The Opportunity from the Game Becomes Reality, Chapter 169
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The Opportunity from the Game Becomes Reality, Chapter 169
40. Victory Commemoration Ceremony (4)
Under the current circumstances, I can infer about three kinds of behavior Count Friedrich might show me.
1. Coming to apologize.
Since he ruined the atmosphere of the party and continuously displayed hostile feelings toward me, if he had a normal way of thinking, coming to apologize would be the natural response.
2. Going all in and just charging at me.
A choice where emotion overrides reason.
Somehow, for that Count Friedrich, this choice seems to fit him better.
3. Rebuilding the relationship as if nothing had happened.
That is the most sly behavior.
It's a response politicians who don't easily apologize would use.
It's an act of subtly trying to patch up the relationship by vaguely giving off a remorseful vibe.
Naturally, option 3 doesn't work on me.
I'm not a man with time to spare, and I don't set aside precious time just to play along with word games.
No matter how great a noble of the Bringham Empire he is, I, who have become a grand duke, am not someone a count can order around.
"He's an impertinent fellow."
At Arcia's reaction from listening quietly beside me, Baron Eric, who had relayed the story, added a word.
"He seemed deep in thought during the five hours the event lasted. For now, I don't think he'll charge at you out of the blue."
Only the Count Friedrich himself would know what thoughts he holds.
But personally, I'd prefer him charging at me over doing something strange.
Then he can face a beating ending, can't he?
At the very least, it means I can relieve some stress.
"Well, I'll find out when I meet him."
"Shall I go with you?"
At Arcia's question, I shook my head and pointed to my mother and father staring intently at me from a distance.
"Go stay with your parents. I'll finish up quickly and be right there."
At that, Arcia nodded with a look of resignation.
I followed Baron Eric alone.
On the way, several people including President Izrael and Duke Olivia Riverdale approached me to speak, but I put off conversations with them, saying I had some business to attend to.
Count Friedrich should realize just how serious it is to take up my time like this.
* * *
Eric said so.
Count Friedrich, who had been chased out by his master and forced to return to his quarters, spent five hours deliberating over and over again.
The conclusion he reached after that deliberation was as follows.
"I apologize. I was blinded by envy and jealousy toward Your Highness the Grand Duke."
No matter how simple and foolish he is, he must understand how bad his position is right now.
This is the most sensible response.
But for me, who had held expectations for an unexpected turn, it was a result that left me clicking my tongue.
"Ah, is that so? Then be careful from now on."
I stood up right away with a look of lost interest.
The place we met was a glass greenhouse in the rarely visited rear garden of the Royal Palace.
It was the kind of place that looked perfect for a man and woman who slipped out of a party to share their love, so I had no desire to stay there long.
"Th-this won't do."
But then, this madman suddenly grabbed the hem of my cloak.
This fool, spouting lines that would make anyone nearby misunderstand if they heard them.
I furrowed my brow deeply and asked coldly.
"Don't beat around the bush. What do you want to say?"
At my attitude, the man looked choked up, but he soon composed himself and brought up a topic I hadn't expected.
"I wish for you to spar with me."
"Spar?"
"Yes, a spar extremely close to real combat."
Should I take this to mean that although he admits he made a mistake, he cannot accept that he is inferior to someone like me?
'I see... It wasn't just option 1 (apology), but option 1 (apology) plus option 2 (fight).'
I let out a snicker.
"Well, fine."
Honestly, I prefer it this way too.
"I'm busy, so I'll make some brief time for you. Shall I ask Duke Raphael to observe?"
"I will contact my master myself."
"Then tell him to come to the training grounds of the Imperial Guard Knight Division."
I shrugged.
Since he'd be excommunicated at least a hundred times over if he tried to hide this spar with me from his master and got caught, I suppose he intends to report it openly.
And so we headed to the training grounds, and Count Friedrich, who had been on the phone with Duke Raphael, flinched hard at his master's loud voice.
"I am truly sorry, Your Highness, the Grand Duke."
When we arrived at the training grounds, Duke Raphael, who had already arrived and was waiting, bowed deeply to me.
Once the coronation ceremony takes place, I would be called king, but since I had not yet formally ascended as king of the duchy, everyone still called me grand duke.
"Duke Raphael, you are well aware of how much I am humoring your stubborn demands, are you not?"
"Of course. I offer my deepest apologies for this, and I will be sure to compensate you."
He looked at his disciple as if he wanted to kill him.
Count Friedrich, following after me, confessed his wrongdoings to his master as well and begged for forgiveness.
"I'm sorry, Master."
But Duke Raphael's gaze remained cold as ice.
It seemed the rift in feelings between the two of them would not be easily mended.
"Let us begin the spar right away. I warn you in advance that I may be somewhat rough with my blows."
At my warning, Duke Raphael and Count Friedrich rather nodded as if that was exactly what they wanted.
I took off my cloak and stored it in subspace, then took out my Magic Staff and gripped it in my hand.
And Count Friedrich likewise drew his treasured blade from his subspace ring.
Judging by the force emanating from his sword, it seemed he intended to go all out from the very start.
"I apologize, but I will serve as the referee."
Quite a number of people had gathered at the training grounds.
All of Bringham Empire's delegation was present, and the Imperial Guard Knights of our Rhinehearts Empire had gathered as well.
What's more, somehow having gotten word of it, the nobles who had attended the party and even delegations from other nations showed up, turning the unofficial spar into an official one.
'Well, the more spectators, the better for me.'
I twirled my Magic Staff like a spear out of habit, then assumed a combat stance.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Then, let us begin."
Following that, Duke Raphael counted to three and shouted "Start."
"Come."
I beckoned with my hand to Count Friedrich, who was utterly serious.
"I won't hold back."
At that, the Count did not hesitate and charged at me.
