Kays Translations

Chapter 6: First match

A sudden duel before the tutorial quest.

Prompted by the delinquent girl, Lindy, I went to the plaza behind the guild.

Other adventurers gathered to watch.

"That guy's an idiot."

"Lindy is a magic swordsman."

"There's no way that guy, expelled from his noble house for an outlier skill, can win."

My reputation seemed to be quite favorable.

"I'm Lindy. My class is ≪Magic Swordsman≫!"

The girl, in a manner befitting a delinquent, declared her name.

Revealing her own class to the enemy, what a foolish thing to do...

"The duel rule is ≪One Hit≫. Got it?"

Lindy drew her sword and pointed it towards me as she spoke.

≪One Hit≫, as the name suggests, is a duel format where the first one to land a hit wins.

You might think that even a single attack could be fatal, but in this world, that's not the case. This is because adventurers typically learn a protective barrier magic called ≪Life Barrier≫. ≪Life Barrier≫ is capable of shielding against all but the most powerful attacks. Therefore, as long as it's just one hit, receiving an attack won't cause any harm.

Hence, ≪One Hit≫ duels are relatively enjoyed as a "safe entertainment" in this world.

"Alright."

However, since I go all-in on offense, I've only learned the level 1 ≪Life Barrier≫. 

There's a possibility that if the opponent's one hit is a critical hit, it could be fatal—however.

I have data.

The variables are very few.

By simple calculation, it's clear that there's almost no chance of me losing.

"How far can you go with that dual-wielding?" 

Lindy laughed as she looked at the two swords on my hips.

In this world, it's common knowledge that ≪Dual Wield≫ is an advanced skill obtained only after polishing one's sword skills. Therefore, she likely perceives me as a "poser, imitating dual wielding for show."

"I don't need to be told."

I draw two swords and take a stance.

That signals the start of the match.

Lindy moves first.

"<<Magic Slashing Sword>>!"

She unleashes the skill favored by magic swordsmen. <<Magic Slashing Sword>> is a skill that imbues magic power into the sword. It can be used for a direct slash or as a long-range attack by sending out slashing waves. It's quite a versatile technique.

However, it's nothing more than an ordinary beginner skill.

"<<Double Slash>>!"

I unleash my trump card, the dual-wielding attack.

— The two attacks collide.

And the outcome was truly decided in an instant.

"—Agh!!!"

The swords crossed, and in the next moment, it was Lindy who was blown away.

Instant defeat. That would be the accurate way to describe it.

Lindy was slammed into the ground a little distance away. She should have been protected from physical damage by the barrier of <<Life Barrier>>. However, she remained stunned and couldn't get up for a while. A look of astonishment was written all over her face.

"Hey, did you see that just now?"

"He used an advanced skill, didn't he?"

"He's just a rookie who just underwent the aptitude ceremony!"

"Was he in the <<Dual Swordsman>> class!?"

"No, no, what happened to him being in the outlier class!?"

The people around were expressing Lindy's astonishment.

I walked towards her fallen form and extended a hand to help her up.

"Is this enough?"

When I asked, Lindy earnestly returned the grip, and I pulled her up.

During that time, Lindy's eyes were fixed on me.

— I noticed that her eyes were strangely sparkling.

And then, in the next moment,

"Big brother! Please make me your underling!!"

"Un-underling...?"

I was wide-eyed at the sudden turn of events.

"I didn't expect to meet someone ten times stronger than me when we're both still at level 1! I'm sticking with you, big brother!"

"Uh, yeah..."

I was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

Honestly, I didn't particularly want an underling, but when I looked into those earnest eyes, it didn't feel like an atmosphere where I could easily refuse.

...And so, unintentionally, I ended up gaining an underling.

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