When Pelarhar defeated the attendants following him and flew down to the parade ground, Sislan was panting as if he was about to collapse, but he was still running at Merton without stopping.
“Eyah! Haap...!”
At first, he was striking quite sharply, but as his stamina depleted, Sislan’s movements became sluggish and sloppy.
In contrast, Merton was now barely moving from where he was standing, using only one arm to deflect Sislan’s attacks as if he were handling a child.
“Ugh...!”
Sislan, holding the wooden sword with both hands, gritted his teeth. His bloodshot eyes as if he was about to faint, trembled.
Merton smiled as if he was sighing and said,
“There’s too much unnecessary strength. I admit that you have good brute force compared to your size, but half of that strength comes from your shoulders. I don’t know what weapon you mainly use, but using your shoulder is something that only children would do in a duel.”
“What kind of interference are you!”
Sislan shouted, his pride hurt. Before he could finish his words, he suddenly rushed at Merton.
It was almost a forced push, but when Merton swung his wooden sword, which he held tightly, Sislan’s sword broke with a “bang!”
With every whispering, Thelma’s haughtiness grew higher and higher.
Merton, who had been watching, turned his head away as if he was even more embarrassed, and Aiman rubbed his bumpy scalp and clicked his tongue, making a tsk tsk sound.
Erdene looked towards Belen and continued speaking.
“Captain Thelma can handle almost any weapon as if it were her own, but she especially uses a double-edged sword and a wide-curved dagger. She’s also excellent at mounted archery. Right now, she doesn’t have a horse or a bow, so even if it’s the third, watch her movements carefully to see where her habit of using a double-edged sword and a dagger comes from.”
The flag went up.
Thelma was still stomping her feet, her shoulders drooping like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Your Majesty, please be gentle. It might be okay in the Empire, but here... ah!”
Erdene charged, swinging her sword at a speed too fast to be seen.
If Thelma hadn’t reacted in an instant, the wooden sword would have pierced her side and torn her apart with such terrifying force.
“Oh, really! Why me! And seriously! Damn it!”
Thelma chattered nonstop, but quickly took a stance. From top to bottom, left to right, both hands to one hand...
The movements of Thelma, who was fending off Erdene’s attacks that were raging all over the place, were quick and nimble.
Belen slowly inhaled while watching the movements of the two who were busy chasing after him.
Putting aside the fact that the commanders he had sent out earlier were no match for the imperial military officers, as someone who had directly faced Erdene, he couldn’t help but be astonished at Thelma’s reaction speed and attack direction.
Even when he was sparring with her, Erdene’s speed was ridiculously slow. Compared to now.
‘How much did you let me down? Damn, when the skill gap is this big, my pride doesn’t hurt.’
Thump! Thud! Crack!
The sound of wooden swords clashing here and there continued.
The moment Thelma, who had seized the opportunity to approach Erdene, swung her wooden sword, the two of them had mixed emotions on their faces. They had miscalculated the distance.
“No, Your Majesty. I’ll... Ugh!”
Erdene blocked Thelma’s wooden sword that struck her from a short distance with her hand and then struck her ribcage with her empty fist.
The impact on her empty body, which was wearing nothing but a leather vest, let alone armor, was... tremendous.
“Aaah, I’m dying! My ribs are all broken! Oh my!”
Merton groaned and touched his forehead as Thelma rolled on the ground and acted out her usual antics.
As a shy man, Thelma’s frivolity in causing a ruckus in front of foreign soldiers was hard to bear.
On the other hand, when Erdene kicked Thelma, who was rolling on the ground, unexpectedly, cheers erupted from Vetor’s soldiers.
“Her Majesty has won!”
“My goodness, that was a match that was no match for her!”
“Your Majesty, you’re amazing!”
As applause and cheers came from here and there, Thelma, who had been saying that her ribs were broken just a moment ago, suddenly stood up and shouted.
“Our Queen, Your Majesty?”
Clap!
Erdene’s wooden sword hit Thelma’s crown precisely.
“Ouch! Why are you hitting me!”
“Stop sulking and go inside.”
Thelma grumbled and returned to her seat.
Erdene glanced at her as Merton scolded Thelma and looked back at Belen.
“How is it, Belen?”
“Yes?”
“Can you apply what you’ve seen so far?”
Belen swallowed dryly and looked at Erdene with a tense expression.
