At the foothills of Dragon Peak, we live.
The Meaning of the Sword
In short, there was no contest at all.
I went all out from the first move.
I activated Spatial Jump and moved behind Mr. Lottor.
With just that, Mr. Lottor lost track of me and looked around as if confused. Then, with a rather slow reaction, he finally noticed me behind him and was about to turn around.
At that moment, my figure, raising the Soul Spirit Seat, appeared in Mr. Lottor’s vision.
“Aaaagh!!”
Overcome with fear, Mr. Lottor’s legs gave out, and he fell down gracelessly.
Nevertheless, I swung the Soul Spirit Seat mercilessly.
A single flash.
A black afterimage that cut through the light streaked by.
“…The match is over, isn’t it?”
I quietly declared the end of the match.
Then, I returned the Soul Spirit Seat to its sheath and immediately had Ares-chan put it away.
With the malevolent presence of the Soul Spirit Seat gone from the field, the atmosphere finally lightened.
Only then did the onlookers, who had been watching silently from a distance, seem to remember to breathe, their chests rising and falling.
Similarly, Mr. Lottor, who had sat down on the ground in front of me, began to breathe again, his body convulsing slightly.
There was no need to clash swords.
By merely swinging the Soul Spirit Seat through the air, I had completely taken away Mr. Lottor’s chance of victory.
Therefore, further confrontation was unnecessary.
“I… I…”
Mr. Lottor brought his trembling hands before his eyes as if to confirm he was alive.
Then, as if realizing he had escaped death and felt relief from the bottom of his heart, he closed his eyes deeply.
“Lord Elnea, may I ask you something?”
“Yes. What is it?”
Mr. Lottor, having taken a few deep breaths and regaining his composure, stood up. Then, with his usual gentlemanly demeanor, he voiced his question.
“You went easy on me, didn’t you…?”
When I drew the Soul Spirit Seat, I had warned him.
“If we cross swords, you will die.”
Mr. Lottor had accepted the warning and challenged me, so he must have been prepared.
But, it was different.
Mr. Lottor was alive, and during the match, he hadn’t swung his sword until he recognized me behind him.
Therefore, Mr. Lottor thought I had gone easy on him.
But that was a misunderstanding.
“No, I was at full strength.”
“Then…?”
To Mr. Lottor, who was bewildered and asked why he was alive, I replied.
“This is the second time I have used the Soul Spirit Seat in battle. The first time was to save a dragon race possessed by a cunning yōma at Dragon Peak. Even in the final moments of my journey to revive the Holy Sword with Hero Lisuter, when I faced the Fairy Demon Lord, I did not wield this sword.”
The Soul Spirit Seat was used only once.
I drew the Soul Spirit Seat to save Duranel, the Earth Dragon and partner of Slaton.
And the subsequent, painful and arduous journey with Lisuter has already been widely sung by bards and spread throughout the world in books and Kyōgeki plays.
At the end of that harsh journey, I fought the Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla and exerted my full strength to reach a draw.
However, even in that battle, I did not take up the Soul Spirit Seat.
Furthermore, I never wielded it even when Ms. Amira’s power went berserk, or when facing the Demon King in the Northern Land.
“So, it’s different. The moment Mr. Lottor made me draw the Soul Spirit Seat, I was putting my entire being into it. In fact, you should be proud. Mr. Lottor is the only one who forced me to make up my mind and draw the Soul Spirit Seat.”
From the beginning, the difference in skill was obvious.
Therefore, I could have made Mr. Lottor admit defeat without coming all the way to this schoolyard. Nevertheless, I faced him seriously because Mr. Lottor’s feelings for Sefina were sincere.
One must respond with sincerity to those who show sincerity.
Therefore, I wiped the Soul Spirit Seat, which I hesitated to even hold, and challenged him.
Mr. Lottor and I both showed our resolve and our full strength.
Once that is done, the contest of skill is secondary.
Since I showed my full strength from the start, there was no need for a life-or-death exchange, which was merely a bonus.
That is why, after moving behind him with Spatial Jump, I stopped swinging my sword until Mr. Lottor recognized me.
“Mr. Lottor’s feelings were strongly conveyed to me. Therefore, I responded with my full strength without holding back. However, just as I love Sefina, if it were a fateful match for her, I absolutely could not go easy on you.”
Hearing my words, Mr. Lottor bowed his head deeply.
But he quickly looked up and extended his right hand.
I clasped Mr. Lottor’s hand, and we shook hands firmly.
“Likewise, I felt strongly Elnea-dono’s intentions. If Elnea-dono went all out and I lost… Well, I can give up my feelings for Sefina-dono as well.”
Mr. Lottor’s forced smile pierced my heart.
Pushing through my own feelings means crushing someone else’s feelings and stealing their future. I was made to deeply realize that.
Nevertheless, I do not want to let go of what I believe is important.
From now on, I will carry Mr. Lottor’s feelings as well and love Sefina. That is the only way to respond to Mr. Lottor’s sincerity.
“Lord Elnea. I sincerely apologize for causing you so much trouble today. I also sincerely apologize to Princess Sefina for causing her such great inconvenience with my personal matters.”
Mr. Lottor showed his gentlemanly demeanor once more at the end.
As expected, Mr. Lottor is a splendid person as the heir to the Count’s family.
I believe he will quickly find a new woman given his character.
Sefina also seems impressed by Mr. Lottor’s gentlemanly behavior, which he maintained until the end.
“Even I did not expect Elnea-kun to go this far. So, do not feel burdened by this match, but rather be proud of it. However… As always, it is Elnea-kun who makes my heart dance with joy. So, I’m sorry.”
