Chapter 109:  One Eyed Inspector (7)

An unforeseen anomaly occurred.

The academy arena stared blankly at the royal swordsman, whose cheek had turned a flushed red.

However, not everyone saw this as just a simple anomaly.

“Now that she has a goal, she’s growing fast.”

Saint Istina.

She must have noticed Sonia’s more fluid combat style, as her blue eyes sparkled.

“Most students during their cadet days walk the path of a knight at their parents’ suggestion.”

“That makes sense. When their child shows no talent for studying, it’s the first path that catches their eye.”

I nodded at her cool-headed words.

“So, there are many students who simply practice whatever they’re taught without much thought. Especially those from the upper class.”

“I understand. That’s why they’re bound to be weak against opponents who fight in unorthodox or rough ways.”

It was a flaw of the generation that had welcomed an era of peace.

If not for my father’s teachings—who had risen from the bottom after experiencing war firsthand—I would have been just like them.

“……”

Istina glanced briefly at me as I watched the two students face off.

“Come to think of it, Roger, I heard you were an ordinary secretary cadet.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

When I answered clearly, Istina narrowed her blue eyes.

Her look said: Don’t play games with me.

“I heard you were beaten and ostracized by the other secretary cadets... That was all an act, wasn’t it?”

An act.

In a way, she wasn’t wrong.

Back then, I believed that surviving in the Grand Duke’s house and becoming chief secretary was the only way I could serve my family.

Tobang and his gang were all from prestigious families.

If I provoked them, I’d be outnumbered, and their families’ ties to the Grand Duke’s house would have me kicked out alone.

‘Of course, this time around, I recruited a friend who could fight in my place without suffering the consequences.’

It was a method I never would have thought of in my previous life.

Back then, I believed the Grand Duke’s house was the entire world, and my eyes had been closed.

But this second life I’d gained by chance would be different.

Now, there was no need to hide who I was, or live in someone else’s shadow.

A greater dream…

“Seems like you’ve found a greater dream?”

Istina said the very words I’d just been thinking.

At times like this, it really struck me that she was a saint.

“That’s right.”

“Well, a man should naturally set his sights high.”

Istina looked proud of guessing correctly, her tone confident.

She gently stroked the wolf fur draped over her shoulder and continued watching the match.

“They say foxes are clever hunters—let’s see what kind of training she’s received.”

「――――――」

“What the… I thought she was just some pampered kid who only trained properly… but she’s gotten tougher than I expected.”

Finjay wiped his lips as he spoke.

He looked startled, his eyes narrowed, as if surprised to have taken a hit in front of everyone.

“Thanks for the compliment, Finjay.”

However, Sonia, the one-eyed inspector, remained remarkably calm.

Rather, she advanced, boots flaring with fire, as if determined not to miss the moment when her opponent faltered.

“I was taught that if you want to defeat someone, you have to pour everything you've got into it.”

――――――!!

With each step she took, fierce flames surged up.

So intense that the sparring ground’s floor became scorched.

But—

Kaaaang―――!!

Finjay, ranked fifth in the academy, wasn’t going to let his guard down any longer.

He immediately parried Sonia’s blade with his own rapier.

The two sharp blades curved fluidly.

Then, in the instant they straightened—

An exchange of astonishing skill between the two knights unfolded.

As swordsmen wielding rapiers, their movements were lightning-fast.

Sonia might have lacked a bit of sharpness, but thanks to her well-honed fundamentals, she wasn’t being pushed back.

On top of that, even Finjay had become cautious, mindful of her combat style.

‘This was my strategy all along.’

It was obvious that Finjay was a genius when it came to handling mana.

He likely had a decent foundation and physical endurance...

But he was no match for Sonia, who had eaten nothing but bread and trained relentlessly.

“Hmph…!!”

With a short shout, Finjay thrust his needle-like blade at Sonia’s neck.

However, using an academy-taught move as-is meant Sonia could counter it on reflex.

In fact, using her signature technique—wrapping her sword in flame—she blasted out fire to obscure his vision.

“No…!!”

Caught off guard by the sudden burst of flame, Finjay staggered back.

At once, Sonia charged through the fire and threw another punch.

Puh-uck―!!

A clean jab landed squarely in his solar plexus.

Finjay clenched his teeth tight.

