Kays Translations

Chapter 37: Yeah, It's Lame

"Hey, what's going on? Is it over already? You talked a big game, but it doesn't seem like you've been training much?"

"Ugh!! And what about you? How long are you going to keep running away!!!"

Several minutes had passed since the start of the battle between Philip and Jesta.

The situation... despite Jesta boldly attacking in a two-against-eight scenario, none of his strikes managed to land on Philip. 

There were close calls with dodged thrusts and slashes, but the fact remained that the entire fight had progressed without a single hit on Philip.

While Jesta continued to criticize Philip for constantly running away, it wasn't as if Philip devoted all his movements to evasion. He seized opportunities to counterattack when they presented themselves.

Though these attacks might not carry the full weight of Philip's fighting spirit, if they weren't avoided, significant damage was inevitable.

As a result, among the spectators, there weren't many who harshly blamed Philip for his seemingly passive stance.

"Your attacks just don't land, huh? Geez... well, maybe that's it. I don't know if you're really confident in handling that rapier of yours, but facing you like this, I've got a pretty good idea."

"It's too early to declare victory."

"No one's saying that. It's just that, compared to someone who belittles others as barbarians, your skills seem pretty lame."

"..................What?"

Jesta's eyes lost their glint.

"What... did you just say?"

"Come on, you're not too old to have earwax blocking your ears. I won't bother saying it twice."

"...Shall I retract that statement?"

The rapier Jesta wielded was not an ordinary rapier; it fell into the category of so-called magical swords.

It was imbued with the ice attribute, and the blade was surrounded by a light layer of ice, maintaining the rapier's agility.

The magical sword's effect also enhanced Jesta's physical abilities to some extent, but still, none of his attacks landed.

(Guh!!! Why... why is it that my attacks are not connecting at all!)

Occasionally, he tried not only thrusting but also launching ice-imbued attacks to exploit vulnerabilities. However, even these attempts were effortlessly countered.

(Well, he's certainly not weak... thinking about it, that berserker is just too abnormal.)

The berserker referred to here is, of course, Ishud.

Even though Ishud currently holds the third-tier job of a Berserker of Transformation, he overwhelmed a skilled second-year student who had challenged him to a sparring match, all while trying to impress Michela by using the same rapier sword.

Ishud, in his efforts to assist Gulf and Philip, engaged in simulated battles in the forest using various weapons.

He not only used his preferred weapon in sparring matches but also tried out other weapons, even in the simulated battles against Michela. However, Michela felt that his fighting style was somewhat casual when he used anything other than his preferred weapon.

Since teaming up with Ishud, they were, to some extent, able to fight monsters safely, level up, and develop their own strategies against various weapons.

(He can handle not only rapiers but also spears and dual swords... It's kind of crazy when I think about it.)

Considering Ishud as a friend he became interested in, a faint smile crossed Philip's face.

"Ugh!!! What are you... laughing at!!!"

"Well, I just thought that you're neither strong enough nor naturally impressive to call someone like Ishud a barbarian, as you did earlier."

"What??"

From that point, things escalated quickly. 

Having fought Jesta for about five minutes, Philip completely grasped the rhythm of his movements. He perfectly anticipated the timing of the thrusts and closed in rapidly.

"There, it's over."

Philip firmly seized Jesta's outstretched arm before retracting it, and he pressed the tip of his dagger against Jesta's throat.

"That's it! The match is over!! The winner is Philip Gergios!!!"

"What!!! ...Damn it!!!"

Not content with just countering by pointing the dagger at his throat, Philip also held Jesta's extended arm, preventing him from pulling it back.

Witnessing this perfect execution, the adventurers in the audience erupted into loud applause, filling the arena with a thunderous ovation.

"Alright!!!! Nice counter, Philip!!! You could've just stabbed him right there!!!"

(Dumbass. That would have been a disqualification.)

While responding to the words of his friend, clearly audible amidst the cheers, Philip descended from the ring and headed back to the waiting room with the same relaxed stride.

(Well, if I hadn't met Ishud, I might have struggled more.)

Once again, Philip pondered.

Jesta Noruarga was by no means weak. 

Like Ferno Santaki of Sambal Academy, he possessed the skills required to participate in the Intense tournament.

However, it was true that, considering his noble background, his demeanor and behavior might seem a bit uncivilized.

Words like "You could've just stabbed him right there!!!" from earlier sounded like something a thug might say.

However, in terms of ability... in actual combat, whether it's against the same individuals, thieves, monsters... he’s clearly exceptional in terms of combat power.

It's not about being in the same age group.

Even among adults, he possesses remarkable combat ability and... something extraordinary.

(That serious guy, if you were to talk with Ishud, your perspective might change... Well, maybe that serious guy will get into a fight and get beaten up before that.)

"What are you smirking about? Perhaps, you didn't intentionally lose, did you?"

"I wouldn't go through the trouble of pretending, even if it starts to feel bothersome. Obviously, I won properly."

Upon entering the waiting room, Michela was the first to offer words of praise... or rather, she raised suspicions of self-sabotage.

"Yes, that's good."

"Congratulations, Philip!!!!"

"Yeah, thanks, Gulf."

Can't you give compliments as straightforward as Gulf, too?... Philip thought of making a sarcastic remark.

(...Well, that would be pretty unpleasant too, huh?)

Philip, envisioning Michela genuinely praising his own victory, found it a bit unsettling. It seemed unlike Michela, and he couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Hmph... Philip, you didn't just think something rude about me, did you?"

"Nah. I ain't really thinking about anything in particular."

While thinking about the terrifying intuition of women, Philip, skilled at maintaining a poker face, easily dodged any further inquiry.

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