Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 397: The Outcome of the Duel
At the signal, the mayor’s son launched a fierce attack.
His first thrust was unexpectedly fast and precise. Tauro avoided it by a narrow margin.
The hidden [Weight Reduction] enchantment made the dueling sword unusually agile, but the young man’s technique itself was also properly trained.
“You reacted well! Rotten or not, I suppose you really are a D-plus adventurer,” he said triumphantly. “My sword instructor was once a C-rank adventurer, and even I can defeat him. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
“It means your instructor lets you win to flatter you,” Tauro replied, his expression making it unclear whether he was serious.
“That’s a lie! If you’re only in the D-rank band, there’s no chance you can beat me!”
The young man slashed sharply toward Tauro’s neck.
Tauro ducked beneath it with ease.
“Damn it! You move well!”
Using the sword’s [Weight Reduction], the mayor’s son unleashed a rapid sequence of attacks.
Tauro raised his short dueling sword and began blocking or redirecting every blow. To the spectators, it appeared that he had been forced entirely onto the defensive.
The young man’s followers cheered his apparently one-sided performance.
“Excellent, Young Master!”
“He’s overwhelming the brat!”
“Surrender before you get hurt!”
They can say whatever they like.
Tauro remained calm. He could hear every voice in the crowd and observe every movement around him.
The mayor’s son was reasonably skilled. Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the worst possible opponent.
Tauro had been drilled in the fundamentals of numerous martial arts by a former A-rank adventurer in Saisi. Since becoming an adventurer, he had also survived countless battles in which a single mistake meant death.
Few adults had experienced ordeals comparable to those Tauro had survived at thirteen.
The former C-rank adventurer employed as the young man’s instructor had probably allowed his wealthy student to win, praised him lavishly, collected a generous payment, and gone home.
The mayor’s son possessed swordsmanship roughly comparable to a D-rank adventurer, but only in form. His attacks were technically sensible yet lacked experience, adaptability, and invention. Once Tauro recognized the pattern, every movement became predictable.
To Tauro, the assault felt almost lukewarm.
The spectators had initially expected the mayor’s son to win easily. Gradually, however, they noticed that Tauro was avoiding or parrying every attack without difficulty.
Whispers spread through the crowd about the young adventurer’s composure.
“You can’t win by running away!” the mayor’s son shouted.
His heavy breathing undermined the taunt.
Tauro’s breathing remained perfectly steady.
“Would you prefer that I attack?” Tauro asked calmly. “I’m worried I might break one or two of your bones immediately before the wedding.”
The young man’s face twitched.
Despite attacking continuously, he had failed to land a single blow and was already exhausted. For the first time, uncertainty entered his expression.
Could he actually be stronger than me?
“Leader, stop taking it easy on him!” Ankh called. “They brought a physician and healing potions. Break his arms and legs!”
“Exactly,” Ragune added. “Tauro, teach him that the two of you aren’t on the same level.”
“A fool who insults Tauro-sama deserves severe punishment!” Zion shouted with rather more sincerity than the others.
The mayor’s son’s followers tried to answer, but their encouragement had lost its confidence.
“The boy is bluffing! He must be tired too!”
“Y-yes! The young master is stronger!”
“He can still win… probably.”
The mayor’s son stepped back to catch his breath.
“Y-you do understand that I’m the man who will marry the bride you’re guarding, don’t you?”
“What does that have to do with this duel?”
Tauro advanced slowly, forcing his opponent to confront him.
“You entered my range carelessly! Take this—First Flash: Goblin Slash!”
The mayor’s son delivered his fastest and strongest strike.
“Amazing,” Tauro replied in a completely flat voice.
He deflected the attack one-handed.
The force of Tauro’s parry snapped the young man’s dueling sword in two. The broken upper half spun through the air and lightly pierced his right shoulder.
Although the sword’s edge was blunted, the fragment still carried enough momentum to penetrate flesh.
“Gaaah!”
The mayor’s son released the broken hilt and fell to his knees.
“Enough! The victor is decided!” the priest-like officiant shouted, hurrying forward.
Tauro stopped him with one raised hand.
“The duel doesn’t end until he surrenders. If he refuses, I’ll have to break one of his arms.”
“W-wait! I surrender! I lost! Someone heal me—this hurts!”
The young man turned pale and conceded immediately. Then he began shouting as though the shallow shoulder injury were life-threatening.
“…It’s over already?” Tauro said.
He had intended to give the arrogant groom a thorough lesson, but the duel had ended almost the instant Tauro fought back.