The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 35

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 35 17. Beyond Expectations (2)

He couldn’t believe it. No, he didn’t want to believe it.

He didn’t want to admit that his judgment had been wrong.

But the results were speaking for themselves.

The guy he had thought was beneath not only himself but even Teoro and Bumer had shown amazing movement. His footwork that completely evaded Bumer’s explosive offensive was even more excellent than Teoro’s.

And that wasn’t all?

The single strike he had just shown, that shockingly fast attack, was so impressive that even Cal Krone couldn’t dismiss it.

‘Could it be… he was hiding his skills?’

Cal Krone’s expression twisted.

With that level of skill, there was no way he wouldn’t have sensed it when he had spread his threatening Aura. Rather, he might have gauged his full strength while keeping his expression unchanged.

He, who had always evaluated others from a high position, was being evaluated in return!

He felt terrible. He felt like he had been played.

“Your expression is different from earlier?”

To such him, Teoro spoke with a snicker.

Cal Krone whipped his head around. Teoro sneered once more.

“Whose eyes are terrible? Want to say it again?”

Cal Krone didn’t open his mouth.

He just bit his lower lip with a rigidly hardened face.

And at the same time.

Sir Bucal, who was watching the match from a high seat, asked the Knight Department Head with a puzzled expression.

“Didn’t you tell me to keep an eye on the child named Bumer Simpson?”

“…”

“The winner’s name… seems to be Lumian Calard, not Bumer Simpson.”

“Th-that’s… hmm.”

The Department Head was at a loss for words.

In fact, he had been absent from his position frequently throughout this semester, so he hadn’t been able to accurately assess the students’ abilities. Today was also his first time observing the Swordsmanship Competition.

That’s why he had said such things, naturally assuming that Bumer Simpson, who had shown excellent skills until last year, would win, but he had suddenly become someone with no judgment.

Sir Bucal opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“Well… it’s not that Bumer Simpson isn’t outstanding. He understood his strengths well. The way he pressured his opponent with powerful yet precise attacks was excellent.”

“Y-yes! He’s a talent that our Tarasan Academy is proud of.”

“However… Lumian Calard, the movement and swordsmanship that child showed was more impressive, in my honest opinion.”

“Hahaha… it seems there was a great realization while I wasn’t watching… So, that’s… I’ve been focusing mainly on the graduating students lately… so for the lower grades, I was a bit…”

The Department Head’s excuses continued, but Sir Bucal let them go in one ear and out the other.

What kind of judgment he possessed, how much interest he had in the students – none of that mattered to him at all.

More important was the fact that so many talents were gathered in this small Academy.

‘Four children with talent that would rank among the highest even in the mainland… and among them, two have potential that even I can’t estimate.’

It was because both had overwhelmingly crushed their opponents.

To properly confirm the abilities of those who still seemed to have plenty of room, he would definitely need to watch tomorrow’s finals.

Having thought this far, Sir Bucal burst into laughter.

It was because he found it amusing that he, who had found even coming for one day bothersome, was already looking forward to tomorrow.

However, there was someone who looked even more ridiculous, and that was Bumer Simpson.

He looked at Lumian Calard with a dejected expression.

Blood was still dripping from his hands.

“You… you bastard…”

“Uh, um, sorry.”

“If you didn’t want to go easy on me, you should have said so… backstabbing me like this…”

“No, that’s… ah, I’m really sorry. I’ll explain later.”

Lumian repeatedly apologized to Bumer as he disappeared with the medical team.

He had received help knowingly and unknowingly during this time, so today’s incident made him feel even more sorry. He thought he should repay the debt someday.

But his guilt toward Bumer wasn’t enough to cover his anxiety about tomorrow’s finals.

Lumian looked at the audience seating and then at Cal Krone in turn with a rigidly hardened face.

At that moment, Cal Krone also stared at Lumian.

“…!”

“…!”

The two, who had been silently looking at each other for a while, turned their heads away simultaneously.

Thus, the second semifinal match of the Swordsmanship Competition came to an end.

* * *

‘What’s he calling me for? Is he burdened by tomorrow’s finals?’

Curiosity appeared on Teoro’s face as he headed to the meeting place.

