of doing something, and eliminating either one of us is the best idea he thought . 」
It must be the Marquis Holguin wanting to eliminate even either one of them that he had altered the match up of the tournament . It was obvious why he would set up Ardis to go against Moore .
「His intentions are clear like water . 」
「Well……, considering it’s his stage of performance, it’s no doubt we’re no more than annoyance . 」
If they’re advancing in the tournament, Moore would clash eventually . That’s something inevitable .
The original match up can be said best for them . Might as well fight each other at the finals to thoroughly defame Marquis Holguin, so the sudden change in the brackets was undesirable .
「But then again, I thought Marquis Holguin would be more shrewd . I was even on guard for it . 」
While joking around, Moore’s eyes were still serious .
「Small fries would always try to do something that makes it looks like they’re unrelated at first . They would only do something more direct after failing . 」
「Though I didn’t really want to fight with you until the finals……」
Moore spoke what Ardis thought too . In the first place, their purpose on this stage is different .
After getting transported into another world together with Minerva, he must’ve understood Ardis’s strength with his own eyes . Moore sighed again, looked down and shrugged, it seems like he was convincing himself .
「Well, it’s no use grumbling over it now . 」
「That’s right . One of my always caught with trouble acquaintance said that going with the flow of life is essential . 」
「Hou . You’re speaking like you won now, isn’t that being careless? 」
Towards Ardis who spoke like not towards his opponent, Moore was criticizing .
Sponsored Content
「Did you not know, I’m a swordsman right? 」
Moore clicked his tongue after hearing the black haired young man saying that as a matter of fact .
「It’s hard to believe but, it seems to be the case . 」
「Either way, we will know when we fight . Talking this and that here won’t change the fact that our matchup is decided . 」
「That’s true . 」
Moore understood that too . With a change of pace, he agreed with Ardis .
「But since I’m also here thanks to His Excellency, I can’t go down without a fight . Expect me to try my best . 」
「Of course . 」
Ardis’s short answered with a grin .
The time for the match have come, Ardis and Moore walked out towards the middle .
「Tch, that guy is snickering up there . 」
Moore was grumbling hatefully, and Ardis was prompted to look at the nobles area . It is the same lame looking person that was glaring at Moore when he won the first match .
Marquis Holguin is the perpetrator behind the assassination incident on Minerva . He must’ve waited happily for Ardis and Moore who are annoyance participating under Duke Nyrestia’s power to fight each other .
Rather than a smile of anticipation for the match, it was obvious to Ardis that it is a smirk proud of his own actions .
「It’s irritating to have it his way…… . But that’s just how it is with someone that has power . I don’t think His Excellency can do anything to the sudden rule change as well . 」
「Why, I bet that face is going to be red in flames by the time Lotus Cup is over . Let him be happy now . 」
After all it was the purpose why Ardis participated . Ardis and Moore met eyes for a moment, before returning them forward .
Another two steps and it looked like Moore realized something and looked at Ardis with a dubious look .
「Did you really participate because of that――」
「Hey, keep the talk later . We’re opponents now . 」
Ardis chose the same weapon as the two prior matches while shutting Moore up, and moved to the starting position indicated y the judge .
Sponsored Content
「What a pity……」
Moore who was left behind shrugged, and took up his shield and sword without a choice and moved to the starting position as well .
Same to prior, the judge reiterated over the rules, and finally the start signal rang out in the arena .
「Here I come . 」
Just as the match started, Moore leapt out in a straight line . Ardis as well did not stay passive this match and went forward .
One of the dulled swords came from overhead, another came from the side, the two met each other and produced a loud ringing noise .
It felt like the true starting signal for the match . The two took some distance after the first exchange, then as if planned in advance, they took three steps counterclockwise .
Two swords exchanged again after the angle changed .
「Can you dodge this? 」
Moore stabbed outwards after taking half a step back . Ardis tried to deflect it and counterattack it with a downward slash .
「It’s my turn――」
But his counterattack stopped halfway . After all, reading Ardis’s counterattack, Moore’s shield were ready .
Rather than defending using it, it was more like a shield bash towards Ardis .
「Tch! 」
By a hair breadth, Ardis managed to stop it with the handle of his sword, and went for a kick from the side as retaliation .
「Too obvious! 」
Against that, Moore didn’t dodge or avoid it, but instead advanced even more . A kick’s force leverages the lever principe with the body as the fulcrum .
Because of that, the power is at its maximum when the target is at the very edge of the attack radius . Conversely, getting closer to the fulcrum would mean losing power, and of course the speed behind it as well .
「Then……! 」
Ardis whose kicking power was dragged to a stop changed his target but, at the same time, seeing that Moore moved his shield in defense, he made his stop .
Sponsored Content
That moment, the role of defending and attacking reversed . The side where his shield was, Moore opened his fist, and a rock was let loose from his hands towards Ardis’s eyes .
「From there!? 」
Ardis who had understood Moore’s intentions tilted away his head to avoid a direct attack towards his eyes . Of course, Moore wouldn’t let that chance slip .
Ardis realized he was at a disadvantage as he tried to retreat . Stopping the shield bash with the handle of the sword, Ardis managed to make use of its momentum and take some distance .
The countless exchanges happened in just a short time brought intense cheering to the arena . Among a gather of exceptional talents, Ardis’s and Moore’s swordsmanship aren’t that exceptional .
Every single sword that the elites of the army swung were like refined stories that drew the spectators in . On the other hand, their swordsmanship were underhanded and most human-like .
Their swordsmanship were trained and mixed with blood and sweat . Kicking, blinding attacks, feints, it can be said like the fangs of a wild beast called human .
There wasn’t any beauty nor elegance behind it . However, many were still captivated by its vitality and wildness .
A tense moment between the moves linked like flowing water . The gallant figures of the two looking and aiming for each other’s gap were standing out .
「As expected from a mercenary . 」
Ardis was impressed at Moore’s adaptability .
「Well, I have my experience fighting with those that have weird screws before I entered the army . 」
「I suppose so . A mercenary got to have that experience . 」
Unlike nobles who are taught from young as an obligation, or those soldiers that received training with discipline in a group, standing on a battlefield with just oneself, Ardis had been living a life where it’s uncertain a friend from yesterday will become an enemy today .
Although he didn’t know if Moore who had been living in a world without many wars have such experiences, he could tell that the lives of mercenaries that are used only as convenient gofers are not that blessed .
They’re not fighting for fame nor name, nor was it for someone else . With just a beautiful way of fighting, it can be said a mercenary’s way of living is too harsh for that .
「I don’t know how those elegant people fight as well . So I will have you know that it’s my forte too . 」
Moore replied lightly to Ardis’s declaration .
「It’s not like I have any complaints about that . 」
「I thought so . 」
With a slight smile on their face, Ardis kicked against the ground and resumed the fight again .