Vol 1 Chapter 5 (2/2)

Louie screaht couldn’t hear his cries

“You’re going to fight, Louie”

Genie said wickedly

“It’s a duel”

Merrill said, tapping Louie on the shoulder

“Yes, a duel”

Melissa stated Fro was certain, she was detero of Louie’s arm

“You’re going to fight a knight”

Ila said, then she moved besides Louie and whispered in his ear

“I’m sorry……”

Louie lifted his head, he looked distressed No ainst the knight

Although he ht fro, and , he didn’t stand much of a chance

(Maybe I will be killed)

A dark wave came over Louie4 – A slow manThe rooical treasures were scattered about the place, you could literally s from them

They were in the sorceress Ila’s room, only Louie and her were in it

Both of them had just co to eat, then went to Ila’s room

“How are you going to do it?”

Ila said, while she has cleaning andstuff around the roo down on a nearby chair

“I’ll do what I can”

Louie had to accept this challenge, he was obviously frustrated

He had to duel a knight called Conrad frodom

Louie didn’t really want to fight Melissa’s fiancé, but he couldn’t back out at this point, he had to prevent Melissa fro someone she doesn’t love

“All for love, I have to fight hi around this”

“Well, you could always kill Melissa”

“Ila……”

A chill went down Louie’s spine, he didn’t know if Ila was joking or being serious

“I could always run away froht”

“That priestess was the one who decided for you, she only wants to take advantage of you”

“Yes, she forced me into this”

Both of the was mutual

“But running’s not your style, surely you don’t want to give her to that knight?”

Ila coughed, to arouse the attention of Louie“Of course not”

Louie immediately said

“Well, you are a man, so you should defend your woman”

Ila sently

“Whatever the reason, I’ve got to fight that guy”

“Hoill you win?”

“Soht looks kind of weak, I really don’t knohat he was thinking……”

“That knight……”

Ilaher

She wanted to tell Louie what it was, but she reckoned he had enough things to deal with

“If you’ve got luck on your side, then you ht win”

She then stared at Louie

“Though, if the opposite happens, do you have any last words?”

Ila joked But she wasn’t joking, she knew this was the likely outcome

“There’s no need for that sort of thing”

“You’re so boring, want to help ical treasures?”

Louie thought about this, was he boring? However, he didn’t want to ask that question to Ila

“Well, I think I should practice so first”

“Fine, you do that while I do this”

“What?”

“Do you have to ask, collecting ical treasures obviously”

Ila had a serious look on her face

Louie suddenly felt a ret, he felt that he shouldn’t have asked that question

Then, Louie left Ila’s room He didn’t want to talk anymore

Because he stayed up studying with Ila last night, he was tired, and went to sleep early He wanted to deal with all his troubles tomorrow, not today

He went fast asleep Regardless of whatever studies he had the next day, he only concentrating on training

After five days, Louie heard some rumours

Five robbers broke into a hotel in Ohfun, and apparently a knight beat the whole lot of them

The entire toas talking about this guy

Louie and Conrad’s duel was tomorrow5 – A Powerful Sword“Have you heard?”

It was the warrior woman Genie’s voice, she appeared in front of Louie

Behind her was the thief Merrill and the priestess Melissa

“Yes, I heard……”

Louie sighed

He was resting in the Magicians’ Guildthis, he wouldn’t knohat they’d say

His bare upper body, his impressive physique, his entire body was covered in sweat

Su

“I heard that the knight struck down five robbers”

When Louie heard about it, it was alician’s guildLouie was obviously very concerned about this rumour

“Yeah, it’s true”

Merrill stepped forward

“I went to the thieves guild, they confirmed it Conrad really did defeat those robbers, I also heard that he was su himself”

Louie was not amused

He felt like a prisoner on death row, and tomorroas his execution day

“Some thieves tried to kill him”

Merrill obtained this inforuild

“He killed them all”

“……That guy seems pretty cold-blooded”

It seeht

While Louie accepted the knight’s challenge, he doesn’t intend to kill his opponent, but he didn’t know if that applied to the knight

However, after listening to Merrill, Louie gave up on that idea

“I can’t believe it”

Melissa said

“I wonder how he became so powerful……”

Louie said, obviously bewildered

(This guy is pathetic)

Melissa thought, she was disgusted with him

“It may be a bit late, but do you want me to train you?”