He thought what he was thinking was probably right. Lumian had been conscious of Cal Krone all day.

‘If that’s the case, I should naturally help. Though I don’t know if I’ll be of sufficient help…’

Teoro made a bitter expression.

In fact, there wasn’t much he could help Lumian with.

He had faced Cal Krone directly, but he had only been thoroughly toyed with. Honestly speaking, even now after quite some time had passed, he had no idea how to deal with that guy’s sword.

With such qualifications, could he be of help to Lumian, who was much stronger than himself?

“…Let’s just go.”

Teoro decided not to think about it anymore.

He had nothing else to do anyway. The originally scheduled third-place match had been canceled due to Bumer’s forfeit. It was because of his hand injury. Thanks to that, he automatically rose to third place in this tournament.

To repay that favor, it was right to go when called.

However, the content Lumian consulted about when they met at the meeting place was completely different from what Teoro had thought.

“So, right now… you’re concerned about becoming the villain in the finals… and you’re worried about losing popularity with women because of that… is that right?”

“Um… well, roughly speaking, yes.”

Lumian said with an embarrassed expression.

It seemed quite pathetic for the concern of a Swordsmanship Competition finalist, but it couldn’t be helped. For him, nothing was more serious than this.

Lumian lacked confidence in himself.

He had lived his entire life with low self-esteem due to being a eunuch, and he still hadn’t escaped from that state.

For such him, external recognition, reputation, and popularity were very important aspects. His head was full of thoughts that building up even these external aspects would make romance easier.

And separate from such thoughts, Lumian liked hearing women’s cheers.

Their voices warmly comforted Lumian’s heart. The ladies’ applause healed wounds that had been festering for decades.

The support he had received from women during the Swordsmanship Competition period wasn’t just simple support. It was like a elixir that restored his long-collapsed self-esteem.

‘That’s why it’s even more frightening!’

Because of such circumstances, Lumian was even more afraid of tomorrow’s finals.

Thinking that the support from women who had lifted him up would become curses and criticism piercing his heart, unbearable fear was already washing over him.

That was why. That was the reason he had asked for advice from Teoro, who was much younger than himself.

But this was only Lumian’s thinking.

From Teoro’s perspective, it was absurd.

No, beyond that, he was so angry that he felt the illusion of something hot rising from his chest.

‘Does this guy think the Swordsmanship Competition is a joke?’

The Swordsmanship Competition is a stage observed by numerous important figures including the Knight Department Head and high-ranking royal knights.

It means it’s the most excellent opportunity to enter the Tarasan Royal Knight Order, which is the dream of all knight cadets.

A guy who had advanced to the finals in such a Swordsmanship Competition.

With Cal Krone as an opponent who could never be taken lightly.

Was thinking of victory as secondary while worrying about the reactions of girls who had nothing to do with him?

‘He’s not worth associating with.’

Teoro exhaled with a “huff.”

It was filled with hot anger. It also contained anger toward himself.

He felt too ugly for being angry while hoping Lumian would do what he couldn’t, while hoping someone else would defeat the opponent he couldn’t defeat.

That’s why he turned around silently. Without responding to Lumian’s words.

Lumian, who had been staring blankly at such him, suddenly came to his senses.

And he strongly reproached his stupid self.

‘Damn it, I was thinking too much about myself and didn’t consider Teoro!’

Honestly speaking, winning the Swordsmanship Competition had no value to him whatsoever. After all, he had already achieved most things possible with a sword in his previous life. What was important to him was only romance with women.

But that was just his own thinking.

It wasn’t the most important value for ordinary knight cadets. Especially in Teoro’s case, it would be even more so.

Though they hadn’t spent a long time together, Lumian understood Teoro quite well.

How strong his competitive spirit was beneath that quiet and indifferent appearance, how deep his passion for swords ran, and how intense his longing to become a knight was.

Knowing all that, he shouldn’t have spoken like that.

Considering his age from his previous life, it was a mistake he should never have made.

‘I need to apologize right now!’

But he didn’t intend to just apologize.

Not considering how important the Swordsmanship Competition was to Teoro – that was clearly his fault.

