Chapter 12 – Battle on the Empire border Part 2 (1/3)
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
As I entered the village with Sati and Syrah-chan in tow, Francesca waylaid us.
I finished adjusting the walls according to the villager’s requests and we were on our way to indulge in the hospitality of the village.
“We finished working for today.”
It was obvious what she was waiting for.
“I’m talking about the rematch, not more work.”
I’d like to avoid that even more….
I was thinking that I would be able to take it easy for the rest of the day, so I hurried to finish the outer wall.
Yet, I don’t think she would accept it no matter how much I call it too troublesome. Truthfully, we still have quite a bit of time and I’m not that tired either. Even my mana reserves are fine, since I kept back some of it in case of an emergency.
Francesca is strong. It’s not clear whether Sati would be able to win once more if they’d fought again. Fighting against someone like that needs a lot of resolve. In our last fight I was simply lucky that everything went to plan, if even a single thing went awry, it would’ve turned into a desperate fight for me real quick. I don’t want to have to do something like that multiple times a day.
“If you’re tired, then we can postpone it if you want.”
Once again, why is she saying it like it’s a foregone conclusion that it will happen?
“The winner was already decided, wasn’t it?”
“I will win if we fight again.”
In the end, in a match with sword versus magic, the one who wins will be the side that manages to create the most advantageous circumstances for themselves. Since I’m aware of Francesca’s fighting style, I can prepare an exact counter for her. And since she already witnessed my counter, making it much less effective for next time, and how she seems confident in her ability to win next, it means she has a good chance of doing exactly that.
“Listen, I would really like it if we skipped that for today.”
I want to skip at least today. I did plenty for today already. I just want to eat something good and laze around. Nourish my spirit and use it to keep me going tomorrow.
“Are you running away?”
“Yes I am.”
With that concluded, just as I was waving goodbye she held me back.
“Wait! W-wait a moment!”
“Whaddaya want now?”
“Why are you so unmotivated!?”
“Even if you ask me that…. You’re aware that even if I were to win, I won’t get anything out of this, right? And if I lose, then I will just get beaten up. In that case you’ll be happy, but I still get nothing.”
It might be counted as training, but I could do that with Sati as well who knows how to stop her hits before it would connect. Well, it’s true that fully equipped, like I am now, I can take a few hits before it becomes uncomfortable, but….
“So you want something out of it….is it money?”
“I have plenty of that, so no.”
“Then how about Guild missions? Completing them would give you plenty of renown, right?”
“I don’t need that either, and after becoming A rank you can freely choose the missions you want to complete. Anyway, before we set out you promised that you would listen to my instructions, right? Don’t be so unreasonable.”
“It’s down time now. I haven’t once talked back during battle.”
If it’s down time, then let me have that down time then…..
“Then, what is it that you would like, Masaru?”
What I want most right now is to be able to enjoy that downtime, but if that’s out, then…..the next on the list would be boobs.
However, I can’t ask her to let me touch her boobs. I mean I would if I could, but there are other boobs for me to touch and I don’t want to earn the ire of the others either.
“Master. I understand that you are tired from all that work, but wouldn’t it be fine to accept her challenge?”
As I was thinking, Syrah-chan started advocating for it as well. It seems Syrah-chan truly believes that I’m strong, so she’s of the opinion that I should accept the challenge. I guess this is the downside of acting cool so much in front of her.
“Even if you fight once more, Masaru-sama will win again,” Sati also chimed in.
“We can’t be sure until we try.”
“I am sure. Masaru-sama will win, no matter how many times you fight.”
Uhh, I don’t know about that…. Eventually I’m pretty sure I would lose at least once.
“In that case, I would like you to prove that assertion then.”
It can’t be helped. Even if I manage to get away now, it would only delay the inevitable it seems.
“Mmm, fine. Just one match, okay? I can’t really think of anything I want right now, so let’s agree that you’ll owe me one.”
“N-nothing perverted, okay!?”
“I won’t ask for something like that!”
Though it did go through my mind.
“It will be something that you can agree to, Fran. I won’t ask for anything outrageous.”
It will most likely be a request to Francesca’s family in regards to my territory. Ellie will most likely be happy about this one.
“In that case, it’s fine. Apparently there is a big open field some distance away from the village, let’s go there.”
“Yes yes. Then, Sati, can you find everyone and tell them about this?”
We may need healing in the end and they might want to watch as well. Though I plan on ending it in no time at all.
“Can I create the golems before we start again?”
“I don’t mind.”
Nice, I’ve won again. She must be wanting a rematch with the same conditions, but it’s just naive of her. Much too naive.
“It will be the bigger one though.”
“I-It’s fine.”
She seems to be a bit agitated at that. I guess she must’ve expected the smaller one.
“Should I keep it at the smaller one?”
Even the smaller one is five meter tall. It’s plenty big as well.
“It’s fine!”
So she must be planning on ignoring the golem and taking me down directly, huh? The size of the golem doesn’t matter in that case, and if she manages to reach me it might turn out to be a hindrance instead.
While I was talking with Francesca everyone arrived. After we gathered together, Lilia moved us to the open field. I readied my dull training sword and created a ten meter tall golem.
It was really too big. So big in fact that its hands wouldn’t even reach an opponent on the ground. If it crouches down enough that it can reach the ground it loses its ability to walk, so it needs a weapon.
When fighting against people I could give it a giant flyswatter or a big roller and have it try to squish them. If I’m allowed to prepare, then the sky’s the limit.
However, I need to draw a line somewhere or it couldn’t be counted as a proper match. Having a ten meter tall golem at my side might seem a bit unfair as well, but if you defeat an Earth mage forbidden from using a golem, then can you truly call it a win in the end? She must be thinking along these lines.
To use the golem as a shield, I took up a position diagonally behind the golem’s legs. With that she won’t be able to just dash at me right at the start.
Then, right after the start signal I started jumping and activating Levitation, letting me mount the shoulders of the golem in one go.
“Hey, what are you….”
It seems Francesca was utterly blindsided by my sudden jump.
“The match has already started, you know?”
She finally regained her cool and used an attack spell, namely a Fire Arrow, but I managed to avoid it by hiding behind the golem’s head and started the chant for my own spell. This would be dangerous to use against someone like Sati, who is dangerous even at range, but it’s a sad state of affairs for a close combat specialist. Francesca’s attacks spell lack bite.
【FireStorm】Activate!
thanks for the chapter, and also thanks for picking it up back from the graveyard
(yeah i’m the one mentioning about this project was dead for a year)
thank you for picking this is up. this novel has the potential to be quite good and as cliche as the plot and setting was, its interesting enough to pass the time by reading it. hopefully you could continue with translating since youve done a great job.
Thanks for the treat.