Chapter 8 (2/2)

She had gone easy on him, not that she wasn’t training. She just didn’t use all of her abilities.

“That includes my loss to you the other day as well, I wasn’t being serious.”

Frankly, Reyas was a sore loser, but that was besides the point.

“If I win, obediently go back to the royal capital. I’ll also leave the persuasion of Dad to you.”

“Yeah. Naturally, if I lose there is no one that could stop you anyway.”

Now that Rufus is deceased, those words are correct. Rufus had no intention of stopping her in the first place though.

“Then, shall we begin?”

Saying so, Ria took a spear out of the magic pouch.

A spear. A cross spear.

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

Even for Lulu, an outsider to hand-to-hand combat, it was unexpected.

Ria meant katanas. Katanas meant Ria. In the royal palace, that image had been solidified.

Without speaking, Ria rushed forward, darting the spear out.

Reyas rose his s.h.i.+eld to defend. Bringing back the spear, she extended her foot.

“Ku-”

He stabbed his sword into the ground, preventing it. The spear immediately turned towards Reyas’ face. This was again prevented by his s.h.i.+eld.

The attack nearly pierced him, Reyas was fighting a defensive battle.

It was because until now, Ria had not been seen to ever use a spear.

But Ria’s Spearmans.h.i.+p Skill was Level 6. Although her Swordplay was a slightly higher Level, spears were stronger than swords to begin with. While this was common sense in her previous life, Ria was also of the katana.

Even in this world, the main weapon for war infantry is the spear. Even for Reyas, when riding he used a weapon with a long handle.

However, he mainly practiced with a sword on the ground, as it had good maneuverability and was portable.

In this fight as well, where anything goes from the onset, this became a one-sided fight.

That is to say, Reyas had sweetness towards Ria. You could say it was a difference in att.i.tude.

This world has no notion of being combat ready at all times. Even martial artists in modern j.a.pan where arms are prohibited have it, it was the resolution to immediately s.h.i.+ft into a fighting resolution, and Reyas didn’t have that.

Ria had it. In the royal palace, even when she didn’t have a weapon, she had the resolution to kill enemies if attacked, she had the ability.

Between Ria and Reyas, excluding levels Ria had the better ability.

Reyas didn’t acc.u.mulate magic to enhance his body, he instead increased the strength of his armor and s.h.i.+eld’s defense, but that was immediately dispelled by Ria’s high magic power. If you compared the attribute values of the two, there was a huge difference between their magic power.

If there was anything Reyas was superior to Ria in, it would only be his experience in war. However, this was no battlefield. When it came to experience of simply killing each other, Ria was not inferior to him as she had spent her free time committing genocide on demons.

In the end, Reyas was forced to adopt the strategy of giving flesh to take bone.

He raised his s.h.i.+eld against the spear in advance, getting pierced on purpose.

“Guu-!”

Penetrating the armor on the back of his left hand, the spear reached flesh. Even so, from there he rotated his elbow, entwining the spear with his s.h.i.+eld.

Ria simply let go of the spear. Although she lost her weapon, the s.h.i.+eld was pierced by the spear, affecting its maneuverability. Reyas lost one of his means of defense.

However, while Reyas was wounded on his left hand, Ria was uninjured.

Reyas’ advantage here would be that he still had a weapon in his hand. Facing against Ria, by the time she withdraws a katana, he could take many actions.

Reyas thought that as he brandished the sword in his hand, naturally aimed at Ria.

However, Reyas didn’t know.

Ria had the Swordplay Skill at Level 7. However, at the same time she had another skill at the same level.

Quick Draw.

The moment Ria’s right hand touched the katana at her waist, it had already been swung completely.

Reyas’ right arm was cut off at the elbow, his sword revolving midair.

Ria returned the katana to Reyas’ armpit. She sliced through the metal armor, gouging his side.

“Gufu-”

With a groan leaked into the air, Reyas fell to his knee.

Ria paused, carefully confirming that her opponent had lost his fighting power, and lowered her katana at last.

“Lulu, treat him.”

“Y-yes!”

As for what happened, Lulu didn’t see, but she knew he needed to be treated.

Taking off Reyas’ armor with the a.s.sistance of his companion, she first treated his side before reattaching the severed right arm.

Fortunately the wound on his abdomen did not reach his internal organs, and that his right arm was cut so cleanly, so it adhered without any problems.

“Princess… did you… always go easy?”

Laying on his side, Reyas asked in a small voice.

Between himself and Ria, there was an overwhelming difference. It didn’t feel the same to him as the usual practice. Rather, he now believed that her sword skills surpa.s.sed his.

“It’s nothing like that. I’ve always been serious. But, what I mean is don’t you think that the abilities used in training and those in killing differ?”

“So it was something like that…

Although that didn’t convince Reyas, at any rate Ria was stronger than him. To the extent that she took away his fighting strength, there was that much of a difference in skill.

“I will report to His Majesty. Though I’ve said it before, there’s no way for us to bring Princess back now.”

“Sorry. You’ve helped me.”

Ria bowed obediantly.

“However, there is a condition.”

Reyas turned, facing the man known among the knights as the Elf Lover.

“Carlos, go with the Princess. Don’t think of it as guarding. If you are traveling, a male’s help is always required.”

“Eh, is that okay!?”

Carlos asked delightedly. Lulu had on a complicated face.

“Princess, is this fine?”

“I’m fine with it but…”

She looked towards Lulu. The Elf Lover was like a disease. What does Lulu the half-elf think? That’s the question.

“Well, it can’t be helped can it? While the princess is fighting, it is necessary for someone to defend me.”

Carlos spontaneously dropped down to one knee.

“On my pride as a knight, I will protect you!”

Everyone there had on a wry smile. Normally, a knight would mainly protect a princess, but it couldn’t be helped as she was much stronger than him.

And thus the travelling group increased to three people.

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