He was a royal knight, instinctively swinging his blade with refined technique.

With his swift movement, he managed to slice a bit of Sonia’s red hair.

Through the strands flying in the air, her gray eyes came into view.

Despite her lack of sight, she was glaring at her opponent with deadly intensity.

As if she were determined to take him down no matter what.

「That look in her eyes… impressive.」

There was no way the Emperor, seated in the VIP section, had missed it.

He watched Sonia intently, noting how different she was from the typical elite students these days.

「I’ve only seen that kind of look during the war.」

“That’s right. It was that very look in your eyes that made me fall for you.”

The Empress nodded gently, her smile serene.

「That girl… she’s Bishop Paul’s eldest daughter, isn’t she?」

“Yes, Your Majesty. She is my daughter.”

Paul responded with a respectful bow.

Seated between them, Archbishop Thomas watched the scene with satisfaction.

「It seems she’s been raised well. Young people these days lack that kind of tenacity.」

Even during the war, the Empire had launched invasions.

And most of those who fought on the front lines had been cadets from regional academies.

That was why students from noble families residing in the capital practiced skills that were more about elegance and saving face than real combat.

The Emperor didn’t bother interfering with this atmosphere, believing his Empire already overshadowed all other kingdoms.

However, even he found those flashy but hollow techniques rather distasteful.

So the appearance of a combat-type knight like her was exactly to his liking.

“She really is fighting dirty until the end…”

Finjay grimaced after getting hit once again by her unsightly attack.

Seemingly irritated now, he no longer intended to show mercy to Sonia, a female knight with poor eyesight.

He began imbuing his rapier with mana, fully intending to cause serious injury.

“Fine. In that case, I won’t bother saving face either.”

Finjay’s green eyes took on a hue of blue mana.

A knight who had inherited noble blood readjusted his grip on the rapier.

“If you get hurt, that’s on you, Sonia…!!”

With strengthened legs, Finjay moved swiftly.

He lightly rotated his wrist, flicking the sharp tip of his sword.

Left, right.

Diagonally, in figure eights.

Numerous attack angles, available only to the strong.

Sonia’s eyes, red like sunstones, read every motion of the dancing blade to the end.

But—

―――――.

There was a reason Finjay was ranked fifth.

Even if she could read it with her eyes, the speed of his lightning-fast swordplay was impossible to keep up with.

His sharp blade grazed precisely across the edge of Sonia’s cheek.

“……!!”

Blood, darker than her red hair, sprayed into the air.

From the VIP section, Bishop Paul nearly jumped to his feet at the sight.

“Sonia…!!”

But he wasn’t the only one startled.

“That bastard Finjay—he went too far…!!”

Ronie, who had been silently watching from the side, suddenly stood up.

His voice trembled with a look of genuine alarm that was unlike him.

“Ronie…”

I looked at my younger brother with serious eyes.

Then, I nodded and closed my eyes quietly.

“So, he’s already developed camaraderie. They did train hard together.”

Seeing my little brother care not just for himself, but for his comrade, I couldn’t help but smile proudly.

But then…

When I opened my eyes again, Saint Istina was looking at me with an oddly curious expression.

“Is something the matter, Saint Istina…? Do I have something on my face?”

“No, it’s just that, in this regard, you’re really…”

Did I miss something?

Returning to the cold-eyed perspective I had during my days as chief secretary, I sank into thought.

Then Istina chuckled and leisurely folded her hands behind her back.

“No, it’s nice to see some humanity. I suppose I’ve come to see even greater potential in you.”

Leaving behind that cryptic remark, she turned her gaze back to the match.

Slowly wetting her red lips with her tongue.

“Ahh, Sonia has finally taken a clean hit!!”

The professor acting as the moderator shouted in an urgent voice.

That voice made the atmosphere grow increasingly serious.

It wasn’t common for blood to be drawn during a spar between students from prestigious families.

Normally, if someone sensed a clear gap in skill, they would forfeit before suffering a humiliating defeat.

But now that blood had been spilled, the audience began to stir in unison.

“……”

A crimson stream trickled down the edge of Sonia’s cheek.

Finjay, having regained his composure, began to leisurely rotate his wrist, still gripping the rapier.

“You get it now, don’t you?”

The knight of imperial blood spoke once again.

