Kays Translations

Chapter 52: The Villainous Aristocrat Fights The Queen

Suddenly, my opponent Iori confessed to me.

The Colosseum erupted in chaos, but thanks to the quick thinking of the announcer, the match proceeded smoothly.

The match progressed smoothly, and the first match of the second round was about to begin.

"Kunou-chi!! Do your best!! I love you!! I・love・you!! I love you!! Chu chu!!"

Having been defeated in the first round, Iori moved to the spectator seats and loudly cheered me on.

Honestly, I'm still in confusion.

It was a sudden turn of events, and being confessed to by a girl was a first for me.

At first, I thought she might be teasing, but there was no sign of her lying at all.

I did make a promise to meet with her and the other reincarnated individuals later, but who knows what will happen...

I have a feeling that someone like Maria will play around with this in her own unique way.

"How remarkably interesting things have become."

"I'm also surprised and bewildered."

The opponent for the second round was Freya.

In the second match of the first round, she defeated the female martial artist who had been kind to me yesterday, earning a dignified spot in the second round.

Her fighting style was resolute and unyielding.

She swung a spear-like blade, as if turning the spearhead into a sword.

Despite wearing a full suit of orichalcum plate mail, her movements were nimble and astonishing.

"Well, well. I'm not impressed with deceiving young girls."

"I didn't have any intention of deceiving her... Besides, she's not my type."

They exchanged banter in the ring.

"Hmm, what kind of woman do you fancy then?"

"Uh, well, it's a bit... I mean, talking about that with her Majesty the Queen is a little..."

"No need to worry. I won't tell Karina. Feel free to speak your mind."

I'm not particularly worried about that.

"Well, I like older women."

"Hmm... At that point, Eleanor doesn't stand a chance..."

Eleanor? Why did the princess's name come up?

"What's your preferred body type?"

"...I guess women with a large chest."

"Oh-ho! Then there's nothing to worry about. That girl is my daughter. You can expect great things from her in the future!"

"Haha. Yeah, but I do like women who are a bit like Her Majesty."

"Huh?"

Huh? Did my previous lines make it sound like I was trying to charm Freyja?

Well, she's an adult woman.

A thirteen-year-old's words would probably be taken as a form of courtesy.

"You, you're truly something. Stop teasing adults!! Referee!! Let's get started already!!"

"Y-yes, let's begin!!"

The referee, whether aware of Freyja's true identity or not, signals the start of the match with her words.

"Let's go, Kunou!!"

"Whoa, she's fast!"

Freya takes a powerful step forward, swinging her spear-like blade with force.

I sense danger and quickly step back to create distance, but to my surprise, the spear comes dangerously close above my head.

I should have had enough distance for evasion...

Ah, I see.

She must have shifted the grip position on the handle to extend the reach when swinging the spear down.

My mistake was trying to retreat backward for evasion.

"Ugh!"

Unable to avoid it, I use my shield to block Freyja's spear.

However, if I were to block it head-on, the impact would crush my arm.

That's why I maneuver it skillfully.

"Wow! Don't pull off such clever tricks!"

"I learned from the first round!!"

Fortunately, Freya's fighting style is similar to Iori's.

Overwhelming attacks with power and speed.

It's simple but incredibly tricky, yet the openings it creates are significant.

Moreover, Freyja wields a spear-like blade, and the large shield in her other hand is a cumbersome piece to handle.

The real issue lies in the armor she wears.

Full plate mail is simply high in defense and has no openings when facing it head-on.

However, that's only true when directly confronting it.

"Here!"

It's a well-known story.

Full-body armor, to ensure mobility and avoid hindrance in movement, exposes certain parts, which become vulnerabilities.

And in the case of Freya's golden armor, it's no exception. The back of her knees is indeed exposed.

I attempt to trip Freya by delivering a kick to the back of her knees.

I've heard that once someone in full plate mail falls, getting back up is difficult.

Or at least, I thought.

"Huh!"

"Heh. It's the difference in physique and strength. With your power, you can't disrupt my stance."

It didn't work.

It's just a simple difference in power. My kick wasn't enough to disrupt Freya's stance.

It felt like kicking a rock.

"Heh!"

"Whoa!"

Freya swings her spear, and I hastily retreat to create distance.

Conventional tactics won't bring down Freya.

I see, I've identified what I lack. It's basic physical strength.

Not just physique, but my fundamental strength is overwhelmingly insufficient.

