Part 12 (1/2)
Despite the lack of what could be const.i.tuted as blood-thirst in those pale, light blue eyes, he felt an intense pressure just from facing him from over fifteen mel away. His gaze likely contained only pure interest in the opponent he would now cross swords against, and the rapture of battle itself? The only ones who could look upon an enemy with such eyes have had to possess an absolute confidence in their own swordsmans.h.i.+p. In other words, this man resembled Kirito somehow.
Having finished tying the sash in front of his body, the man turned his right hand to the clothes basket. With that, a longsword gently came out from the bottom of the basket, settling into his burly hand. Carrying it on his shoulder, he began walking on the marble with his wet, bare feet.
Standing stil after closing until a mere eight mel or so away from Eugeo, the man rubbed his st.u.r.dy chin that had a short beard growing from it and spoke.
”There. Could ya tell me something before we fight?”
”...What is it?”
”Well, that'd be... did the deputy knight commander... did Fanatio die?”
That curt tone, as if asking about the menu for dinner, made Eugeo feel like retorting with a ”Aren't you talking about your deputy?” However, he immediately noticed an awkwardly constructed guise on the man's expression as he averted his gaze to the side. Despite being truly anxious about it, he seemed averse to revealing that. That, too, brought to mind the partner who wasn't present.
”...She's alive. She's receiving treatment right now... I believe.”
87.
Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli.
Having heard Eugeo's reply, the man brazenly let out a sharp breath and nodded.
”I see. I won't be taking your life then.”
”Wha......”
Once again, he was at a loss of words. It was a conceit so immense that it had no room for suspicion over it being a bluff.
Self-confidence was a great weapon in its own right, or so Kirito had said, but even he wouldn't show this much composure in front of a strong enemy. The source of the rock-hard pride belonging to the giant of a man before his eyes was probably impossible for both Kirito and Eugeo to obtain-the experiences of winning through countless fierce battles, enough for every single one of those wounds all over his body.
However, even the count is significantly lower than his, Eugeo had also driven away integrity knights, just like this man, on more than one occasion on the way up here. Showing weakness before they cross swords would be inexcusable to the defeated integrity knights, to Gorgolosso and the academy's instructors who trained Eugeo, and of course, to his black-haired partner.
Mustering all the fighting spirit he had, Eugeo stared at the man head-on. He spoke with strength to his stomach, for his voice to not quiver.
”I don't like it.”
”Oh?”
With his hand still in the bosom of his oriental clothes, the man let out an amused voice.
”What don't you, boy?”
88.
Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli.
”Fanatio-san isn't the only one of your subordinates, is she?
There are Eldrie-san and the ”Four Oscil ation Blades”... and do you not care whether Alice is dead or alive either?”
”Aah... that's what you were getting at”
The man looked up and sc.r.a.ped the side of his head with the longsword's grip held in his left hand.
”I guess it's like this... Eldrie's lil' Alice's disciple and the Four Oscil ation Blades, Dakira, Jeis, Hobren, and Giro, are Fanatio's disciples. So, that makes Fanatio mine, you see? I'm not one for holding grudges, but at the very least, I'l take revenge if my disciple gets killed; that's all to it.”
He broadly grinned, then added on as if it just occurred to him.
”...Well, lil' Alice might think of me as a mentor, though...
honestly now, I don't know who'd be stronger now in a real fight.
It wasn't that hard six years ago when the lil' miss just became a knight apprentice, though.”
”Six years ago... a knight apprentice...?”
Forgetting about his retort towards the man for the moment, Eugeo murmured.