Sefina was also cool until the end.
She extended her hand as if shaking hands with a comrade-in-arms before parting, and firmly clasped Mr. Lottor’s. Then, patting his shoulder as if to encourage him, she pulled away without a trace of pity.
Mr. Lottor seemed to have let go of some of his burden with Sefina’s decisive actions.
The forced smile on his face relaxed, and the tension left his entire body.
“I will take responsibility for ending this here, so please, you two, return to your respective lives.”
Accepting Mr. Lottor’s offer to handle the school teachers and students who had lent us the courtyard, and the throng of onlookers, Sefina and I left the school grounds.
“Elnea-kun.”
After leaving the school grounds, Sefina and I walked side by side.
Then, Sefina, leaning against my shoulder as she often did, asked.
“I was thinking, did you draw the Soul Spirit Seat for a reason other than to respond to Lottor’s feelings?”
“Hou hou. And what else do you mean?”
To Sefina, who seemed to have gained some conviction, I asked back.
The other meaning behind the match just now. It seemed Sefina had realized it.
“Firstly, if you were going to have a serious match with Lottor with all your might, you wouldn’t have needed a sword, would you? Because, Elnea-kun, your Dragon Arts are also first-class.”
That’s right.
I can handle a variety of Dragon Arts.
Besides, even if it’s a serious match that determines fate, there’s no rule that one must clash swords with the opponent. So, I originally had no need to draw the Soul Spirit Seat.
Nevertheless, I drew the Soul Spirit Seat.
“So, I was thinking. Was it a choice made with the future in mind?”
It’s undeniable, isn’t it? Sefina said, looking at my face once and continuing.
“In the future, perhaps someone will challenge Elnea-kun to a match, just like Lottor did, won’t they? Because it’s not just me, but Madrine-sama too.”
Sefina and Madrine possess great popularity in the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom respectively. In that case, as with Mr. Lottor’s situation, people who want to challenge me to a match will likely appear. Besides that, there might be those who simply want to test their strength.
However, no matter how much I am, I am not so good-natured as to accept every challenge.
“So, Elnea-kun deliberately drew the Soul Spirit Seat? To show that if someone challenges you for me or Madrine-sama in the future, they must stake their life, not just their fate. And also, to let them know that with only half-hearted resolve or ability, they cannot withstand the miasma emanating from the Soul Spirit Seat?”
What do you think? Am I wrong? Sefina asked, puffing out her chest with confidence, and I nodded.
“As expected of Sefina. Thank you for realizing. I also hope that the story will spread among the onlookers, and everyone will arrive at the same conclusion.”
“Fufufu, let’s expect that. Otherwise, we won’t be able to live a peaceful daily life.”
“Exactly!”
Our feet naturally turned towards my home.
Gradually, familiar buildings and scenery began to appear.
“I’m sure the capital will be a bit more lively again due to the commotion just now, so let’s stay at home for a while and relax.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
“Sefina, don’t you have to go to the Royal Castle!?”
“What shall I do?”
“Waaah! Princesses cutting in line!”
While we were exchanging such banter, we had somehow reached my home in the blink of an eye.
“Well, shall we go in?”
“You’re completely planning on relaxing at my house!”
Pulled along by Sefina, who seemed to be in a hurry, I stepped over the threshold of my home.
However, that’s when the incident occurred.
“Sefina, this is your punishment!”
“Sefina, this is your penalty!”
“M-My sisters!?”
By the time Sefina reacted, it was too late.
Yufilia and Nina, who had been waiting, had already completed their Dragon Arts.
“Dragon Beard Binding!!”
The overlapping voices of the twins echoed. At the same time, countless dragon beards emerged from seemingly empty space and instantly restrained Sefina.
“Sefina, how dare you sneak out in front of Nina and me.”
“Sefina, how foolish of you to sneak out in front of Yufi-nee-sama and me.”
“It’s not like that, sisters!”
Sefina, who should be skilled at manipulating others’ arts, was struggling, inexplicably unable to break free from the dragon beards.
“I intended to go to the Royal Castle after dropping Elnea-kun off at his home.”
“You lie.”
“If you were just returning to the Royal Castle, there would be no need to stop by Elnea-kun’s home.”
“Th-that…!”
Well, Yufilia and Nina are right.
It is true that Sefina took a detour, and it would be a roundabout way to stop by my home on the way back to the Royal Castle, so it was truly unnecessary.
However, we had been through quite a lot on the way here.
While not intervening in the sisters’ confrontation, I thought it would be better to tell the two sisters, so I recounted the recent commotion to Yufilia and Nina.
“…And so, Sefina was also a bit tired, so she just stopped by here to rest before returning to her official duties.”
Yufilia and Nina listened to my story, laughing and expressing surprise, and then understood.
However, they did not release Sefina.
“Sefina, this is a small reflection as punishment for causing trouble for Elnea-kun.”
“Sefina, this is a small punishment for entrusting your problem to others.”
“And these beards are real beards of the Dragon Race, so you won’t be able to break them with your power.”
“Huh?”
At the last overlapping words, not only Sefina but also I were dumbfounded.
Come to think of it, even though they didn’t seem to be maintaining the spell, the beard restraints were never released.
The long beards, which seemed to have emerged from space, were still robbing Sefina of her freedom.
“Yufi, Nina… Real dragon race beards…?”
When I asked, Yufilia and Nina puffed out their ample bosoms, proclaiming with confidence.
“Dragon Arts that selectively summon a part of a dragon’s body.”
“These Twin Princesses are developing new Dragon Arts again!”
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