The memory of being hit directly came back to him like a vivid nightmare. And now, all of his soldiers were watching him...
“I’ll try.”
When Belen nodded, Erdene smiled with satisfaction.
“You have to have that much spirit. You can only progress if you don’t fear losing face.”
As Erdene moved to the center of the parade ground, Belen, with a tense expression, stepped forward with a wooden sword.
The soldiers became as quiet as a mouse again. Thelma, who had been joking around, also watched the two with an expression of interest.
“You come in first.”
“Then, excuse me, Your Majesty.”
Belen’s body moved first. However, the moment he was about to swing his sword, Erdene, who had clearly been in front of him, had disappeared.
“Huh?”
“Your movements are too orthodox.”
With a “thud!” a sharp pain shot through his back.
Belen bit back a groan and regained his stance, attempting a counterattack.
However, before he could even think of how to attack, Erdene’s attack struck him.
Sophia, who had been watching Erdene and Belen’s duel from the platform—Belen being beaten for the second time—belatedly noticed Pelarhar, who had quietly approached him and lowered her head.
“Your Excellency Pelarhar.”
“Yes, Sophia. I find it a bit surprising that you are watching something like this?”
“I'm here to honor Her Majesty , but that doesn't mean I don't like dueling officials.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Pelarhar smiled faintly as if he was surprised and looked down at the parade ground.
Belen was now being beaten just as hard as Thelma. Still, it was admirable that he wasn’t rolling around and was trying to defend himself somehow.
“Captain Wiziard has lost face. I thought Her Majesty would be more lenient.”
Sophia said.
“That wouldn’t help. Her Majesty is deliberately turning Captain Wiziard into mashed potatoes...”
Pelarhar looked back at her with a bewildered expression.
“Mashed potatoes?”
“...My words slipped out of my mouth. I think she’s deliberately... attacking him without mercy.”
“Eyah! Haap...!”
At first, he was striking quite sharply, but as his stamina depleted, Sislan’s movements became sluggish and sloppy.
In contrast, Merton was now barely moving from where he was standing, using only one arm to deflect Sislan’s attacks as if he were handling a child.
“Ugh...!”
Sislan, holding the wooden sword with both hands, gritted his teeth. His bloodshot eyes as if he was about to faint, trembled.
Merton smiled as if he was sighing and said,
“There’s too much unnecessary strength. I admit that you have good brute force compared to your size, but half of that strength comes from your shoulders. I don’t know what weapon you mainly use, but using your shoulder is something that only children would do in a duel.”
“What kind of interference are you!”
Sislan shouted, his pride hurt. Before he could finish his words, he suddenly rushed at Merton.
It was almost a forced push, but when Merton swung his wooden sword, which he held tightly, Sislan’s sword broke with a “bang!”
“Huh!”
Sislan, who had fallen, opened his eyes wide for a moment. The blunt tip of the wooden sword tapped the back of his neck.
“Oh.”
A sigh mixed with pity and mockery escaped Pelarhar, who had been watching.
Sislan glared at the wooden sword touching his neck, then bit his lips and glared.
Merton said,
“You’re dead.”
“...Damn it!”
Sislan, who had jumped up, kicking up dust, rubbed his sweaty face.
“Let’s do it again.”
“You’re welcome anytime, but not in this state. Go drink some water and lie down. Otherwise, you’ll collapse.”
“What do you mean water? I’ll freeze to death...! Let’s do it again!”
“Sislan!”
Belen’s shout echoed across the wide parade ground.
Sislan, who turned his head away in a sting, licked his lips and kicked the floor.
“Damn it!”
He turned his head away, spat, glared at Merton, and trudged off somewhere.
Merton, who didn’t look tired at all, slung his wooden sword over his shoulder and shook his head with a strange smile.
“It’s my turn! It’s my turn! Captain Merton, come in quickly, and I’ll go out!”
Thelma ran out, snickering. The atmosphere among the soldiers was not very good because the captains of Vetor had been losing consecutively, but they had a frivolous attitude as if they didn’t care about that kind of thing.
“Yes, Thelma. It’s your turn. And this time, it’s my turn.”
Thelma, who was swinging her heavy wooden sword with one hand like it was a toy, opened her eyes wide when she saw Erdene stepping down from the platform.
“No! Why? I want to fight the captains of Vetor too! Why am I the only one...!”
“Shut up.”