But Teoro had made the same mistake. It meant he wasn’t considering at all how important women, romance, and sex were in his life.

Despite how much he obsessed over it and talked about it.

‘Of course, I know I’m not normal.’

Still, he hoped at least one person – Teoro, who had become his first friend in this life – would understand him.

Carrying that feeling as well, Lumian quickly ran toward Teoro.

And said.

“I like women!”

“…What nonsense are you spouting.”

“It’s not nonsense. I like women. I like their attention, their gazes, and anyway, those things are much more important than winning the Swordsmanship Competition. Unlike you.”

“…”

“Of course, I’m sorry for not considering your feelings and talking about winning like it was worthless. Even though I knew how important the Swordsmanship Competition was to you… It was a big mistake on my part. I’m really sorry.”

Lumian bowed his head deeply.

Watching him, Teoro made a bewildered expression.

Suddenly running over saying he likes women, then apologizing.

There was no rambling quite like this rambling.

But strangely, he roughly understood the intent behind what the guy was saying.

And once again, he was surprised by Lumian.

‘In this guy’s life… women are the top priority!’

He thought his obsession was severe, but to that extent!

Teoro, who finally grasped Lumian’s priorities, shook his head.

And finally, Lumian’s behavior began to make sense.

He wasn’t trying to deceive him. It was truly a serious situation, so he had simply requested help.

Of course, that serious situation wasn’t serious at all by his standards.

‘But that’s just my thinking.’

Thinking that just because it wasn’t serious to him, it wouldn’t be serious to this guy either – that was exactly the same mistake Lumian had just made with him.

Teoro wasn’t someone without that much consideration.

Rather, he felt somewhat reflective about having judged Lumian only by his own standards until now.

“Uh, so… the order got a bit mixed up, but what I want to say is… just as swords occupy a big part of your life, women are most important in my life. It was my fault to speak of the Swordsmanship Competition like it was nothing without considering you, but I’d like you to acknowledge my own values too…”

Lumian continued to pour out his thoughts in a rambling manner.

It felt relatively more organized than before, but was still scattered.

But it wasn’t so messy as to be incomprehensible.

Acknowledging each other’s differences and respecting each other’s values.

The content was about understanding and caring for each other so that the human called Teoro and the human called Lumian could get along together.

‘I guess that’s enough.’

Teoro let out a hollow laugh.

Just moments ago, his anger toward Lumian was so strong he didn’t even want to look at him, but now it wasn’t like that at all. Rather, it felt like their relationship had become more solid, like ground hardening after rain.

Lumian felt it too.

He quietly stopped talking and thought.

‘Being younger has its comfortable aspects too.’

If it were him from his previous life, he couldn’t have done this.

He wouldn’t have been able to apologize sincerely because of pride, and wouldn’t have been able to open his heart because of his position. That’s why Philip III didn’t know his troubles until right before his death.

‘It’s a bit embarrassing, but I feel relieved inside.’

Lumian made a refreshed expression.

It felt like going to a monastery and making confession.

He looked at Teoro, who was letting out a hollow laugh while looking at him, and asked.

“So, um… you’ll help me, right?”

“But what exactly am I supposed to help you with? Honestly speaking, even if you overwhelmingly beat Cal Krone, it’ll be hard to get a good reaction from the women, right? What’s important to them isn’t who’s stronger. What’s important is Cal Krone winning in a cool manner.”

“So somehow make it so that… I don’t care whether I win or lose, but I don’t want my image to be ruined by getting swept up in Cal Krone’s atmosphere… I just want that resolved. The current atmosphere is completely… just standing on the opposite side of Cal Krone makes me feel like I’m being branded as a villain.”

“…”

“Should I just forfeit? Then I could maintain the good image I’ve built up so far…”

“Wait.”

Teoro cut off Lumian’s words.

His face was very serious. Lumian asked.

“Why?”

“There’s something I’ve been curious about since earlier. The way you’re talking… um…”

“What is it.”

“It’s like if you put your mind to it… beating Cal Krone wouldn’t be much of a problem…”

“…”

“Tell me honestly.”

Teoro stared intently into Lumian’s eyes.

“Just how strong are you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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