Genie said to Louie

This proposal was the best thing Louie had heard in a while

“Well, do you want my help or not?”

“Hey……”

Merrill said to Louie

Louie had a sad look on his face

“There’s a chance I could die in this fight, isn’t there?”

“Obviously”

Merrill had a serious look on her face

“Don’t worry If you die, I will accompany you……as part of the wild rejoice”

Melissa had thought about this a lot

“Wild Rejoice” refers to visiting deceased heroes in the underworld, it’s part of the teachings of Mylee

(That’s reassuring!)

Louie screamed internally He decided that if he died, he would like to become a star in the sky

“Anyway, have you seen that college you travel around with today?”

Genie suddenly changed the subject

“Ila doesn’t always come with me”

Louie said impatiently

He thought she wanted to see her because she’s a inally wanted a feroup, but they had to settle for Louie since Melissa received a revelation from God

(I guess it won’t be too bad if I lose my life in this silly duel)

Louie thought

“She’s away for a few days, I think she was going to buy souild”

Ila’s ho in Ohfun, her father had collected nuical treasures as a hobby This definitely influenced Ila, you could say she was just like her father

Perhaps after toht

He recalled nu Louie

Unfortunately, there is no way he can say goodbye to her now

“Even if my opponent is more powerful, I won’t run away I will ht be killed So, you better forget about me”

Louie didn’t have any hatred towards the three wo him after he died with food and drink

(If that sword sends me to heaven, it wouldn’t be that bad)

He didn’t want to die in pain But then again, ht” wasn’t merciful, for all Louie knows he could have some special torture technique5 – Battle of the ical treasuresThen, the day of the duel had come

Louie arrived early at the Mylee temple

People didn’t know if he was afraid of being late, they could only speculate

Although Louie had coht, he was unarmed, his last chance to buy a sas outside, he wasn’t even wearing armour, he just wore the clothes he usually wears around Joy Street

However, Louie didn’t intend to give up, he was going to try his best to win If you th and ability, Louie wouldn’t lose this upcoh, he would need to see how his opponent fights first, that would give hie

The day before the event, the followers of Mylee spread the news of the duel to the townspeople They didn’t knohat kind of arena would be setup, but they were sure it would be better than any street brawl

Lots of people came to watch the duel, but they only knew that Conrad fro They didn’t knoho his opponent was, nohy they were fighting

Louie really didn’t want to say “it was for love”When he became an adventurer, it was to have fun and find treasure, not to battle for love

“……Looks like I finally caught up with you”

Louie was sitting on the floor thinking about things, when suddenly he heard a female voice behind him

“Ila?”

Louie didn’t think she would appear, thus he had an astonished expression

“I thought you weren’t co”

“Of course I was coht”

Louie was surprised by her appearance, naturally Ila was angry, she then handed hiated object

“This is a gift for you”

“Is this a……sword?”

“Yes, but this sword is frodom”

Ila s paper, and stared at the sword in amazement

Under the early summer sunshi+ne, the sword shi+ned, contained within the sas over five hundred years of protective ht

What Ila gave hiic sword

Louie looked at the sword, the language of the ancients was carved into it

(I can’t believe it)

“If you say the phrase dancing in the darkness, it should prove more effective……”

After Ila finished talking, she sat down beside Louie

“This is aical?”

Louie was sceptical, he didn’t expect to get soht

“Of course it is I checked it myself, you can be rest assured”

“But, that knight also has a ical sword……”

“I know, but you can do it Believe in yourself, Louie”

Ila said, then Louie was ready for the fight

His opponent had a luxurious arnificent sword, if it wasn’t for Ila and that ical sword, Louie probably wouldn’t stand a chance

Finally, the time of the duel was near

Ila actually fell asleep on the shoulders of Louie, she looked very tired

At the sah the crowd of onlookers, and come towards him

Merrill happily waved at Louie He didn’t knohether it was to cheer for hih Merrill seemed like a child, naïve and innocent, she was actually more complex than that

