The moment Frey’s sword struck, my body was pushed backward.
Wait a second. That shimmering aura around Frey’s sword...
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
“Aura?!”
<Hmm. It’s not fully formed yet, but it’s definitely close to an aura.> the old man remarked.
Frey, you ridiculous prodigy!
No matter how talented you are, reaching this level in your first semester of the academy is just unfair!
According to the old man, she probably hasn’t even realized it herself, but even so, it doesn’t change the fact that this just made dealing with her a lot more difficult.
Each time Frey’s sword collided with my shield, the impact reverberated through my arms.
This is dangerous.
I still haven’t mastered the use of divine energy.
Sure, I’m confident in using divine magic at the level of a regular priest, but that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
I’ve been compensating for my lack of skill with the abundance of divine power that comes with being a heretic, but even that has its limits.
In other words, my divine shield isn’t as sturdy as it seems.
Up until now, I’ve been compensating for my weak shield with my shield skills, but with Frey using her aura-like ability, it’s become a challenge.
If I succeed in parrying, it’s fine, but every time I fail, the divine shield cracks a little more.
Because of that, I’ve been focusing all my attention on moving the shield, and naturally, I’ve been pushed onto the defensive.
This wasn’t like when I intentionally hid behind my shield, following the old man’s strategy.
Now, I was being genuinely pushed back by Frey.
“She’s a real monster!”
<You’re not one to talk, are you?> the old man quipped.
“True, but still!”
<Don’t worry. Just hold on, and you’ll win. Frey is in the same state as when you first learned divine combat techniques.>
Frey had unconsciously tapped into something resembling an aura.
Naturally, she had no idea how to control or handle it. She was simply burning through her mana recklessly, not knowing when to stop.
So, once her mana runs out and she reaches her limit, victory will be mine.
And enduring is what I do best.
After all, I’m a tank.
As I deliberately positioned myself behind my shield, Frey’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Frey, who had sparred with me almost every day since we enrolled at Soul Academy, had likely noticed what I was planning.
But even if she noticed, what could she do?
It’s not like she can break through my shield...
“What, hiding behind your shield again? Coward.”
What? This brat...
For a moment, I felt a surge of heat rise to my head, but I quickly suppressed it.
Getting angry in this situation wouldn’t help.
However, that brief hesitation caused by my anger proved to be a mistake.
Frey’s sword was already right in front of me.
I hurriedly raised my shield, following the old man’s advice, but I hadn’t fully gathered my wits.
The parry didn’t activate, and my already-cracking divine shield shattered completely.
Frey’s sword stopped just before reaching my neck.
Silence fell over the surroundings.
Frey’s heavy breathing.
The bright blade of her sword, reflecting the sunlight.
My own face, mirrored in that blade.
Everything was crystal clear.
“I’ve lost.”
Ah, I let my emotions get the better of me and acted recklessly, but to think I’d actually lose.
Now, every time I call Frey a “pathetic swordswoman,” it’s going to come back to bite me. I’ve just become the “king of pathetic” for losing to her.
<Why’d you charge in like an idiot? That’s why you lost, fool.>
“You gave me permission, Grandpa!”
<Did I? I must be getting old; I can’t remember.>
“Grandpa! What are you talking about?!”
While I was grumbling with the old man over my unexpected defeat, Anton approached to officially end the match.
Anyone could see the outcome was obvious, and I had no intention of denying it.
Sure, I could comfort myself by thinking, “If Frey hadn’t awakened her aura, I would’ve won!” but that wouldn’t make her sword disappear from right in front of me.
A loss is a loss.
I quietly awaited Anton’s declaration, but Frey stepped in to stop him.
“Wait. It’s not over yet.”
“Lady Kent? What do you mean? The match is already—”
“Lucy didn’t give it her all. That last move was a fake.”
Frey said this and then looked back at me.
“Lucy, am I still a ‘pathetic swordswoman’ to you?”
“Pfft. Puhahahaha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh, even with a sword right next to my neck.
Pfft. So that’s what Frey was after, huh?
I thought she’d be satisfied with just winning, but I was wrong.
Frey wasn’t just trying to beat me. She wanted something more.
She wanted me to acknowledge her as someone who stood beside me.
I don’t know what part of me appealed to Frey.
I don’t understand why someone as detached and emotionless as her was looking at me with such fiery eyes.
But anyway, I’d already lost once, hadn’t I? It’s only fair to give the victor what they want.
“Ugh, dumb professor♡, do us a favor and get lost, will you?♡”
“Hmph. If both parties agree, I suppose I have no choice.” Anton retreated, stepping back.
I quietly recited the incantations of several divine spells in my mind.
With that, my physical abilities increased dramatically, far beyond what they were before.
I then wrapped my entire body in divine energy.
At first, I struggled to control it.
I’m still not perfect, but I’m much better than I was just a while ago.
There’s no way I wouldn’t improve after enduring hours of grueling training every night until the old man was satisfied.