Thelma’s mouth, which had been arguing back and forth, snapped shut.
The soldiers of Vetor and the captains of the knights looked at their queen, who looked like a young servant, with new eyes.
Some of them saw Erdene’s face for the first time today, and they seemed quite surprised to see her petite figure and pretty features, contrary to the rumors they had heard.
Erdene, holding the wooden sword, suddenly pointed at Thelma with the tip and said.
“Ready.”
“Ready...”
Thelma grumbled, sticking out her lips. Erdene wrinkled her nose and laughed as if she was seeing a sullen child, then continued speaking nonchalantly.
“She is the Commander of the Knights of Eril, the most skilled and elite of the elite soldiers in the Empire. She was also my direct adjutant when I was in the Empire.”
The mouths of the people gathered in the parade grounds fell open. Thelma shrugged her shoulders and snorted at the disbelieving gazes.
“That snobbish guy is the Commander of the Knights?”
“And she’s in charge of the elite troops?”
“Her direct adjutant...”
Sislan, who had fallen, opened his eyes wide for a moment. The blunt tip of the wooden sword tapped the back of his neck.
“Oh.”
A sigh mixed with pity and mockery escaped Pelarhar, who had been watching.
Sislan glared at the wooden sword touching his neck, then bit his lips and glared.
Merton said,
“You’re dead.”
“...Damn it!”
Sislan, who had jumped up, kicking up dust, rubbed his sweaty face.
“Let’s do it again.”
“You’re welcome anytime, but not in this state. Go drink some water and lie down. Otherwise, you’ll collapse.”
“What do you mean water? I’ll freeze to death...! Let’s do it again!”
“Sislan!”
Belen’s shout echoed across the wide parade ground.
Sislan, who turned his head away in a sting, licked his lips and kicked the floor.
“Damn it!”
He turned his head away, spat, glared at Merton, and trudged off somewhere.
Merton, who didn’t look tired at all, slung his wooden sword over his shoulder and shook his head with a strange smile.
“It’s my turn! It’s my turn! Captain Merton, come in quickly, and I’ll go out!”
Thelma ran out, snickering. The atmosphere among the soldiers was not very good because the captains of Vetor had been losing consecutively, but they had a frivolous attitude as if they didn’t care about that kind of thing.
“Yes, Thelma. It’s your turn. And this time, it’s my turn.”
Thelma, who was swinging her heavy wooden sword with one hand like it was a toy, opened her eyes wide when she saw Erdene stepping down from the platform.
“No! Why? I want to fight the captains of Vetor too! Why am I the only one...!”
“Shut up.”
Thelma’s mouth, which had been arguing back and forth, snapped shut.
The soldiers of Vetor and the captains of the knights looked at their queen, who looked like a young servant, with new eyes.
Some of them saw Erdene’s face for the first time today, and they seemed quite surprised to see her petite figure and pretty features, contrary to the rumors they had heard.
Erdene, holding the wooden sword, suddenly pointed at Thelma with the tip and said.
“Ready.”
“Ready...”
Thelma grumbled, sticking out her lips. Erdene wrinkled her nose and laughed as if she was seeing a sullen child, then continued speaking nonchalantly.
“She is the Commander of the Knights of Eril, the most skilled and elite of the elite soldiers in the Empire. She was also my direct adjutant when I was in the Empire.”
The mouths of the people gathered in the parade grounds fell open. Thelma shrugged her shoulders and snorted at the disbelieving gazes.
“That snobbish guy is the Commander of the Knights?”
“And she’s in charge of the elite troops?”
“Her direct adjutant...”
With every whispering, Thelma’s haughtiness grew higher and higher.
Merton, who had been watching, turned his head away as if he was even more embarrassed, and Aiman rubbed his bumpy scalp and clicked his tongue, making a tsk tsk sound.
Erdene looked towards Belen and continued speaking.
“Captain Thelma can handle almost any weapon as if it were her own, but she especially uses a double-edged sword and a wide-curved dagger. She’s also excellent at mounted archery. Right now, she doesn’t have a horse or a bow, so even if it’s the third, watch her movements carefully to see where her habit of using a double-edged sword and a dagger comes from.”
The flag went up.
Thelma was still stomping her feet, her shoulders drooping like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Your Majesty, please be gentle. It might be okay in the Empire, but here... ah!”
Erdene charged, swinging her sword at a speed too fast to be seen.