It was the standard response knights choose when facing mages.
That being, closing the distance.
After all, mages were beings specialized in ranged combat rather than close quarters, so once the distance was closed, it was considered over half the battle won.
-KWAANG!
Count Friedrich's first Strike was a sword draw.
But his lightning-fast draw was deflected with a powerful impact sound, failing to strike its target.
What blocked the Count's strike was my Magic Staff.
"...!"
I had layered a condensed Great Shield onto my Magic Staff and answered his attack with an attack of my own; as a result, the Count's high-speed strike was deflected limp and weak.
As expected, when it comes to repulsive force, an Aura Blade cannot overcome a defensive magic of equal tier.
"Kugh, damn it."
As a result, Count Friedrich's upper body was left wide open.
It was the perfect chance for a magic attack, but....
-SLAP!
What I chose was not magic, but a straight punch.
My strike, backed by physical ability unbefitting a mage and augmented by various magic Buffs, snapped Count Friedrich's head back as blood gushed from his nose.
He must have been dumbfounded.
The experience of being beaten up by a mage must have been quite novel.
Count Friedrich gritted his teeth and swiftly recovered his sword, but I lightly disrupted his movements by casting an explosive spell on his wrist.
And this time, I struck his flank with the Magic Staff wrapped in Great Shield.
-CRACK!
At the dangerous sound of something breaking, the Count swallowed air.
Using the momentum, I drove a back kick straight into his solar plexus.
-KWAANG!
That cleanly landed back kick delivered an impact no different from being struck by a blunt weapon.
Count Friedrich was launched into the air and flew a good three meters.
"How can this be...."
That was the exclamation uttered by the people around us who were seeing my combat for the first time.
After all, everyone has a plan.
Until they get beaten black and blue on a rainy day...
-THWACK!
-CRUNCH!
The battle that followed was utterly one-sided.
Count Friedrich, thinking that one Strike would be enough to seize the advantage, gritted his teeth and tried slashing, thrusting, kicking, and every other sort of attack imaginable, but not a single one reached me each was deflected or blocked.
Of course, once an attack was blocked, a counterattack followed immediately, and I responded with thorough strikes as if relieving stress.
And so Count Friedrich's entire body became stained with blood and bruises, and the moment the 30th strike shattered his jaw, Duke Raphael, unable to watch any longer, stepped in.
"Enough! That's enough!"
Having already lost his will to fight, Count Friedrich slumped to the ground at the Duke's signal to stop, and I stored away my Magic Staff with a noticeably softened expression.
If I had truly decided to unleash high-level magic, the battle would have ended dozens of times over.
Count Friedrich must have known that well too.
I approached the dejected Count Friedrich and spoke.
"The world is wide and there are many strong people. So always remain humble, and listen well to your master's words."
Count Friedrich was left completely dazed like a broken man, but his master, Duke Raphael, did not resent me.
Rather, he seemed grateful that I hadn't ended it in one blow but had thoroughly crushed him.
There probably was no more certain shock therapy than this.
Truly satisfying and refreshing.
Having vented all my stress, I tried to generously use healing magic on him, but Duke Raphael stopped me.
"Leave the cleanup to me."
"Understood. Then I'll see you again some other time."
"You worked hard, Your Highness the Grand Duke."
And with that, I left the training grounds, savoring the mixture of shock and admiration in people's reactions.
"Whoa, that's insane."
"That's a Mage's combat?"
All sorts of emotions from the people behind me came through.
* * *
He had been thoroughly trampled.
He, who had always been the victor among his peers, had lost without being able to do anything at all.
Count Friedrich, looking up blankly at his master who was healing his injuries with a healing artifact, burst into tears.
"Grand Duke Lawrence's words are right. I should have taught you that the world is wide."
"I'm sorry."
Having experienced the overwhelming difference in talent, he could finally realize how foolish his past actions had been.
Though it was a loss that left only wounds, if he had gained something from it, it counted as a successful experience.
Duke Raphael, on the contrary, expressed gratitude to Adrian.
Because even in that brief moment, he could feel that his disciple's gaze had changed.
"From now on, let's stop paying attention to politics and focus on training. Both you and I."
"Yes, Master."
This was the scenario the Emperor of the Bringham Empire had hoped for, but....
[Count Friedrich, Who Challenged Grand Duke Lawrence to a Spar]
As that sparring video spread rapidly online, the Bringham Empire ended up earning a somewhat dishonorable title.
People said things like, "Who requests a spar at a celebration?" and called it "the Bringham Empire, jealous of Rhinehearts' success."
* * *
Benjamin Teo, a Singaporean who had been caught up in an accident and ended up in Rondel, had nothing to do besides eating three meals well, sleeping well, and relieving himself well.
Adrian had said he would find something for him to do, but with his lack of knowledge about Rondel's common sense, he wasn't at a level where he could do anything on the front lines, and so he lived almost like a freeloader.
"Hooaaah."
Aside from the time he spent studying Rondel's writing and language, he mostly spent his time like he would on Earth browsing all sorts of information online or watching TV.
In his hand, he always held the smartphone that had come with him from Earth; even though it had no signal, just carrying it a memento from home put his mind at ease.
Today as well, Benjamin yawned long and lazily, staring blankly at his smartphone with the TV left on.
[No signal.]
[No signal.]
[No signal.]
"Huh?"
With no connection, his smartphone was useless except for looking at old photos and messages, but....
For some reason, this day was different.
[Signal connected.]
Because an antenna signal appeared at the top of the smartphone, indicating a connection.
"Wh-what is this?"
He was so flustered that his hands trembled, and with a dumbfounded expression, he stared blankly before absentmindedly opening his web browser.
And instead of the usual connection failure, a web browser screen with the latest news appeared.
"My God! What in the world is going on!?"