With everything in place, I pulled out my mithril shield from my inventory and withdrew Luel’s mace from my pocket.
This is my full strength.
“Come at me♡, you pathetic, dumb weakling♡.”
“Alright.”
With a grin, Frey charged at me, burning through her mana.
The mithril shield I held was solid.
Even Karl’s serious sword strikes wouldn’t cause it to falter.
Even if Frey was using something akin to an aura, there’s no way she could break this shield.
Knowing that, I advanced, deflecting her strikes with my shield.
Each time her sword met the shield, I felt the impact, but that was all.
It wasn’t enough to stop me.
The only reason I was pushed back before was due to the weakness of my previous shield.
It wasn’t because I lacked the physical strength to hold my ground.
Seeing me holding firm, Frey changed her strategy.
She tried to retreat, but I wouldn’t allow it.
As she moved back, I raised a divine barrier behind her.
It’s usually used for defense, but it can also be employed like this in certain situations.
When Frey realized her retreat was blocked, she frowned but quickly charged forward again.
Did she think she could break through by force?
Maybe that would’ve worked on the old me, but not the me standing here now.
I watched her sword carefully.
The sword, coated in mana, traced a blue arc through the air.
I moved my shield first, followed by the old man’s advice.
Our judgments were perfectly aligned.
As Frey’s sword struck my shield, the parry activated, drastically reducing its power.
I easily pushed her sword aside with my shield.
A heavy shield, full of mass and power, is a weapon in its own right.
With a dull thud, I struck Frey, who stumbled backward.
Even as she reeled from the blow, she quickly regained her composure, but by that time, I had already closed the distance.
Close enough that our breaths mingled.
This wasn’t sword range.
It wasn’t even mace range.
It was hand-to-hand range.
Smiling at her bewildered expression, I grabbed Frey by the collar.
She struggled desperately, but she couldn’t escape my grasp.
I lifted her, preparing to slam her into the ground... but stopped.
This was just a sparring match, after all.
No need to completely wreck her.
Before she could hit the ground, I slowed her fall, allowing her to land gently.
Frey stared at me blankly for a moment before raising her hands in surrender.
“I lost. As expected, you’re strong, Lucy.”
I thought she might look a little frustrated, but Frey’s expression was as emotionless as always.
Maybe it’ll take more time to see her genuinely upset.
“Good work, Frey.”
“It wasn’t bad, dumb swordswoman.”
“...Huh? Dumb?”
I didn’t respond to Frey’s questioning expression.
No one was more surprised than me, after all.
Dumb swordswoman?!
What? Why did the nickname suddenly change?!
Is this a thing now? Do nicknames evolve?
I thought once they were set, they stayed that way forever!
But this isn’t bad news.
It means that even the more unbearable nicknames I’ve used in the past might change someday.
After all, most of the nicknames given by the Mesugaki skill tend to cause issues and discord!
Think back to the time I called Arthur the "Pitiful Prince." That was a nightmare!
And imagine what’s going to happen when I start calling Cecil the "Useless Prince."
It’s too awful to even consider!
But if I can change the nicknames, that’s a different story.
I don’t even care about calling people by their actual names. I’d be happy if the nicknames were at least harmless and something we could laugh about.
Take Joy, for instance. Calling her "Dumb Lady" hasn’t been a problem.
Honestly, it’s kind of cute! Calling someone dumb when they really are a little dumb feels kind of fitting!
If I could just adjust everyone else’s nicknames to that level, then...
<Sorry to burst your bubble, but...>
“Don’t say it, Grandpa. If it’s bad news, just keep it to yourself.”
<Girl, whether it’s 'dumb swordswoman' or 'pathetic swordswoman,' they’re practically the same.>
Grandpa, could you please not poke at sensitive areas right now?
I’m in the middle of some happy thoughts. Why do you have to go and ruin it?
Just let me enjoy my fantasy for a bit longer.
And honestly, what's wrong with 'dumb swordswoman'? It's kind of cute.
<Besides, there was a time when your nicknames changed before, wasn’t there?>
“Was there?”
<Ah, yes. You once called Faybi 'Worthless Saint,' but later on, it changed to 'Lewd Saint.' Remember?>
Oh, right. That was during that whole embarrassing ordeal when the degenerate god strengthened the Mesugaki skill.
...Hmm. That was probably just more of the god’s twisted humor.
Still, it means that these nickname changes aren’t always a positive thing.
Sigh. This is so complicated.
While I was sighing internally over this unexpected turn of events, Frey, who had stood up, grabbed my arm.
“Lucy. Lucy. One more time.”
“One more what?”
“What do you mean, dumb swordswoman?”
“...Wait a second. Did you just say 'dumb'? Not 'pathetic'?”
Did Frey think I had acknowledged her? She seemed pleased with the switch to 'dumb swordswoman.'
Whether she realized it or not, there was a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was clearly overjoyed.
Sigh. Well, if you’re that happy, then I guess this turned out alright.