If Thelma hadn’t reacted in an instant, the wooden sword would have pierced her side and torn her apart with such terrifying force.
“Oh, really! Why me! And seriously! Damn it!”
Thelma chattered nonstop, but quickly took a stance. From top to bottom, left to right, both hands to one hand...
The movements of Thelma, who was fending off Erdene’s attacks that were raging all over the place, were quick and nimble.
Belen slowly inhaled while watching the movements of the two who were busy chasing after him.
Putting aside the fact that the commanders he had sent out earlier were no match for the imperial military officers, as someone who had directly faced Erdene, he couldn’t help but be astonished at Thelma’s reaction speed and attack direction.
Even when he was sparring with her, Erdene’s speed was ridiculously slow. Compared to now.
‘How much did you let me down? Damn, when the skill gap is this big, my pride doesn’t hurt.’
Thump! Thud! Crack!
The sound of wooden swords clashing here and there continued.
The moment Thelma, who had seized the opportunity to approach Erdene, swung her wooden sword, the two of them had mixed emotions on their faces. They had miscalculated the distance.
“No, Your Majesty. I’ll... Ugh!”
Erdene blocked Thelma’s wooden sword that struck her from a short distance with her hand and then struck her ribcage with her empty fist.
The impact on her empty body, which was wearing nothing but a leather vest, let alone armor, was... tremendous.
“Aaah, I’m dying! My ribs are all broken! Oh my!”
Merton groaned and touched his forehead as Thelma rolled on the ground and acted out her usual antics.
As a shy man, Thelma’s frivolity in causing a ruckus in front of foreign soldiers was hard to bear.
On the other hand, when Erdene kicked Thelma, who was rolling on the ground, unexpectedly, cheers erupted from Vetor’s soldiers.
“Her Majesty has won!”
“My goodness, that was a match that was no match for her!”
“Your Majesty, you’re amazing!”
As applause and cheers came from here and there, Thelma, who had been saying that her ribs were broken just a moment ago, suddenly stood up and shouted.
“Our Queen, Your Majesty?”
Clap!
Erdene’s wooden sword hit Thelma’s crown precisely.
“Ouch! Why are you hitting me!”
“Stop sulking and go inside.”
Thelma grumbled and returned to her seat.
Erdene glanced at her as Merton scolded Thelma and looked back at Belen.
“How is it, Belen?”
“Yes?”
“Can you apply what you’ve seen so far?”
Belen swallowed dryly and looked at Erdene with a tense expression.
The memory of being hit directly came back to him like a vivid nightmare. And now, all of his soldiers were watching him...
“I’ll try.”
When Belen nodded, Erdene smiled with satisfaction.
“You have to have that much spirit. You can only progress if you don’t fear losing face.”
As Erdene moved to the center of the parade ground, Belen, with a tense expression, stepped forward with a wooden sword.
The soldiers became as quiet as a mouse again. Thelma, who had been joking around, also watched the two with an expression of interest.
“You come in first.”
“Then, excuse me, Your Majesty.”
Belen’s body moved first. However, the moment he was about to swing his sword, Erdene, who had clearly been in front of him, had disappeared.
“Huh?”
“Your movements are too orthodox.”
With a “thud!” a sharp pain shot through his back.
Belen bit back a groan and regained his stance, attempting a counterattack.
However, before he could even think of how to attack, Erdene’s attack struck him.
Sophia, who had been watching Erdene and Belen’s duel from the platform—Belen being beaten for the second time—belatedly noticed Pelarhar, who had quietly approached him and lowered her head.
“Your Excellency Pelarhar.”
“Yes, Sophia. I find it a bit surprising that you are watching something like this?”
“I'm here to honor Her Majesty , but that doesn't mean I don't like dueling officials.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Pelarhar smiled faintly as if he was surprised and looked down at the parade ground.
Belen was now being beaten just as hard as Thelma. Still, it was admirable that he wasn’t rolling around and was trying to defend himself somehow.
“Captain Wiziard has lost face. I thought Her Majesty would be more lenient.”
Sophia said.
“That wouldn’t help. Her Majesty is deliberately turning Captain Wiziard into mashed potatoes...”
Pelarhar looked back at her with a bewildered expression.
“Mashed potatoes?”
“...My words slipped out of my mouth. I think she’s deliberately... attacking him without mercy.”
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