The Song Of Sword And Magic

Chapter 23: The Contest

[Translator — Asuka]

[Proofreader — Karane]

Morris stood before Fern with a relaxed expression as the fight was about to begin. 

Unable to take it anymore, Stan hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I understand that you want to test our power, but it’s inappropriate for Sir Morris to battle Fern. Perhaps a royal guard would be more suitable in the contest.”

“An ordinary knight is no match for a swordsman with one of the Swords in the Stones.” Byron motioned for Stan to speak no further. 

Seeing that his attempt at persuasion had failed, Stan leaned close to Fern and whispered, “Morris is the leader of the knights who has years of experience in wars. Not only is he a master of sword-wielding, but he is also incredibly brave. He’s one of the few people who can challenge fiends head-on, so you have to be careful.”

Nervously, Fern nodded, but having been a mercenary for years, he wouldn’t be afraid of any opponents except for fiends. 

“Ladies, please stand back so that you won’t be hurt accidentally.” Morris bowed slightly at Niss and Rae. 

After everyone retreated to the corners, making a space in the middle of the hall, Morris drew out his sword and hung his hand loose on his right side. “Come on, Mr. Mercenary. Show me what you’ve got.”

***

Fern didn’t unsheathe his sword, for he knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance of defeating his opponent if they were to fight head-on. Morris was the leader of the knights who had been in direct battle with the Dark Tide for years, so he was undoubtedly more powerful than Fern. Therefore, Fern could only be on the defensive and react to his opponent’s attack. If he made a move first, his opponent might catch his weakness and defeat him easily.

Morris kept a calm smile on his face. Apparently, he had no regard for the mercenary whatsoever. “Don’t want to make a move? Then here I come!” As soon as he finished his words, he lunged forward and reached Fern in the blink of an eye as he slashed his sword at him. 

The speed at which he wielded his sword wasn’t rapid, but the attack was incredibly powerful. Fern knew that he couldn’t parry the strike, so he immediately dodged to his right. 

At that instant, Morris exposed his weak point due to overexertion of his energy, but he soon pulled himself together and hacked his sword at Fern’s head with more power than the first. Fern still lunged to his left to dodge the attack. 

Seeing that, Morris curled up his lips. “Why? Why won’t you counter my attack?”

Fern never responded to him, for he was totally immersed in the battle. Unlike the times he had to confront the Dark Tide, he could flaunt his real power in a contest with a human. At least he wouldn’t be fearful even if his opponent was formidable. However, he would always feel a crawling sensation on his scalp whenever he had to challenge the Dark Tide. 

“Alright. Be careful then.” Morris launched himself at Fern as he raised his sword. 

Still, Fern decided not to fight with him directly and evaded the attack, for he wanted to catch his opponent’s weak point before he made a move. However, Morris was an experienced warrior after all, so he rarely made any mistake, making it hard for Fern to attempt to strike.

No, I still can’t get a chance… Fern was flustered, so he forced himself to calm down. However, Morris’s attack was relentless, and Fern was forced to the corner.

“Can you go on dodging my strike forever?” Morris’s expression wasn’t as relaxed as before, for he had expended a lot of his energy to wield his sword. After he finished speaking, he brandished his weapon at Fern again.

Feeling terrified that Fern might be harmed, Niss immediately covered her eyes with her hands. Just then, Fern unsheathed his sword and crashed his weapon with his opponent’s. Niss lowered her hands and saw that Fern finally parried Morris’s attack.

However, It was apparent that Morris was the stronger one here, so Fern was on the losing side as his knees started bending. 

Holy. Why is he so powerful? Fern was amazed by Morris’s immense strength. I have to get out of this situation now. 

Gritting his teeth, Fern made a circular movement twice with his sword to get him out of this situation. However, as a seasoned warrior, Morris knew that Fern would make such a move, so he also mimicked the latter’s movements. Eventually, their swords were still stuck together. 

This guy… Fern’s hands had turned limp, so he couldn’t endure his opponent’s tremendous power any longer. Seeing that his opponent’s sword was inching closer toward himself, he thought dismally, It’s over now…

***

Just then, a strange feeling surged within Fern. It was as though his heart was burning from within, and his energy had been replenished in an instant. With the help of this new found energy, he pushed Morris’s sword away and dashed toward the middle of the hall so that he wouldn’t be forced to the corner again. 

Morris didn’t expect that Fern could parry his attack, so he tutted and said, “It’s incredible. I’m amazed.”