This time, he pointed the tip of his blade at Sonia’s remaining eye and continued.

“Time to forfeit. You know very well just how big the difference is between you and me.”

“……”

Finjay was, in his own way, sincerely looking out for her.

“At this point, the professor and the guests will all acknowledge how much you’ve grown. Isn’t that enough?”

He wanted to maintain elegance to the end.

If he kept pushing and ended up inflicting a serious injury on Sonia…

Then he’d be branded the man who gave his all against a physically disadvantaged woman.

“……You call that enough?”

But Sonia thought differently.

“How can it be enough if a duel hasn’t been decided?”

Her voice was low, sunken with fatigue from all the grueling training.

“What…?”

But her eyes—her gaze remained unchanged.

Unlike her battered body, her stare burned fiercely like a furnace.

“Let’s see this through to the end, Finjay.”

Amidst the mess of her red, tangled hair, her savage eyes glinted.

Finjay, who had regained his composure, now felt a sudden chill crawl down his spine.

Among all the people he’d fought up to now…

He had never sensed such murderous intent.

‘No wonder.’

The reason Sonia held a sword—

It wasn’t just to ease her father’s worries. She had found a greater goal.

That goal was to cast off the image of a pitiful one-eyed woman and be recognized as a proud and capable knight.

In a world where many exploited their own misfortune for personal gain,

Sonia was the rare one choosing to abandon that advantage.

And such a person wouldn’t lose to a boy who relied solely on noble blood and preserving his dignity.

“Alright. Let’s finish this.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Finjay focused his mana into the tip of his blade.

Now that it had come to this…

He intended to end it with one decisive blow—flashy, clean, and final.

Even the mana that had been protecting his own body, he drew it all into the point of his sword.

Then he pointed it squarely at Sonia.

“……”

She, too, focused her mind.

Gripping her rapier with both hands, she aimed it firmly at her opponent.

A cold stillness briefly settled between them.

Sensing their mana from afar, the Emperor quietly opened his mouth.

「It’s about to end.」

The end.

That short, firm statement drew the attention of all the guests seated nearby.

Especially her father, Bishop Paul.

“Sonia…”

In the past, he would have immediately urged her to forfeit, wanting to protect his only child—his daughter.

But now, he could no longer stop her.

How could he?

Not after seeing those unwavering, crimson eyes.

This had gone far beyond a simple desire to earn her father’s approval.

Realizing this as her father, the bishop chose simply to cheer for his daughter.

――――――!!

Sonia released the mana within her body, transforming it into flames.

Then, she secretly focused her final trace of mana into her left hand.

The spectators, unaware of her inner tactics, cheered at the overwhelming display of fire.

“Yeah, show us one big finish!!”

However, Finjay wasn’t fazed by the fierce flames.

It was as if he knew this was all just flashy technique—he charged at her with his mana-infused sword.

Meanwhile, Sonia didn’t even blink as he came charging in.

She simply stared fixedly at Finjay’s approaching blade.

And the moment their blades were about to clash—

The flames Sonia had cloaked herself in surged like a wave and engulfed Finjay.

But he didn’t stop.

This kind of minor blaze was nothing his mana-protected body couldn’t endure.

“You really think a fire trick like this will work again?”

Finjay had already experienced her tactic of obscuring his vision with flames.

With confidence in his victory, he thrust his rapier into the fire.

Aimed exactly at where he felt her mana.

But—

“I know. I knew it wouldn’t work on you.”

Finjay’s face twisted in confusion at the strange sensation that followed.

He had been sure he struck her body…

But what he pierced was nothing but strands of hair—scattered in the air—hair Sonia had held in her left hand and released.

“You of all people wouldn’t fall for my elemental trickery.”

A cold blade rested against the smooth nape of Finjay’s neck.

Precisely from behind him.

“So I used a little sleight of hand.”

The noble-blooded boy slowly turned his trembling face.

And standing before him was a girl whose body and sword held no mana at all.

She gazed at him with her single eye, narrowed like a fox’s—mischievous and sly.

While Finjay had been focusing all his mana into his sword—

Sonia had scattered flames and then concentrated on her severed hair instead.

“Wow…”

At her rare and subtle smile, Ronie—watching from the sidelines—parted his lips slightly in awe.

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