Genie didn’t greet Louie, she just took a bunch of snacks and ate them

Then, Melissa and an old woman appeared before Louie He knew that old woman, he lifted his head to look at her

It was the highest ranking person in the Mylee temple, known as the “Sword Princess”, it was Jenny, one of the founding heroes of Ohfun

Louie’s adoptive father——Carwes, it was him and Jenny who accompanied Rijarl when he founded Ohfun

Of course, Louie had s from her

When Melissa saw Ila sluainst Louie’s shoulders, she just looked at theh Priestess

On the surface, the duel was a fight for Melissa’s love, and if Louie was seeing another woman, this wouldn’t sit ith her

Jenny then smiled at Louie

(This is troublesome……)

Louie felt embarrassed, he pretend to close his eyes, to escape the invisible pressure from Jenny’s smile

Finally, Conrad the Knight from Ramliearth made his appearance The entire crowd clapped to welcome him

(Why are the clapping for him? I’m the local here)

This made Louie a little sad

To the crowd, it was just a battle between a knight and an evil villain

“……What’s happening?”

The clapping of the crowd had awoken Ila

“The time of the duel is near”

Louie said, he then took the sword, stood up, and made his way towards the arena

“Huh?”

High priestess Jenny uttered, she was surprised by so

“He’s your hero, right?”

Jenny said sternly

“Yes”

Melissa replied

“He looks good Do your best, hero……”

(I wonder if he’ll lose)

Melissa said insider herself, she wouldn’t dare to say it out aloud

“Let’s get started!”

The High priestess said, she was responsible for starting the duelLouie had his sword in hand, Conrad too

“Come on, attack!”

Louie shouted

“Alright! Dance, my sword!”

Conrad shouted, it was the ancient language……

Then, he resorted to an unstoppable strike

Louie didn’t expect this move, Conrad’s strike cut his shoulder a little At this point, the croas cheering even more than usual

Louie then tried to keep his distance, he didn’t want to get hit again

(This is it!)

Louie charged at Conrad, swinging his sith all his ht, but his attack was easily blocked

It seemed that his defence was impenetrable

Then, Louie re

(At the start of the duel he shouted “Dance, my sword”)

Louie understood that his sas somehow siical incantation, thus instantly giving Conrad the advantage

“Dancing in the darkness suits you very well”

Louie then shouted “Dancing in the darkness”, the ancient language phrase given to him by Ila

A weird tingling sensation went through Louie’s entire ar in his hands

Then, the sword suddenly flew out of his hands It fleards Conrad, and violently attacked him“damn you!”

The crowd then began shouting louder

(Victory will be mine!)

Louie showed a confident smile, and quickly moved to the back of his opponent

Conrad was clearly at a disadvantage

“Well, looks like this duel was only the beginning”

Louie said standing behind Conrad, in atone

“W-What?”

Now Conrad’s sword flew from his hands, and the tords battled each other in mid-air

Conrad then tried to pull a knife out, Louie saw this, and swung his right fist right at Conrad

Smack!

Louie was quite accusto his fists

Conrad was beaten to the ground, he painfully rolled away, unable to get up

Louie raised his arms in victory, the crowd cheered However, those anted to see hihed and left the arena

However, there was still people clapping It was Ila and the “Sword Princess” Jenny

Merrill and Genie were still eating, they looked bored, but Melissa was blushi+ng

“……This is the way of fighting”

Melissa couldn’t help but state her true feelings, her body was tre

“This is siainst my will!”

She said her usual phrase, and turned away

However, so was different this time

Previously she had been unable to recognize him as a hero, or that he could even become one

However, sheLouie didn’t have to accept this duel, Louie and Conrad both fought for different reasons, and not for their personal gain

He wasn’t fighting for love, there was no motivation he used for the duel, Melissa didn’t even really encourage him, and yet he still came out on top

“Maybe it’s not against my will……”

Melissa looked back at Louie

(If he continues like this, he could one day become a hero)

Louie was now staring directly at Melissa, his shtly, their eyes locked, Melissa smiled back at him

(In the end, maybe he will become a hero)

Behind Louie, the tords continued to danceEnd of Rune Soldier Louie Book 1