I need to rely less on body enhancement magic and start training my muscles more from tomorrow onwards.

And I must make sure to get enough sleep.

I've heard somewhere that sleep and calcium are crucial for bodily growth.

"Now, Kunou. How do you plan to defeat me?"

I ponder.

Freya and Iori's fighting styles are challenging, but there's nothing I want to emulate.

Perhaps, I lean towards a more technical fighting style that relies on skill rather than simple physical strength.

That's probably why I hesitate to use that weapon.

It's neither a physical strength-dependent weapon nor one that requires much skill.

But, well...

"Don't look at me like that."

Freya looks at me with an excited expression.

Even though her full-face helmet conceals her facial expressions, I can tell.

She's clearly enjoying this.

"If you have something up your sleeve, what is it?"

Oh, I certainly do.

The issue is the durability of her golden armor made of orichalcum.

There's a possibility that my attack could inflict a fatal wound on Freya.

If that happens, I'll be a murderer of the queen.

What should I do?

"Promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Even if you die, please don't hold it against me."

"Haha, don't worry. In the unlikely event that something happens, we have a saint! As long as I hold on and don't die easily, it should be fine! Bring it on!"

I store the transforming weapon in my magic bag and take out another.

Created in the excitement of the late night, it's probably a weapon with maximum firepower.

““Kunou player!! He stored away his impressive transforming weapon and pulled out another!! What is that? It looks like a gauntlet, but it seems integrated with something like a stake!””

"What's that?"

"It's a Pile Bunker."

I can shoot two giant stakes, one from each hand.

Both the giant stakes and the gauntlets are imbued with explosive magic, and they explode when magical energy is channeled through them.

They have the power to easily penetrate thick iron plates.

The durability of orichalcum is unknown, but it should be breakable after two shots...

The problem is Freya's large shield.

That shield is also made of orichalcum, and I don't know how tough it is.

"Hehe, excellent! This is interesting!"

Freya discards her spear and shield, spreading her arms wide in a ready stance.

Is she serious?

Even if she doesn't know the power of the Pile Bunker, it's not normal to take such a bold attitude in the face of an unknown weapon.

"What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"

"...I seriously have no idea what's going to happen!!"

I sprint toward Freya.

After being invited this far, not responding would be unacceptable for a man.

Especially with an opportunity to test the Pile Bunker against a person—such chances don't come by often.

I want to try. I want to do it.

It's a risky move I wouldn't usually make, but my curiosity surges, and I'm completely carried away.

"Haaaah!"

I swing the Pile Bunker in my left hand.

At the moment when my left fist and Freya's golden armor make contact, I channel magical energy into the gauntlet.

In an instant, a tremendous shock rushes through my left hand, and I launch the stake.

Black smoke swirls in the air, enveloping both Freya and me.

Not yet.

"Once more!"

This time, I swung the Pile Bunker in my right hand.

Explosive flames were generated as well, and the stake was shot in an attempt to pierce Freya's armor.

"How about that!"

The black smoke clears.

And there, in front of me...

"Hahaha!! Great two hits! Haven't felt this thrilled in a while! Look! My armor got a little dent from that!!"

Unbelievably, there stood Freya in her golden armor, unharmed even after taking the Pile Bunker hits.

Orichalcum is really durable.

It might be handy for my magical device crafting, which tends to involve explosions.

I should ask Reldo how to get my hands on some.

"I concede."

"What, already done?"

"I have something special. Just made a slight dent, though."

"Heh, you managed to dent the royal secret armor. A great feat to be passed down through the ages—huh?"

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

"Y-you, your arm!! Your arm!! Quickly, use healing magic for first aid!!"

I glance at my own arm.

"Ouch, I messed up, didn't I?"

"Are you calm about this!! Saintess, Saintess!!"

I could see the bone. Perhaps due to adrenaline, it doesn't hurt much.

The Pile Bunker is powerful, but it seems to be more of a romantic weapon, given what it did to my arm. Considering the worst-case scenario of losing my arm…

"Maybe it's an option to modify the arm itself."

"What are you talking about!?"

It might be interesting to try integrating a Pile Bunker into Katia's prosthetic arm.

And so, I exit the main tournament in the second round.

Unable to fulfill my promise with Reldo, I returned to the spectator seats.

In the end, there wasn't anyone showcasing a fighting style that seemed particularly useful for the future, and there wasn't much to gain.

"Kunou-chi!! You looked so cool!! I'll comfort you, okay?!"

The real issue is that hero.

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