Fern didn’t even understand what just happened, but he knew that luck wouldn’t always be on his side. Let’s do this one more time. This time, I have to catch his weak point. Then, he readied himself and clenched the hilt of his sword. His breathing became stable, and all his focus was on his opponent. Gradually, all his companions and the king seemed to have disappeared from his sight, as though only Morris and himself were left in this world. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing.

“You won’t stand a chance to dodge my attack again.” Morris made a move again head-on. 

Fern widened his eyes. Come on. Just a glimpse of his weak point will be enough. The world around him seemed to have disappeared, and every step Morris took toward him was clearly visible. He raised his sword, but he thought, No, it’s not the right time yet. Wait for a while more.

Morris’s sword was right above Fern’s head, and he would lose his life in a short moment. For that instant, a chance appeared right before his eyes. Right now! Following that, he directly charged toward Morris. 

Morris had exerted all his energy to his sword, so he didn’t expect that Fern would throw himself at him at the last moment. Unable to evade, he tottered backward from the crash, and before he came to his senses, the mercenary’s sword was right before his eyes. 

Nevertheless, Morris was an experienced warrior, so he could always react quickly in whatever situation. Right then, he hacked away Fern’s sword and hurriedly stabilized himself. Even though Fern’s second strike came right after, he still managed to parry the attack with ease. 

Now, Fern was on the offensive as he seized the chance and attacked aggressively. Although Morris could still counter his attacks easily, he could hardly find any chance to make a strike.

***

Seeing that both of them were exhausted, Byron stopped the battle. “Enough.”

Fern and Morris stopped their attacks and put their weapons back into their sheaths. “Mr, Mercenary, you’ve shown your power. I have to admit that this is the most marvelous battle I’ve seen in years. Your observation skills and perseverance are impressive, but…” Byron took a look at Rae and shifted his attention back to Fern. “You’re also very lucky this time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Thanks for your compliment. I could feel that something was off during the battle.” Fern panted heavily. “Otherwise, I would’ve lost the contest. Moreover…” Then, he nodded at Morris. “Sir Morris hadn’t flaunted all his power.”

“You don’t have to be overly humble, Mr. Mercenary.” Morris guffawed. “Hardly anyone could make me unable to counterattack.” He clapped Fern’s shoulder and continued, “May the Soul of Oberon always be with you.”

“Alright. The mercenary and the magician over there have shown their powers. What about the other two?” Byron fixed his eyes on Rae. 

While the other three traded glances in puzzlement, Rae stared back at the king with a dispassionate expression. 

Seeing that, Fern seemed to have figured what just happened in the battle, but he decided not to talk about it, for the most pressing issue currently was to get the king’s permission. “Your Majesty, all of us have our unique abilities, so we have to collaborate with each other to show our best power. We’re inseparable.”

Byron gazed at Fern and gave it a thought. “I think you’re right. After all, I just saw how you could cooperate with each other.” After that, he leaned close to the gray-haired knight and said, “We’ve spent too much time with them. There are other people waiting to meet us.”

The gray-haired knight nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Then, he turned to the knight, who led Fern and his companions into the hall, and he said, “Get the next person in.”

After the knight left the hall, the gray-haired knight stood before them and bowed slightly. “Please follow me.”

Baffled, Niss asked, “Where are we going? Are we leaving this place? Or are we going to the Source of Magic?”

Hearing that, Byron burst into giggles. “I’m starting to like all of you.”

With a smile, the gray-haired knight replied, “Yes, Miss. The king has agreed to let you enter the Source of Magic.”

Niss was elated, but she was still flushed in embarrassment. While Fern and Stan congratulated each other with a smile, Rae remained silent on the side. Nonetheless, there was a faint smile on her face after the victory. 

“But you can’t get into that place today, for you have to prepare things like food and water first,” the gray-haired knight explained. “All of you, please stay over in the castle tonight. I’ll get all the stuff you need tomorrow morning and lead you to the Source of Magic.”

“No problem.” Fern accepted his suggestion readily. “We have to get prepared so that we can go further.”

“Well said,” Morris praised. “I’m starting to like all of you as well.”

“May the ancestors of Edra be with you.” Byron blessed them. 

Morris also gave them his blessing. “May the God of War bless you.”

After they thanked the king and Morris, they followed the gray-haired knight out of the hall. 

Inside the hall, Morris’s tone suddenly turned solemn. “Maybe they are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

“Yes.” Byron took a seat on his throne with a serious expression. “This time, we’ll defeat the Dark Tide again.”

***

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